Find Out Why More Colleges Are Using College Speakers Aishah Shahidah Simmons & Monica Dillon
Dear Friends,
It’s not often that one gets asked to speak before a group of people. As artists/speakers sharing our knowledge and insights at colleges around the country, Aishah and I are flattered and honored each time we are asked to visit a new college campus.
Aishah And Monica At UW-Madison during a Q&A Discussion
Over the past two years Aishah and I have had the pleasure to speak with lots of different kinds of audiences together and individually.
From grade school students to college and graduate students, both Aishah and I learn as much as we share and teach.
Aisha and I teamed up almost 5 years ago by accident it would seem. We had mutual friends who knew about the work we were doing individually - I was writing music and songs about ending sexual violence against women and she was working on a film called NO!
Flash forward several years and many many conversations..Aishah and I finally did work together on her film NO! but we also realized we could be great allies in the mutual messages we were carrying.
Monica & Grace King High School Students Aishah & Monica with Earlham faculty and students
Our travels have taken us all over the world - from Massachusetts, New York, California, Florence, Italy, to Nairobi, Kenya.
Aishah And Monica with WOFAK in Kenya Monica and Aishah In Florence, Italy
Together, Aishah and I use all of these experiences - good and bad - to make sense of the world around us, present our analysis, and motivate.
Monica’s Studio After Hurricane Katrina
And we’ve definitely had our share of heartache, disappointment, struggle, and lived to tell the story. And isn’t that what it’s all about. I remember just starting college. It seems like yesterday…but..boy… time sure does fly when you’re having fun. Unlike some college speakers, however, Aishah and I are still able to relate and get through to younger folk.
This year we’re continuing our focus working in the following areas:
Ending violence against women and organizing around getting men to realize that this is their issue too
Discovering and Remembering The Contributions of Women Of Color In Film & Music
Integrating Activism And Art In Today’s Economy and how one uses his/her art. Are we then responsible for the impact it has on the communities that define us?
The never ending debate on Sexism & Hip Hop. We have an opinion too.
Sharing our stories and experiences as out African American lesbians in a largely homophobic world. College students around the country are struggling to find their voices and create safe spaces in which they can be themselves and share their stories.
We’re discussing the very charged, controversial, and even taboo subjects of gay marriage, Proposition 8, and its impact and implications.
With our workshop “Does Your Mama Know,” we’re talking about what it means to be out in our families and communities. The stereotypes, the struggles, and the strategies, and the successes around integrating our identities in the communities in which we live.
Aishah and I are also talking about why it’s important for us all to explore our human rights. Fighting for and sharing our thoughts on all of our human rights including the legal right for the LGBT community to form the same unions as heterosexuals - marriage.
Check out some of our recent workshops:
Watch The Video - Aishah and I talk about some of the stereotypes Lesbians face:
Watch The Video - Aishah and I answer a popular question LGBT students of color ask and deal with:
Watch The Video - And How To Create Safe Space For LGBT Students
Watch The Video - Our Discussion On Hip Hop Introduction
Watch The Video - A Discussion On Hip Hop And The Challenges Artists Face
University of Madison - Wisconsin
PAVE (Promoting Awareness and Victim Empowerment) Featured Lecturers & Artists/Speakers
International Women’s Summit: Women’s Leadership Making A Difference on HIV and AIDS
Nairobi, Kenya
United States Social Forum
Another World Is Possible:Another US Is Necessary
Atlanta, GA
Black Lily Film Festival
Philadelphia, PA
SsterAll: Our Name Is Our Own
Los Angeles, CA
Bennett College For Women
President’s Academic Cultural Enrichment Series (PACES)
Mobilizing to End Domestic Violence in the African-American Community:
A Contract for Change
Long Beach, CA
The XXVIII Laboratorio Immagine Donna di Firenze (International Women’s Film Festival)
Florence, Italy
SisterSong
2nd National Conference & 10th Anniversary Celebration
Chicago, IL
Rape Awareness Week
Earlham College
Richmond, IN
From Womb To Womanhood
Philadelphia, PA
The Attic LGBT Youth Center
Philadelphia, PA
just to name a few……
Truly Aishah and I have been graced with tremendous opportunites. We continue to be able to share our work, creativity, and message year after year.
Testimonials About Aishah And Monica
Dear Aishah, people are still talking about how great your visit to University of California, San Diego was!
You and Monica really rocked this place with your film and your discussion afterward. It was so nice to see you and to witness you in action again. Your work is so powerful.
Many thanks and congratulations on all your well-deserved success. - David Pellow, Professor, Don Martindale Endowed Chair, University of Minnesota
Monica, thank you, thank you, thank you. What else can we say?
We had about 30 people at today’s luncheon, and as it turns out they will not allow us to say no to From Womb to Womanhood for next year.
Many have pledged their support and encouragement to have a similar one-day event in March–Month of The Woman.
We feel that your message set the tone for what is about to take place. Thank you, thank you, and thank you again. Stay in touch; we will as well.- Debra Powell-Wright & Pat McLean-RaShine, Philadelphia, PA
Monica And Aishah With Students From Earlham College
Aishah and I scored and produced a film called Breaking Silences. You can call it the sister to NO! The Rape Documentary, but much more targeted for fostering conversation with short video sections.
Divided into 5 parts - Women, Incarceration, & The Impact of Sexual Abuse, Additional Testimonies From Survivors, The Role of Religion in Violence Against Women, Deconstructing Rape Myths, & Men Speak Out Against Raping and Battering, Aishah and I are using Breaking Silences in conjunction with For Women Of Rage In Reason which you will hear about below.
Watch The Trailer Below - Breaking Silences
We believe in using performance and film to educate, entertain, and inform.
This is why we are performing For Women And Rage And Reason. This performance piece is not just for Domestic Violence And Sexual Assault Awareness months but year round. We all need to talk about what sexual violence is and why we cannot be silent.
Performing For Women And Men Of Rage And Reason last year was our pleasure and we look forward to bringing it to your campus too.
Watch The Video - Our Introduction In For Women And Men Of Rage And Reason
And More Here:
For Women And Men Of Rage And Reason is a powerful piece Aishah wrote and I composed music for. We share what it means to be an African American woman dealing with sexual assault and a survivor of rape.
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Watch The Video - More From For Women And Men Of Rage And Reason - We Call It A Meditation Piece
Watch The Video - A Testimonial About For Women And Men Of Rage And Reason
Watch The Video - 1 In 3 Women - A Portion of For Women And Men Of Rage And Reason
Aishah and I were recently featured in the ground-breaking documentary Black Womyn: Conversations about Black Lesbians and their thoughts on family, coming out, images in the media, etc.
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Check Out Several Videos Below To See What’s On Our Minds:
Watch the Video - Monica And Aishah talk about the coming out process
Watch the Video - Aishah Talks About Homophobia and Issues Facing Black Lesbians
Watch the Video - Monica Performs When The Levee Broke
Watch the Video - Monica Discusses When The Levee Broke
Watch the Video - Monica Performs
Watch the Video - Organizing On College Campuses Against Sexual Assault
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Monica on NPR Discussing Hurricane Katrina
Aishah On BET Featuring NO! The Rape Documentary
Articles Around The Web And Offline Featuring Monica And Aishah
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So to recap, when you book Aishah and me, or Aishah, or me - you can count on us to bring you our truths based on all of our experiences. We don’t just talk about issues theoretically, but what we experience every day.
Listen, Aishah and I are not rock stars. We treat our performances and work very seriously. You can depend on us to deliver our very best 110% of the time. We want to find out what’s on students’ minds and find a common ground.
Our lectures, screenings, and performances are a form of “edutainment” in that it’s our goal to educate while we’re entertaining. We believe that learning is at least a two-way street if not a metaphorical highway. Based on this belief, we make sure that there’s always time for discussion, interaction, and engagement with students following our presentations.
So we invite you to contact us now and book us for your college or university. We can’t wait to see you soon 
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