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International Women's Week: Jessica Yee
By Michelle da Silva
I first learned about Jessica Yee just over a year ago when I began my "blogsession" with Feministing. Jessica is a regular contributor to that blog, along with Racialicious, rabble, section 15, and Shameless Magazine.
Jessica Yee is a Canadian activist, writer, educator, organizer, and facilitator. She is the founder and director of the Native Youth Sexual Health Network, the writer and director of the Choice Monologues, the youth coordinator for the Highway of Tears Initiative, an equity and diversity presenter for the Law Society of Upper Canada, and the national youth coordinator for the Taking Action Project - Art and Aboriginal Youth Leadership for HIV Prevention. And if all of that isn't amazing enough, Jessica is 23 years old.
Jessica is a multi-racial indigenous woman of Chinese and Mohawk ancestry. She is a self-described "Indigenous hip hop feminist reproductive justice freedom fighter" (how awesome is that?!) She got her first taste of community work at the age of 12 by volunteering at the Homeward Family Shelter, a shelter for women fleeing abuse. At 15, she led a letter-writing campaign in support of a gay student who was banned from bringing his boyfriend to prom, and at 19, Jessica dove head-first into the pro-choice debate, working the front lines in South Dakota to repeal the ban on abortion in the first state to illegalize abortion since Roe vs. Wade.
Today, Jessica is at the forefront of pro-choice, anti-racist work in Canada. Her passion for justice and understanding is clear in her work with the Native Youth Sexual Health Network. The organization aims to address issues on healthy sexuality, youth empowerment, reproductive justice, and cultural competency by and for Indigenous youth. She has also facilitated multiple channels of dialogue for choice across Canada in both First Nations and wider communities, including UN conference forums.
To me, Jessica Yee is inspiring. She is courageous, out-spoken and encourages others to be socially responsible and open minded.
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