Toda la jente que estaban bilando y cantando estaban muy orgullosos y felizes! Me encanto ver todos tan felizes, aqui en esta region no hay tantas cosas espanoles como en Eastern Washington, eso es de dendo yo soy. Los biales que estaban haciendo me recordaban de las fiestas que antes tienia con mi familia. It was great seeing how genuine everyone is around here, and of course it was awesome seeing so much spanish influence in their performance. The way everyone was signing and dancing together made it feel like I really was experiencing a different culture first hand. Toda la jente que están aquí tienen mucho energía! Everyone was having an awesome time and were just letting everything go as if nothing else but the music mattered. I’m hoping to see more performances like that where people just let loose.

-Heaven Aguilar

After treating themselves with cake, the Women Who Rock (Un)Conference attendees headed upstairs to join in on the ruckus in the front of the stage. Some people were propping up percussion and other instruments. A line of people with guitars and musical voices, a welcoming environment for anyone winning to join. The cypher has begun. What begins with q few beats of percussion, illuminates to a full collage of timbre and cuntrue. There’s a blend of language and cultural influence. There’s strong Latino influenced music, stomping feet, and music that transgresses to dancing bodies. People are encouraged to love forward, most are standing and participating In the musical energy. It’s a community, an exchange of pain and experience through musical next-generation–a cypher empathizing through music.

Johnathan Hill

5pm, here at the Women Who Rock (Un)Conference, the facilitator at the microphone inquires to the audience about their experiences today. The first respondents? A group of children, facing the audience, sitting on the stage. One of the children, identifying as female, announces that she is a 5th time incumbent of the (un)conference. During discussion with the audience, we are moved to conversation about how everyone loved the children’s presence at the (un)conference, how there is no shame for the distruption the children may cause. This distruption is what that WWR (Un)Conference is about. The adult audience of the (un)conference share that WWR is about challenging the mainstream, pushing for the future. The WWR is open and colorful, flexibly and loving. The WWR is a space to share experiences and honoring uniqueness.

Johnathan Hill

Today was a powerful day in Seattle, and I wasn’t quite expecting just how moving it would be to hear the stories of women in the community who have connected with women everywhere to make the WWR conference a reality for five years in a row now.

Although the chairs in the above photo are empty, they were soon to be filled by Star, Jackie, Sharon, Denae, Lola, and Harmony, six local heroines who kicked off the day’s events with a lively panel discussing everything from hip hop to the horrors of human trafficking. Things got real really fast, and it was clear that the issues raised weighed heavily on the hearts of everyone in the room.

The collective yearning for change was palpable as people shifted in their seats, listening intently to the women’s accounts of hope and sorrow. Although each woman seemed to have her own special cause for promoting social justice–from the Black Lives Matter movement to the struggle of indigenous people who still fight to survive on this continent–it was clear that we are all united by a longing for peace and joy in the world, and that common goal surely echoed throughout the day’s events.

– Molly Warinsky, Group 16

While it may have felt early for some of us, the turnout for the morning march was certainly bright: the blue sky welcomed us–a crowd of perhaps 50 or so men and women representing all ages and parts of the community–as we gathered around a pickup truck blaring pump-up jams at 39th and Rainier Avenue in Columbia City. Waiting for our cue to begin walking, we rehearsed chants led by women from Gabriela, a local Filipina collective working toward gender justice, who helped put on the Women Who Rock (un)conference today.

And then it was time: the half-mile stretch felt surprisingly short as we pranced powerfully down Rainier Avenue toward the cultural center, waving signs and shouting and singing as loudly as we could. It was a very powerful feeling to make my voice heard, but also to band together with others in such a concrete manner. People noticed us today, and regardless of whether or not they listened to our message of equality and justice for all, they certainly heard us.

– Molly Warinsky, Group 16

Talking to lead activists organizing and volunteering at this event, a common theme of the (un)conference today was the idea of desiring a safe space to express individual and communal ideas and values. Through Women Who Rock, a community has been made that emits the appreciation for the creation of this safe space where families, community members, children, females and males alike celebrate the uniqueness of diversity and the similarity of music-lovers everywhere . Graduate students attending school in California wish to expand the values that this safe space created today as we strive to bring equity to men and women alike across physical and mental barriers constructed by societal norms. This space urges for the individual to speak out as a community member and advocate and appreciates any and all helping hands in the quest for justice.

Wrapping up the conference in a flurry of child’s legs running freely over the now blank stage, the energy of the success of the day is palpable. Fluffy tutus are jammed into plastic bags and smiles and laughter celebrate the work of a day well-done. A young child falls asleep in her fathers’ arms while he finishes a generous slice of cake and begins to take down the music wall at the back of the hall. Outside through the backstage door I ask a woman who is responsible for the organization of this event and as she laughs good-heartedly she tells me “Oh it’s all of us, but that rockstar over there gave us the empowerment to let us, do us, all day long.” Pointing to a exhausted but ecstatic African American woman on the other side of the room, I make my way over to introduce myself and congratulate her on her amazing work, curious of how an event like this started. Good vibes permeate the scene and although the (un)conference may be over, rockin social justice never ends.

The steps of the fandango steppers symbolize the steps of our ancestors who led the way for us to be in this space. Some recent, some distant, some ourselves, we all came into this space to honor the present, pat and future.

The Seattle women steel-pan drummers also honor the everlasting unifying power of music, filling the participants bodies with colorful movement. Playing a song that represented the new ownership of this music by women, these beautifully talented women epitomize just that. Multigenerational, multicultural, the intersectionality in this group is inspiring and accessible. 

–Mercedes

This unconference is an event that brings the community together. Outside of the cultural center there are tables set up where a group of young kids work together to make cultural food for people that are interested in trying something different. Further out on the field there was a group of Latinos playing their instruments and the ladies are teaching each other the traditional dance. There are many instruments laid out on the field for anyone to join; this is not excluded for just Latinos. This shows the diversity within the group. There are also little kids around that joined in on the fun. Inside the cultural center kids participated in learning what each organization did. They were also enthused to try new things out and create artwork. This is such a great event created for everyone to participate in.  I hope that it can continue for many more years to come.