SPRINGFIELD -- Singer/songwriter and social activist Deidre McCalla will appear in concert at noon Tuesday, March 6, in the Student Center at the University of Illinois at Springfield, part of the Tunes at Noon series presented by UIS' Office of Student Life. At 2 p.m. in the same location, McCalla will speak on "Outside the Lines: Reflections on Race, Gender, Sexuality, Art, Parenting, and Politics." Both events are free and open to the public.
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Deidre McCalla |
McCalla is a veteran of the women's music cultural movement and has made several national tours. She worked for 11 years with lesbian recording company Olivia Records, releasing three critically acclaimed albums on that label. Her work has also been published in Home Girls: A Black Feminist Anthology and The Original Coming Out Stories.
McCalla identifies herself as a working class, Ivy League-educated, African-American, lesbian feminist who is a home-schooling single parent by choice. She is also a self-employed, singer/songwriter, performer, and businesswoman whose unique perspective qualifies her to celebrate many dimensions of identity and creativity.
A lifelong advocate for peace and social justice, she is a cofounder of Atlanta FamilyPride (now known as FamilyPride of the South), an organization that supports LGBT families in the Southeast by providing educational programming, community resources, social activities, and public advocacy.
McCalla's appearance at UIS is jointly sponsored by UIS' offices of Student Life and Student Affairs, and by student organizations Women's Issues Caucus, American Civil Liberties Union, Queer Straight Alliance, United Students Against Sweatshops, and Sankofa.
More information about Deidre McCalla is available at www.houseofwally.com/dmc.htm. For more information about the programs at UIS, contact Beth Hoag at 206-6665 or Samantha Drews at sdrew01s@uis.edu.
