r(E)volutionary Woman

Today, Tes talks with Rita Dave. Rita is a first generation immigrant who arrived from India at the age of 7 years old. After graduating from Queens College with a Psychology undergraduate degree, she attended New York Law School and began practicing law in 1992. Having always worked for lawyers since the age of 14, she’s participated in large tort and products liability litigation, and as a lawyer, her practice includes real estate, estate and immigration. She received an honor in the United States Congress and this tribute was read into the record on the floors of Congress. Rita’s dedication to justice resulted in her practice focusing on actual innocence work, and she strives to help those who are innocent, falsely accused and wrongfully convicted to regain their freedom. Her mission is to see that there is in fact true justice and that “presumption of innocence” is not just a premise but a reality.

To learn more about Rita Dave:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/davshelat
IG: Daverita2015

Today, Tes talks with Melissa DuPrey. Melissa is a multidisciplinary artist with roots from Humboldt Park, Chicago. After earning double Bachelor degrees from the University of Houston, she returned to Chicago to join the all-Latina theatre company, Teatro Luna. Her one-woman show, SEXomedy (2012), was developed during their monthly series for women of color in the arts and received a Chicago Reader Recommendation, a Member’s Pick, and had a successful debut Off-Broadway in New York. The popular show spurred a progressive sequel, SEXomedy 2.0, which debuted at Steppenwolf Theater in April 2019. Her second solo show, SUSHI-frito, has also been critically acclaimed as part of MPAACT’s Signature Series for solo artists. In 2014, she was selected as a new talent in the ABC Diversity Showcase in New York City. DuPrey is also a community organizer and spiritualist who also launched The Good Grief Project- an extension of the social justice component from her play GOOD GRIEF, where communities of color are connected to local, accessible and multidisciplinary mental and spiritual wellness practitioners of color. Her full-length play BRUJAJA was selected as part of 16th Street’s New Play Pop Up Reading Series for 2019 and is slated for a world premiere in 2021 with UrbanTheater Company. She has performed stand-up comedy in Chicago, New York, New Jersey, Philadelphia, and Los Angeles. She is a featured actor in the Emmy-nominated web-series Brown Girls and has many regional and non regional theater credits in Chicago. She can currently be seen as DR. SARA ORTIZ on “Grey’s Anatomy” (Season 17 and 18). Other TV credits include a recurring appearance on “Empire” (FOX), and guest appearances on “The Resident” (FOX), “Chicago PD” (NBC), and “The Chi” (Showtime). Film credits include: Relative (2022), Long Division (2022), Cherry (2020), Two in the Bush (2017), The Way We Speak (2014) and Bromance (2014). As a musician and active member of her community, she is dedicated to the preservation of Puerto Rican culture by way of the folkloric music, Bomba y Plena, with Africaribe and Las BomPleneras. She is currently an Ensemble Member at UrbanTheater Company and Artistic Associate at Sideshow Theater.

To learn more about Melissa DuPrey:
Website: www.melissaduprey.com
Twitter & IG: @BoomBoomDuPrey

News links:
Chicago Sun Times coverage for Grey’s Anatomy
Review of Good Grief- A healing experience
Please and Resistance in the face of Patriarchy
Coverage of The Chicago Women’s March and critique of lack of inclusivity
Centering Black and Brown Narratives in Chicago as ED of Social Justice Theater

Today, Tes talks with Khem Khoeun. Trustee Khoeun has lived in Skokie since 2005 and was elected to the Village Board in 2021. When initially elected to the Skokie Park District Board in 2017, she became the first Cambodian-American woman elected to public office in the United States. Trustee Khoeun holds a Bachelor of Science in Social Work with a minor in Political Science from Loyola University, Chicago. She is a Certified SAFe Product Owner/Manager and, in 2018, received a Courage & Leadership Award from the Devata Giving Circle. In addition to serving as a Commissioner and Vice-President on the Skokie Park District Board from 2017 to 2021, her numerous civic involvements include serving as a member of the Fairview Parent Equity Group and a volunteer with the Asian American Caucus. Trustee Khoeun also serves on the Board of Directors for the North Suburban Legal Aid Clinic.
Having been born in a refugee camp to Cambodian refugee parents, she currently serves as the President of the National Cambodian Heritage Museum & Killing Fields Memorial. She and her husband chose to live in Skokie to raise their children, now ages 9 and 11.
Trustee Khoeun enjoys Skokie’s ease of access to the expressway and public transit, the excellent schools, beautiful parks, affordable homes and the great diversity that all make Skokie a welcoming, safe place to live.

To learn more about Khem Khoeun:
Twitter & IG: @friendsofkhem

Today, Tes talks with Patricia Pastor. Patricia is a human rights attorney focused on immigration law and sexual assault law. Her work includes representing unaccompanied youth immigrants fleeing their countries due to gang violence, poverty, injustice, political and religious persecution. She pursues the release of detained migrants and works with families seeking permanent residency based on marriage and family relationships.

Patricia pursues justice for survivors of sexual assault and harassment. She has a long-
standing commitment to combating violence against women. Her work is informed by
her prior experience investigating child sexual and physical abuse allegations for the
NYPD and her history as a general counsel overseeing employment investigations.

As Legislative Lead for NOW NYS and President of Nassau NOW, Patricia has been
instrumental in promoting the election of women who demonstrate the values of equity
for all and ethical leadership. She petitions for legislation on issues critical to women and marginalized communities. Possessing a deep sense of justice for these communities, Patricia regularly contributes pro bono legal services in immigration, at U.S. borders, and to victims of domestic violence.

To learn more about Patricia Pastor:
Website: www.pmpastorlaw.com
Twitter: @2020TimesUp and @NowNassau
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/timesup.2020
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/patriciampastor

Today, Tes talks with Osprey Orielle Lake. Osprey is the Founder and Executive Director of the Women’s Earth and Climate Action Network (WECAN) International dedicated to accelerating a global women’s climate justice movement. She works nationally and internationally with grassroots and Indigenous leaders, policy-makers and scientists to promote climate justice, resilient communities, and a just transition to a decentralized, democratized energy future. Osprey serves on the Executive Committee for the Global Alliance for the Rights of Nature and is the Co-Director of the Indigenous Women’s Divestment Delegations, and actively leads WECAN’s advocacy, policy and campaign work in areas such as Women for Forests, Divestment and Just Transition, Indigenous Rights, a Feminist Agenda for a Green New Deal, and UN Forums. Osprey is the author of the award-winning book,”Uprisings for the Earth: Reconnecting Culture with Nature.”

To learn more about Osprey Orielle Lake and WECAN International:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WECAN.Intl
Twitter: @WECAN_INTL
Instagram: @wecan_intl
Photo credit: Erik McGregor

Today, Tes talks with Kim L. Hunt. Kim is a lifelong learner who continues to hone and invest her passion in organizational leadership, Black and LGBTQ+ liberation and storytelling. For over 25 years Ms. Hunt has used her platforms in storytelling, public speaking and civic engagement to curate brave, inclusive spaces for social change. She is currently the executive director of the Pride Action Tank (PAT), a project of AIDS Foundation Chicago, where she also serves as the senior director of Policy & Advocacy Operations. PAT is a multi-issue project incubator and think tank that focuses on action that leads to improved opportunities and outcomes for LGBTQ+ people and other marginalized groups. Kim was previously the executive director of Affinity Community Services, a 25-year-old social justice organization that focuses on Black LGBTQ+ people. Prior to her work in LGBTQ+ communities, Kim’s work focused on urban planning and community and economic development. She is the recipient of numerous honors and awards, including induction into the Chicago LGBT Hall of Fame and being named a Crain’s Chicago Notable LGBTQ Executive. She serves on the boards of Brave Space Alliance and One Roof Chicago, the OUT at CHM Planning Committee, the advisory boards of OTV and Wille’s Warriors. She is a founding co-host of OUTSpoken LGBTQ Storytelling, a monthly show in the Lakeview neighborhood of Chicago, and a published author. She earned a bachelor’s degree in Journalism from Iowa State University, a Master’s in Urban Planning and Policy from the University of Illinois at Chicago and a Master’s in Public Policy Studies from the University of Chicago. Kim lives in Chicago with her wife and has three adult children and a dog.

To learn more about Kim Hunt:
Twitter: @chikimhunt62
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kim.l.hunt.14/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kim-l-hunt-7028674/

Photo credit: Rebecca Parrish of Interchange Productions