Archived Radio Show

December 5, 2022

Original Radio Show  ID:
WSA221205

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. Shekeyna Black, Executive Director, Peace & Justice Center; Public Relations Specialist, 6th Street Playhouse

3. Guest Jill Ravitch, District Attorney, Sonoma County, CA

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1. Commentary by Elaine B. Holtz:  I have a special guest with me this morning.  Joining me in the studio is three-term and the first woman District Attorney, Jill Ravitch. DA Ravitch, who will be stepping down in January.  I wanted to acknowledge her service and find out a bit more about her. In my mind, many agree and many disagree with her, but for me, her being the first woman DA in our community has opened the door for other women to step up.

Also joining me on the phone will be Shekeyna Black, who is the Executive Director of the Peace and Justice Center in Santa Rosa and Public Relations Coordinator for the 6th St. Playhouse, and I must add she is a dear friend. We will be talking a bit about two upcoming special events, Winterblast and Scrooge in Love, a special Christmas Play at the 6th St. Playhouse.

2. Our first guest, Shekeyna Black, updates us on the Peace and Justice Center. The Center also serves as an umbrella non-profit organization for other social justice groups aligned with the values of the Center. Shekeyna announces the annual Winterblast happening this Saturday evening, December 10th, in the Santa Rosa Art District known as SOFA, which occurs outside the PJC on Sebastopol Avenue and wraps around on South A Street. It is especially known for its decorated sofa floats in parade. The first parade is at 6 PM, followed by parades at 7 and 8 PM. The Hubbub Band and Brazilian Dancers and Drummers are among some of the entertainment for the whole family. She also announces a fun holiday play, Scrooge in Love, at the 6th Street Playhouse, playing through December 18th.

About our first guest:  Shekeyna Black is the Executive Director of the Peace & Justice Center of Sonoma County. And wears a second hat as the Public Relations Specialist at 6th Street Playhouse.

Guest Links:

Sonoma County Peace & Justice Center:  https://www.pjcsoco.org/

6th Street Playhouse: https://6thstreetplayhouse.com/

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3. Our second guest, Jill Ravitch, looks back on her 3-term service as District Attorney of Sonoma County, the first woman elected to the office in the county's history. Jill recounts that she wanted to be a prosecutor from an early age and was encouraged by her grandmother and mother. She emphasizes that she ran as a career prosecutor for the office, not as a woman, though being a woman, and lesbian, did present challenges. Her first campaign was met with defeat by only 1% separating her from the winner. She learned through that defeat that she absolutely did have a good chance of winning when she ran 4 years later, and her hunch was correct. When Jill was elected DA, only was 1 out of 12 women DAs in the California. A recent recall during Jill's third term, out of revenge for legal decisions not going the way of a wealthy developer, resulted in her victory. Jill is most proud of the success of the Family Justice Center under her watch, and of the staff of the DA office.  Her hope is that more be done for the homeless, especially regarding those suffering from mental diseases. Jill feels she has a good successor in the newly elected DA, Carla Rogdriquez, who begins her term in January 2023. 

About our second guest:  Jill Ravitch is a UC Berkeley grad, USF Law grad and has been practicing criminal law for 35 years. She is the first woman to be elected DA in Sonoma County and is finishing her third term and will be retiring at the end of the year. During Ms. Ravitch’s first term she opened the Family Justice Center, dedicated to providing wraparound services to victims of family violence, sexual assault, elder abuse, and child abuse. She also established a dedicated elder protection unit and began an adult truancy program to hold parents accountable. Under Ms. Ravitch’s leadership the Human Trafficking Task Force has become a model for other counties due to the collaboration of many agencies to engage in outreach, prevention, and prosecution of offenders. She serves on various boards in the community and is an adjunct professor at Empire College School of Law. 

Guest Links:

Sonoma County District Attorney Office: https://da.sonomacounty.ca.gov/

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 Herstory

Our history is our strength. Check out important dates to remember in herstory at the National Women's History Alliance

Herstory Events:

December 1, 1955 – Rosa Parks refuses to give up her seat on a bus to a white person; her arrest sparks the modern civil rights movement in the US.

December 5, 1935 – Mary McLeod Bethune creates the National Council of Negro Women.

December 10, 1869 – Wyoming is the first territory to give women the right to vote.

Herstory Birthdays: 

December 6, 1815 (1884) – Jane Swisshelm, suffragist, wrote articles for local papers against slavery, for women’s rights, and against legal inequities, led to close friendship with Mary Todd Lincoln.

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Announcements  

November 25 - December 18, 2022, Scrooge in Love, 6th Street Playhouse, perfect show for all ages. Click Here for link for times of shows

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Saturday, December 10, 2022, 5:00 - 9:30 PM, Winterblast, SOFA Santa Rosa Arts District, South A St. and Sebastopol Road. Sofa parades each hour 6, 7 and 8 PM. Hubbub Band, Brazilian Dancers and Drummers and more. https://www.happeningsonomacounty.com/events/winterblast/

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Monday, December 12, 11 AM PT # repeats 11 PM PT, the show will feature Guest Mary Norman on Mary Magdalene. Radio KBBF 89.1 FM, North SF Bay or live streaming at https://kbbf.org/live

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Wednesday, December 14, 11 AM PT, repeat of Monday's show, will feature Guest Mary Norman on Mary Magdalene. Radio KPCA 103.3 FM, Petaluma, CA. https://petalumacommunityaccess.org/kpca 

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Monday, December 19, 7 to 8 PM PT, Sonoma County NOW, Board meeting, Introductions of Candidates for Board positions. For more information see http://nowsonoma.org/Events.html#1

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

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

There’ll Be Some Changes Made, sung by Kathy Brier from the album Boardwalk Empire Vol. 2 from its HBO Original Series  (2013 Compilation ABKO Music & Records). 

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Link:  Spinitron.com Playlist for Women's Spaces Show