Recently, in honor of International Women’s Day, we reached out to Shawna Potter of War On Women to ask her about the women who have shaped her life, as well as the art and activism that inspire her own work.
Hollaback! (now known as Right To Be) is a nonprofit organization created to both raise awareness about and combat harassment.
“There's not a woman that's come into my life that hasn't shaped me in some way, but a few of the most impactful would be my mom and her mom, both of whom raised me to be independent and creative. My best friend Mel, whose knowledge and experience in gender-based violence response work pushed me to be a better activist every day. My Hollaback! family of the 2010s, who created community even when we were spread out all over the world, uniting with a single purpose to end harassment without a hint of competition or scarcity mindset.”
“Artistically, there's too much I couldn't even name it all, but what comes to mind is the raw, independent punk spirit embodied by Bikini Kill, Hole, and the Slits that I was lucky enough to find in my formative years. For books, the Valley of the Dolls, My Secret Garden, and the work of Margaret Atwood, Adrienne Marie Brown, and Carol Adams.”
Photo: Rodrigo Garrido
“Lastly, I want to elevate the work of Las Tesis, the women protesting for more freedom in Iran, Russia, and around the world, Brigid Alliance, Yellowhammer, and anyone else working towards reproductive freedom, anyone working in transformative justice, like Creative Interventions, founded by Mimi Kim, and anyone working towards environmental justice. Lastly, I am humbled and inspired every day by my sisters who are trans, Black, Brown, and/or disabled, and will continue to learn all I can do to be a better accomplice in their fights for equality.”
-Shawna Potter
Catch War On Women at Camp Punksylvania, coming up in September!