Archived Radio Show

June 3, 2024

Original Radio Show  ID:
WSA240603

Listen to the Show on the Mp3 Player below

Duration 57 minutes

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Featuring

Click the Name to access the Segment below

1. Commentary by Elaine B. Holtz,  Host of Women's Spaces 

2. Guest Victoria Fleming, Santa Rosa City Councilwoman, District 4; Northern California Director of Programs, Training and Development of Emerge California,

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1. Commentary by Elaine B. Holtz: 

Joining me in the studio Santa Rosa City Council member, Victoria Fleming. I am truly looking forward to this interview. Victoria is serving her second term in this position, and she is an inspiration for other women who might be considering running for office. She is also the Northern California Director of Programs, Training and Development of Emerge California, whose mission is "to build reflective leadership by training women, especially women representing the New American Majority.

I have some special Announcements:

MLK/Juneteenth is happening, and I will be having two of the organizers on next week. The event will take place on Saturday. June 15th at the Martin Luther King, Jr Park in Santa Rosa from 8-6pm and this is one of those events that the best way to describe is it is fun time. A little trivia this is their 54th Festival and along with all the fun events Pride and Joy, a popular San Francisco group will be performing. This is a top-of-the-line band.

Mark your calendars for August 10, 2024. The National Organization for Women (NOW) is hosting the California NOW 2024 Conference which will be happening at the Church of the Roses in Santa Rosa. I will have more info in the coming weeks. FYI All info that I present can also be found on our website, www.womensspaces.com and if you have any questions send me an email at elainebholtz@gmail.com These are two events you do not want to miss. I will have a booth at both so stop by and I will give you a special copy of the WS Pledge. I am thrilled that this is happening in Sonoma County.

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2. Our Guest, Victoria Fleming, a registered Democrat, is serving her second term representing Council District 4. She expressed uncertainty about running for a third term, emphasizing the significant decision it represents.

Fleming's involvement in politics began with her appointment to the Commission on the Status of Women by Supervisor Shirley Zane in 2016, where she played a crucial role in addressing issues like affordable childcare. This initial engagement spurred her interest in broader political roles. She highlighted the high cost of childcare in Sonoma County, which ranked second most affordable in California despite the significant financial burden it imposes.

Fleming discussed the underrepresentation of women in politics, noting a gap in political ambition between men and women, which she attributes partly to societal images and unconscious gender biases. She shared a personal anecdote where she was mistakenly addressed as "Councilman," illustrating persistent gender biases.

Her decision to run for City Council was influenced by the 2017 fires in Santa Rosa, which highlighted the need for new leadership in the wake of the disaster. She noted the lack of representation of parents with young children on the City Council at the time.

Fleming's preparation for political office included completing the Emerge California program in 2017, which provides training for Democratic women to run for office. This program, she said, equipped her with the necessary skills and confidence to pursue a political career. Fleming now serves as the Northern California Director for Emerge California, helping to mentor and prepare other women for political roles. Applications for the Class of 2025 will open this month of June.

She emphasized the importance of gender parity in politics and the need for economic equality, particularly in childcare, to ensure that women can participate fully in the workforce and political spheres.

About our Guest: Victoria Fleming  is a former member of the Sonoma County Democratic Central Committee. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Women's Studies from San Francisco State University and a master’s degree in social work from the U.C. Berkeley School of Social Welfare.

In April of 2021, the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors appointed her to represent Sonoma County on the MTC Commission (Metropolitan Transportation Commission) The MTC Commission not only includes our transportation system but also includes housing and development as well. This plays a big part in the idea of stacked housing near the SMART Train that Santa Rosa is currently implementing as she is working to support an all-hands-on deck approach to climate change. She has been quoted as saying: “This is the biggest threat to our economy and our welfare, and I am proud to be on a team that takes this very seriously.”
Council Member Fleming serves Council District 4 as a registered Democrat. She is serving her first term on the City Council. This Council seat will be up for election in 2026.

Guest Links:

Emerge California website: https://ca.emergeamerica.org/

Santa Rosa City Council website: https://www.srcity.org/1322/City-Council

 Victoria Fleming's Email: vfleming@srcity.org

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Our History Is Our Strength

Check out important dates to remember in Herstory at the National Women's History Alliance, where the date descriptions were sourced unless otherwise indicated.

Special thank you to the National Women’s History Alliance for making women’s history alive. Shout out to Co-Founder and Retiring Executive Director, Molly McGregor who will be on the show when we celebrate Women’s History Month in March for making the fabulous list of Women in History where I get most of the info I present in this Herstory segment.

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Herstory Events:

June 1, 1993 – Connie Chung becomes the second woman to co-anchor the evening news, 17 years after Barbara Walters became the first in 1976.

June 9, 1949 – Georgia Neese Clark confirmed as the first woman treasurer of the United States.

Herstory Birthdays:

June 2, 1907 (1998) – Dorothy West, writer, novelist during the Harlem Renaissance.

June 3, 1916 (1995) – Gloria Martin, socialist, feminist organizer who began Shakespeare & Martin Booksellers.

June 3, 1919 (1989) – Elizabeth Koontz, first African American president of the National Education Association.

June 7, 1917 (2000) – Gwendolyn Brooks, poet, first African American to win the Pulitzer Prize for Poetry (1950).

June 8, 1900 (1981) – Estelle Griswold, birth control advocate and pioneer, defendant in the Supreme Court case Griswold v. Connecticut which legalized contraception for married couples in 1965.

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Announcements

Wednesday, June 5, 2024 6:00 - 8:00 PM, The Community Advisory Council (CAC) and Independent Office of Law Enforcement Review and Outreach (IOLERO) invites the public to participate in our Monthly meeting. The location will be at the Finley Park Community Center, 2060 W. College Avenue. Manzanita Room, Santa Rosa, CA. 95401

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Wednesday, June 5, 2024 Peace and Justice Center issues new weekly list of events and links to community non-profit organizations: PJC website www.pjcsoco.org

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Monday, June 10, 2024 11 AM PT # repeats 11 PM PT, the show will feature Prof. Lauren Morimoto, Ph.D. on SSU's response to the Students for Justice in Palestine protest and agreement with former President Lee.  Radio KBBF 89.1 FM, North SF Bay or live streaming at https://kbbf.org/live

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Wednesday, June 12, 2024, 11 AM PT, repeat of Monday's show that will feature Prof. Lauren Morimoto, Ph.D. on SSU's response to the Students for Justice in Palestine protest and agreement with former President Lee.  Radio KPCA 103.3 FM, Petaluma, CA. https://petalumacommunityaccess.org/kpca& 

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Saturday, June 15, 2024, 10 AM to 6 PM, 54th Annual MLK Juneteenth Community Festival Celebration, Martin Luther King Park, 171 Hendley Street, Santa Rosa, CA (east of the fairgrounds). For more info, arrange for a booth or sponsorship see https://www.sonomacountyjuneteenth.com/

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Saturday, August 10, 2024, National Organization for Women (NOW) - California Conference, at the Presbyterian Church of the Roses in Santa Rosa. To volunteer, have a booth, to sponsor - please contact NOW Sonoma County at info@nowsonoma.org, or see CA NOW's webpage at https://www.canow.org/2024-annual-conference/ .

Music Selections

The Opening and Closing Theme song The Woman in Your Life is You is done with permission of the Composer and Singer Alix Dobkin ((August 16, 1940 – May 19, 2021) Alix Dobkin death was just announced - Thank you for all you did for Lesbians to be recognized and Women to be honored. May you rest in peace. See our Interview with Alix Dobkin on 12/1/2014 and our Memorial to Alix Dobkin on 5/24/2021

The Woman in Your Life is You by Alix Dobkin from the album Living with Lavender Jane (2010 Women's Wax Works) - www.alixdobkin.com

No More War sung by Jacqueline Sharpe from the album Songs of Freedom, Liberty and War (Golden Lane Records)

We’ve Come a Long Way Ladies, sung by Earth Mama from the album Herstory (Released March 4, 2019)

Brother Warrior, sung by Sherry Austin from the album Love Still Remains (Barking Topiary)

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