SF National Coalition of 100 Black Women @ Dallas Ignite/Eileen Fisher Event

DALLAS - Oct. 14, 2016 - PRLog -- Posted Courtesy of Wright Enterprises

On one night, Thursday, October 13, 2016, Eileen Fisher Stores in nine markets joined with Ignite, based in Oakland, California for an event to launch Ignite's new public service announcement, "We All Belong Here."   The PSA encourages young women to get involved in the political process.  The launch events were held at Eileen Fisher Stores in Boston-Copley; Chevy Chase (Maryland); Dallas-North Park, Denver, Edina (Minnesota); Green Eileen-Seattle, Los Angeles-Robertson; New York City-Upper East Side; and Palo Alto-Stanford.

The inspirational video can be seen on youtube.com: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kc-7CrtdnKs

In addition to the public service announcement unveiling, Eileen Fisher Store guests enjoyed an intimate conversation featuring a politically ambitious young woman and a local elected official.

Ignite, with Anne Moses as its Founder and President, is building a movement of young women who are ready and eager to become the next generation of political leaders. IGNITE focuses on training young women from high schools, colleges, and universities across the United States.

In Dallas, Jennifer Staubach Gates, Dallas City Council Member and Claire Huitt, Senior at SMU, Southern Methodist University Class of 2017 with triple majors in Political Science, Public Policy and Economics were the speakers.

"Ignite is nonpartisan," Ignite Texas State Director Margo McClinton Stoglin, told the audience.  " We want women to get involved in the political process so start with young women.  With the current political narrative as we prepare to vote for President, it is more important than ever for women to participate in politics."

Jennifer Staubach Gates, who had no political experience when she ran for District 13 City Council Seat, "that includes George W. Bush as a resident," encouraged the women gathered to do as she did "run based on who you are.   I have a nursing background and I just wanted to make a positive difference.  I ran and I won, my first time out," said Staubach Gates.

Claire Huitt, said she was encouraged by Gates and the women gathered because as a young woman she has to fight "implicit bias" as even her male professors sometimes talk about the appearance of a female candidate rather than focusing on issues.  "I'm pleased to be a part of Ignite to meet other women who want to make a difference and change this country for the better."

The San Francisco Chapter of the National Coalition of 100 Black Women is a recipient of the Eileen Fisher Foundation Community Partnership Grant for it's "Bridging the Generations Employment and Training Program."

"It was great for me to represent the National Coalition of 100 Black Women, Inc.  that also has a chapter in Dallas, as I represented San Francisco, " said Jackie Wright, Community Outreach Chairperson for SF NCBW.  "It was a marvelous event as I was inspired by the speakers and we received a gift bag with Rebecca Sive's 'Every Day is Election Day, A Woman's Guide to Winning Any Office from the PTA to the White House.'  It was  great hearing from Jennifer  and Claire  and we left with a handbook for action."

Speakers at the Eileen Fisher Stores in the eight other markets included: Donna Rutherford, East Palo Alto Mayor and Haley Yasunaga, Senior at Santa Clara University in Palo Alto; Amy Howorth, Manhattan Beach City Councilwoman and Tiffaney Boyd, IGNITE, Southern CA Fellow in Los Angeles; Council member M. Lorena González and Cacima Lee, second year student at Washington University in Seattle; Kathleen Conti, Colorado House of Representatives and Abi Whitmore, Senior at University of Colorado, Boulder in Denver; Christine Barber, Massachusetts State Assemblywoman and Haley McFarland, Senior at Northeastern University in Boston; Cheryl Kagan, State Senator, Maryland and Simone Shah, Freshman at George Washington University in Chevy Chase, Maryland; and Alondra Cano, Ninth Ward City Council Member and Abeer Syedeh, Student Body President, University of Minnesota in Edina, Minnesota.

Ignite Videohttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kc-7CrtdnKs