Like many innovative ideas, welfareQueens, a multi-media performance project, was born over a series of kitchen table conversations between a group of poor women in anti-poverty organizing sharing their personal stories with poverty, racism and sexism. Jessica Hoffman for ColorLines.com writes:
One recalled how the welfare system had invaded her family's life in the 1970s, and how the same struggles against poverty and racism persist today. Another had been told she made a few dollars too many to qualify for public assistance while struggling to care for a disabled elder. A third described the hardships she experienced in seeking health care through the Medi-Cal system.They met monthly in that kitchen for almost two years. To facilitate the gatherings, they provided each other with food, childcare, and other supports. Over time, they started calling themselves the welfareQueens, a name coined by founder Tiny, aka Lisa Gray-Garcia, and turned their stories into a scripted play. Today, they perform in settings ranging from street protests to classrooms. Since their debut stage performance in summer 2007, they've expanded to become a multimedia art, education, and advocacy project. Their mission is to radically alter the public discourse around poverty.
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