Persist Women's Political Engagement

Join us for the 6th Annual Persist Women’s Political Engagement Conference!

Episode 24 of the Persist Podcast features Anna Bailey. Anna was featured recently in an Oprah Daily article as the “First Black Showgirl in Las Vegas.” She is a social justice trailblazer, who spent her career dancing at storied venues such as the Apollo in New York and the Moulin Rouge in Las Vegas, the first integrated hotel casino in the United States. She was one of the first African American women to hold a gaming license, as she and her late husband opened and managed clubs in Las Vegas.

Her stories of working with Sammy Davis Jr, Pearl Bailey, Martin Luther King Jr, dancing professionally into her 40’s in Las Vegas amidst a backdrop of enormous prejudice and racial segregation was transformative to say the least. At 95 years old, Anna Bailey is a living legend, especially in Las Vegas. She and her late husband Dr. William H. “Bob” Bailey were honored recently with a plaque in Legacy Park, in the historic West side of Las Vegas. They also are featured on a mural in downtown Las Vegas, many oral history projects, new articles and media clips. Additionally, Bob Bailey has a middle school named after him in Las Vegas.

Check out the latest episode on SoundCloud, Apple, or Spotify.

It was such an honor to interview my friend and the phenomenal 60th District Assemblymember Sabrina Cervantes !

We had a great conversation about the important work she’s done on affordable housing, supporting survivors of sexual assault, step-parent partner adoption, being a mom to triplets, mental health, the importance of supporting women in politics, & so much more.

Listen now on Apple Music, SoundCloud, or Spotify!

Episode 21 of the is out now! Check out this powerful conversation that took place at the Persist 2021 Women’s Political Engagement Conference. It features UCR alum, Nelowfar Ahmadi in conversation with Dr Nura Sediqe. Link in bio.

It was a true joy to interview CA State Senator at the 5th Annual Persist Women’s Political Engagement Conference last weekend!! Check out this powerful conversation on the transformative work the Senator is doing, especially relating to affordable housing, criminal justice reform, AB 118 which provides funding for alternative responses to crisis situations, and so much more. Listen now on Spotify, Apple, or SoundCloud.

Tomorrow we kick-off our breakout sessions and you don’t want to miss them. We are excited to introduce this session led by R’Kids!

Check out more of our breakout sessions happening on Saturday 10/30 from 12:30-1:30pm!

We are thrilled to partner with student activists for this workshop on Making Our Activism Accessible

Check out two of our six breakout sessions happening on Saturday, Oct. 30 12:30-1:30pm!

Check out episode 19 of the featuring Professor and Chair of Political Science, Dr. Jennifer Merolla! This conversation discusses her research on women in politics, how the political environment shapes public opinion, and her books Democracy at Risk: How Terrorist Threats Affect the Public (2009), Framing Immigrants: News Coverage, Public Opinion and Policy (2016), and The Hillary Effect: Perspectives on Clinton’s Legacy (2020). Listen now on Apple, SoundCloud, or Spotify!

You don’t want to miss our highly anticipated LGBTQ panel on 10/30 10:30am

UCR students, build your network at Persist through the Mentor Cafe! This year's mentors have all the wisdom, advice, and connections you need to pursue your dreams! Make sure to register for the conference and check your email for a special invitation to participate in this year's Mentor Cafe.

Check out our Climate Justice & Intersectionality panel at Persist on Friday, October 29th at 5:30pm.

We are 4 days away from persist! Check out some of our keynote speakers for this Friday and Saturday✨

The Persist host committee is excited to announce the 5th Anniversary Persist Women’s Political Engagement Conference! You won’t want to miss this year's groundbreaking line up! We’re bringing back a crowd favorite with the Local Elected Panel, this year’s focus is Q***r Representation in Public Office! We’ve also added a panel on Climate Justice AND we’ll hear from two leaders on the US occupation and exit from Afghanistan and its implications for Women’s Rights in the Region.

The Mentor Café is packed with powerful people ready to share their knowledge and experiences about the various ways to engage your community! The Breakout Sessions will give you the tools you need to bring change to your campus and community whether you want to run for office or advocate for change! And of course, we’ve got amazing speakers on the mainstage too! Hear from PBS NewsHour Host Yamiche Alcindor, Senator Sydney Kamlager and many more!

Conference attendees have gone on to intern and in state and federal offices and some have even run for office and won! Last year's keynote from Patrisse Cullors reached over 800 participants and helped get attendees connected. As always Persist is free and open to the public! Tell your friends and family to join you for 2 days that will leave you inspired and equipped! Registering for Persist is easy! Simply go to https://hopin.com/events/persist, create a new account or continue as guest, and verify your email/join event!

Episode 18 of the Persist Podcast features ! Check out this powerful conversation about how she got into politics, the importance of running for local offices like the water district board, the challenges of being a woman in office and so much more. Link in bio.

Registering for Persist is easy as 1, 2, 3!

First visit the link in our bio, then create a new account OR continue as a guest and last verify (via email) and hit join event!

Persist is free and open to the public, register today and share with your friends!

Check out Episode 17 of the Persist Podcast, which features the incredible President Kathleen Brennan! We talked about the history and importance of labor unions, and the tremendous impact being made by Teamsters 1932.

*****SPEAKER ANNOUNCEMENT******
Joining us Saturday on the PERSIST MAIN STAGE at 11:30am is Yamiche Alcindor!

Yamiche is the White House correspondent for the PBS News Hour; the moderator of Washington Week, the weekly public affairs show on PBS; and a political contributor for NBC News and MSNBC. She often tells stories about the intersection of race and politics as well as fatal police encounters. She is currently covering the administration of President Joe Biden and the impact of the coronavirus pandemic.

She earned a master's degree in broadcast news and documentary filmmaking from New York University and a bachelor's in English, government and African American studies from Georgetown University.

We are so excited to bring Yamiche to help us celebrate the 5th anniversary edition of the Persist Women’s Political Engagement Conference along with many other powerful and dynamic speakers! Stay tuned for more speaker announcements!

Persist is FREE and open to the public! Register today at https://hopin.com/events/persist.

Check out episode 16 with UCR alum and refugee case manager Nelowfar Ahmadi!

Highlanders, Community Members, Friends & Allies, the 5th annual Persist Women’s Political Engagement Conference registration is open NOW! Head to the https://hopin.com/events/persist to sign up via Hopin and register!

You won’t want to miss this years groundbreaking line up! We’re bringing back a crowd favorite with the Local Elected Panel, this year’s focus is Q***r Representation in Public Office! We’ve also added a panel on Climate Change AND we’ll hear from two leaders on the US exit from Afghanistan and its implications for Women’s Rights in the Region.

The Mentor Café is packed with powerful people ready to share their knowledge and experiences about the various ways to engage your community!

The Breakout Sessions will give you the tools you need to bring change to your campus and community whether you want to run for office or advocate for change!

And of course, we’ve got amazing speakers on the mainstage too! Hear from PBS News Hour Host YAMICHE ALCINDOR, SENATOR SYDNEY KAMLAGER and many more!

As always Persist is FREE and open to the public! Tell your friends and family to join you for 2 days that will leave you inspired and equipped!

Episode 15 of the is out now! This episode features the trailblazing Long Beach City Councilwoman Mary Zendejas. Her election made history, as she’s the first Latina wheelchair user to be elected in the US. Check out this powerful conversation about her life, advocacy, and amazing political work.

Check out episode 14 of the Persist podcast now streaming wherever you listen to podcasts! This episode features Rocio Aguayo Policy and Research Director- Inland Congregations United for Change (ICUC)

I had a great time interviewing my friend, the always inspiring Abigail Medina . Check out this powerful conversation about coming out, grassroots campaigning, and dealing with racism and homophobia in the political arena. The podcast episode is available now on SoundCloud, Spotify and Apple.

Episode 12 of the features Dr. Ivy A.M. Cargile, Asst. Professor of Political Science at CSU Bakersfield. Dr Cargile discussed going from a first-generation college student to a faculty member, her research on stereotypes of Latinas in the political arena, her media work with 23 ABC News Bakersfield and Telemundo, The Hillary Effect book and so much more. Check out this conversation today on Spotify, Apple or SoundCloud! Link in bio.

Episode 11 of the is now available! This episode features Mayor Pro Tem Monica Wilson, who is the first Black woman elected to the Antioch City Council. Check out this inspiring conversation on SoundCloud, Spotify, and Apple Podcasts.

Episode 10 of the is now available! Check out this exciting conversation with Redlands City Council Member Jenna Guzman-Lowery on SoundCloud, Spotify, or Apple.

Check out Episode 9 of the featuring Organizing Director Janet Bernabe! Available now on SoundCloud, Apple, or Spotify. (Link in bio).