Do you ever feel like your leadership isn’t enough? Or isn’t the “right kind” of leadership?
Instead of asking ourselves about the conditions in which we lead, we assume that WE are the problem. But we have a different perspective. Many of us don’t feel safe, seen and heard in collective space, and don’t feel that our leadership is fully appreciated because our leadership styles include feminine energy. We care about healing and wholeness and we care about democratic and collective practices that serve and enrich the broadest swath of our community. We ensure that people are fed, housed, comforted and have agency. In most spaces, that kind of leadership is not “real” leadership or sufficient leadership. It’s usually seen as the thing we’re just supposed to do. But the Political Healers Project recognizes that feminine leadership is real, complex, necessary, and above all else, central to the transformation of our communities.
Come discover the power, versatility and necessity of feminine leadership! Over the course of the day we’ll engage in story sharing, political education, and healing practice. Our goal for the day is to clarify the transformative impact that defining, distinguishing and developing feminine leadership can have on our sense of Self, our purpose, and our communities. This workshop is open to anyone who is interested in exploring their own feminine leadership, regardless of gender identity, expression or relationship to the gender binary.
Light snacks and lunch will be served. Masks and regular hand washing will be required. Registration will be limited to allow for social distancing to occur within the space. There will be a closing ceremony at the end where all participants will receive a purple stole.
About the Facilitators
Michaela “Mich” Purdue Lovegood (she/her)
Executive Director - Political Healers Project (Montgomery, AL)
Mich Lovegood has more than 20+ years of organizing and training experience and more than 12 years experience of nonprofit consulting, supporting the strategic planning, hiring, staff and board development and fundraising of many grassroots, advocacy and service-based movement organizations.
Mich is a nationally certified mediator, a level 3 Reiki practitioner, crystal healer and aromatherapist, and often incorporates healing ritual and practice into her organizing and political work. She has a Bachelor of science degree in Psychological Services and Human Development and a Master's of science in Learning and Organizational from Northwestern University in Evanston, IL. Mich recently moved from Philadelphia to Montgomery, AL, after residing in Chicago, IL for 27 years.
Brandy Brooks (she/her/ella)
CEO of Radical Solutions LLC/Political Healers Leadership Team (Kensington, MD)
Brandy is an activist, educator, facilitator, and designer with 15 years of experience working on social and environmental justice. Her expertise includes: community organizing and power-building, community-based design and land use planning, and food justice and food sovereignty. She was the founding executive director of the Community Design Resource Center of Boston and has held senior management roles in various institutions. Brandy supports equity and justice for communities of color and communities with low income and wealth by advocating for equitable representation and community-led decision-making in housing, land use development, economic development, environmental and climate policy, and other critical community issues.
Chaka Holley (she/her)
CEO of A New Day Mental Wellness Center (Chicago, IL)
Chaka Holley is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker from Grand Rapids, Michigan. Where she received a Master of Social Work Degree from Western Michigan University with a concentration in Marriage and Family Therapy. She began her career as a therapist working with college students predominantly addressing academic and family concerns.
Throughout the years, she has provided both psychotherapy and Spiritual care and counseling to people from an array of backgrounds. Her clients have included people experiencing the challenges of homelessness, incarceration, juvenile justice, foster care, chronic illness and poverty, as well as clergy, activists, people navigating the professional work world. Chaka is also the president of Coloring Mental Health Collective,which advocates and organizes for the mental wellness of Black and Brown people. It also seeks to dismantle oppressive ideologies and behaviors that cause emotional suffering.
In addition to counseling, Chaka has been known for her advocacy work in various cities across the country with organizations like Black Lives Matter, Our Kitchen Table, Michigan Organizing Project and the Samuel DeWitt Proctor Conference. She is trained in various forms of community organizing and has worked on campaigns to end Mass Incarceration, Education Reform, Food Justice and more