ERA Gala 2024

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Equal Rights Advocates' 50th Anniversary Gala

Join Equal Rights Advocates in celebrating 50 years of advancing equality, defending justice, and building a future that works for all of us. On May 30, we invite our community to gather in San Francisco for a night of celebration and inspiration as we honor our collective power to create change. Featuring live music, dinner, drinks, and iconic feminist speakers!

Program

May 30, 2024

Times in PST

5:00 PM - 5:30 PM

VIP Reception

For event sponsors and VIP ticket holders; includes a meet & greet with event speakers

5:30 PM - 6:00 PM

Registration & General Reception

Featuring live music from Jazzphoria

The Jean Fineberg Quintet

6:00 PM - 6:30 PM

Dinner

6:30 PM - 8:00 PM

Program

Featured Speakers listed below

8:00 PM

Drinks & Dancing

The Coolerators

About ERA

We fight for gender justice for all

Equal Rights Advocates is a national civil rights organization dedicated to protecting and expanding rights and opportunities for women, girls, and gender expansive people in workplaces and schools. Since 1974, we've been on the front lines fighting for gender, racial, and economic justice through groundbreaking legal cases and bold legislation that sets the stage for the rest of the country.

Speakers

Congresswoman Barbara Lee

Congresswoman Barbara Lee is a forceful and progressive voice in Congress, dedicated to social and economic justice, international peace, and civil and human rights. First elected in 1998 to represent California’s 9th Congressional District, the Democratic lawmaker has a reputation for principled and independent stands. A social worker by profession, the Congresswoman is a life-long advocate for accessible government services, and a champion for policies that address hunger, environmental justice, universal health care, just immigration policies, global HIV/AIDS support, the establishment of a living wage, reproductive health care rights and affordable housing. She was the lone Congressional vote against the post-Sept. 11 resolution giving the President virtually unlimited authority to use force. She is a member of the House Appropriations Committee, Chair of the subcommittee on State and Foreign Operations and the Majority Leader’s Task Force on Poverty and Opportunity; and Co-Chair of the Steering and Policy Committee, the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus Health Task Force, and the Pro-Choice Caucus. As a member of the House Democratic Leadership, she is the highest ranking African American woman in the U.S. Congress.

Alysia Montaño

Olympian, USA Track Champion, President and CEO of &mother

Alysia Montaño is an Olympian, Global Medalist, a seven-time USA Track & Field National Champion, Author, Entrepreneur, Founder; President & CEO of &Mother and a mother of three. Montaño graduated from the University of California at Berkeley. As an author, entertainer, spokesperson, and entrepreneur she has channeled her gift for inspiring others to demand for and make change while demonstrating her skills for brand development and business, thus allowing her to found the non-profit &Mother, in which its mission is to break-down barriers that limit a woman's choice from pursuing and thriving in her career and motherhood.

Rosanna Arquette

Actor, #MeToo Hollywood Leader, ERA Policy Advocate

Rosanna Arquette is an actor, filmmaker, and activist who has appeared in more than 70 films. In addition to partnering with ERA to support the country's most progressive slate of sexual harassment bills, Rosanna has called out gender inequality and sexual violence in Hollywood as a documentary producer and director, and as a whistleblower. In 2017, she was one of the first to confide in writer Ronan Farrow and connect him with many others who had been abused and sexually assaulted by Harvey Weinstein, helping to catapult Tarana Burke's #MeToo movement into the public eye. In honor of their sister, Rosanna and her family founded the Alexis Arquette Family Foundation, which in partnership with USC’s Violence Intervention Program, opened the Alexis Project, a Los Angeles clinic that serves the specific needs and treatment of Los Angeles rape survivors, particularly those in the LGBTQIA community, with dignity and respect.

Frances Fisher

Actor, Activist, ERA Policy Advocate

Frances Fisher is an award-winning actor, activist, and ERA policy advocate. She is best known for her roles in Titanic—which earned her a Screen Actors Guild Award nomination—Unforgiven, True Crime, and Holidate, among many other films and television shows, such as The Sinner and Watchmen. In 2021, Frances was elected SAG-AFTRA’s Los Angeles Chapter’s first Vice President, and she has been a member of the SAG and now SAG-AFTRA National Board of Directors since 2000. Her activism has included advocating for fair pay, healthcare, and family-friendly benefits for workers. She has partnered closely with Equal Rights Advocate to promote gender-justice legislation, including #MeToo-laws that lead the nation to prevent sexual harassment and violence.

Renel Brooks-Moon

Bay Area Radio Hall Of Famer, SF GIANTS PAA Emeritus

Renel Brooks-Moon is a graduate of Woodside High School, and received a B.A. in English Literature from Mills College. She spent 35 years as a radio and television broadcaster, including stints at 106 KMEL, 98.1 KISS-FM and CBS-5. Renel was recognized by the Baseball Hall of Fame as the first woman to Public Address Announce a world championship game in any professional sport, following Game 3 of the 2002 World Series. Renel has received numerous awards, including honors from American Women in Radio and Television, Multi-Ethnic Sports Hall of Fame, 100 Black Women, Bay Area Black Journalists Association, Girl Scouts of NorCal, and Girls, Inc. In 2008, Renel received an honorary doctorate from her Alma Mater, Mills College, and in 2018, she received an honorary doctorate from the University of San Francisco and delivered the commencement address. In 2017, Renel was honored to MC the inauguration of San Francisco’s first African-American Female Mayor, London Breed. Renel is a 2019 Emmy Award winner as host of the television series “Forever Giants,” and was featured on a limited edition 2020 TOPPS baseball card.

Wendy Chun-Hoon

Director, Department of Labor Women's Bureau

The 20th director of the Department of Labor's Women’s Bureau, Wendy Chun-Hoon is known for her coalition building, bridging strategy across community organizing, and public sector policy-making. She has held senior positions in Maryland state government and private philanthropy, overseeing large-scale initiatives for worker and family economic justice. Before coming to the U.S. Department of Labor, Wendy led Family Values @ Work, a national network of grassroots coalitions that has won more than 60 new paid leave policies while organizing to increase access to child care, fair wages, and improved employment conditions. Wendy was instrumental to the formation of the Paid Leave for All national campaign. Recognizing the ways in which her own family would be excluded from many paid leave policies, she spearheaded the development of the Family Justice Network, building cross-movement organizing among communities of color, organized labor, and advocates for reproductive, disability, and LGBTQ justice, making inclusive family recognition a hallmark of today’s paid leave movement.

2024 Ramey Gender Justice Honorees:

ERA Founders and former Executive Directors

(Nancy Davis - Wendy Williams - Irma Herrera - Arcelia Hurtado; In memoriam: ERA founding mentors Professors Herma Hill Kay and Barbara Babcock)

ERA Board Chairs, past and present

(Cassandra Flipper - Eva Paterson - Ann Brick - Deborah Schmall - Marjorie Randolph - Susie Lampert - Marci Rubin - Paulette Meyer - Betsy Cotton - Beth Parker - Ghada Saliba-Malouf - Dale Schroedel)

ERA NextGen Leaders

(Outstanding law clerks and Legal Fellows representing the future of Equal Rights Advocates: Caity Lynch - Katrina Garry - Melissa Padilla)

Featuring music from

The Coolerators

Lighting up the post-dinner after party, The Coolerators are among the who’s who of legal champions for civil rights: Eva Paterson, President of the Equal Justice Society on vocals; lawyer Elizabeth Cabraser on drums; David Chiu , City Attorney of San Francisco, on violin; former Presidio Trust president Paula Collins; employment lawyer Cheryl Stevens on vocals; mediator and labor arbitrator Bob Hirsch on guitar; Brad Seligman on guitar, harmonica and vocals; USF law professor Bill Hing on bass guitar; and Bill Tamayo on keyboards and accordion.

The Jean Fineberg Quintet

Kicking off the evening, this exciting contemporary all-original band of five is led by veteran saxophonist/flutist/composer Jean Fineberg. They will perform before dinner, at the VIP and General Receptions.