Women Healing & Empowering Women
Our Mission
WHEW is on a
mission to address the
intersectionality of
former incarceration, homelessness, and domestic violence, USING Spiritual Indigenous Rituals, and ARTS HEALING TOOLS of movement, song, drumming, and much more encompassed in Interplay techniques used, Theater of the Oppressed-(technique that is used, and Embodying Equity used in advocacy work as art for the healing of the body, mind, spirit- connection with a focus on Melanin Dominant/Indigenous//BIPOC women- starting local - going global.
WHEW IS
Unapologetic, unconventional, and uncompromised when it comes to addressing these complicated issues by using spiritual beliefs that go against the grain of the mainstream and macro culture of the west. We chose to focus on the “Community Service” since most communities of Melanin dominant and Indigenous communities have people who are usually facing the problems that the organization addresses.
The Extraordinary Elders Film Project - (EEFP)
Many Melanin dominant and Indigenous /BIPOC senior citizens in the Houston area have focused their lives on helping and sharing their wisdom with others.
Unfortunately, only those who have encountered these individuals in person have benefited
from their influence, most of these elders have no online presence and are relatively unknown.
The Extraordinary Elders Film Project (EEFP) seeks to address this problem by sharing their amazing life stories through the medium of short-form documentary before they fade into ubiquity undocumented. This in turn will allow their presence to continue to be influential to future generations beyond the scope of their immediate presences and life spans. More importantly, this project promotes intergenerational relationships. Younger folks ranging in age were selected to conduct interviews with the elders.
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The “Relationship Building Women Only” project is a continuum of WHEW’S previous work to address gatekeepers, the ideals of being saved or manipulated by men, and the process of working with agency. Not competing to occupy space, each being encouraged to be their full self. For a labor-intensive analysis of self.
Sixteen (16) artists i.e. dancers, poets, singers, drummers, etc., (8 Melanin dominant, 8 Caucasian) to be emotionally naked and uncomfortable, like a pregnant woman willing to go through the various stages of labor to give birth to a new day starting with divine and genuine relationships amongst women.
BEAH Ripple: Sexual Healing Grief Ritual
CONTINUED....
WHEW HAS
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For years focused on the Community Service work because most communities of Melanin dominant people aka BIPOC are overwhelmed with the aforementioned issues. Past Works that are ongoing- The Second Chance Conference, Where is the LOVE Town Hall, Connect the DOTS Workshop - while the etymology and semantics to describe the methods of our advocacy and healing work have changed over the years, the essence of WHEW’s work has not. Our work is grounded in rituals embodying spiritual practices that include IFA & Dagara, Indigenous Dance, drumming, story telling, film series, panel discussions, and other affirming ancestral expressions that are rooted in spiritual healing.
WHEW HAS
CONTIUNED...
The Second Chance Conference
Women / Men Only Discussion Group
Connect The Dot's Workshops
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Conducted in October to honor Domestic Violence Awareness Month, we use the art form of showcasing a themed series of films followed by a panel discussion of professionals, activists, educators, and others who are versed with the knowledge of the topic that is the focal point for that year’s conference. All films, topics, and panel discussions relate to and connect the dots to the varying intersecting issues that pertain to the challenges of being formerly incarcerated, and how it relates to domestic violence, and homelessness.
The initial creation for these discussion groups was for the purpose of providing a safe space for women and men to have a separate space to discuss issues that examines what it means to be a woman/man, conversations about sexuality, and the historical factors that have affected the relationship between woman and men called the 9 S’s​ to determine the root causes and solutions to:
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Stop
-
Silence
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Shame &
-
Secrets
in sexually deviant behavior and instead:
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Start
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Solutions
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Sacred
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Spirit &
-
Security
the work to eradicate sexual abuse.
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Connects the dots between the relationship w/self, stereotypical ideas promoted in media, lack of self-awareness, and cultural pride, Domestic Violence, Hip Hop and Prison Culture, and Reentry Workshops WHEW’s primary “products” are dissecting and building relationship workshops on the local-global for the purpose of connecting multiple components at the root of prison and hip-hop culture. ion goes here
WHEW Will..
Continue to create and provide innovative programming for women, their families, and communities, including more projects, and workshops, along with businesses and our partners to bring about solutions to the vast challenges these women, families, and communities are facing starting local and global.
Meet the W.H.E.W. Founder & Partners
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Busi L. Peters-Maughan
FOUNDER
An activist, educator, world traveler, motivational speaker, entrepreneur, and Reentry/Criminal Justice/Hip Hop Artivist. She began her teaching career in the fall of 91’. Since that time she taught for years in various places; such as Nairobi, Kenya, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, Brooklyn, New York, and Houston, Texas.
Dr. Stephanie Jupiter
Podiatrist/Relationship counselor/Founder of Building Relationship Power and Sol University, co-founder of Butterfly Project-Houston.
Masankho Kamsis
Banda
A mission using education workshops. Performing Arts and Storytelling to motivate and inspire diverse people of all ages to work together to bring about Peace, Social Justice, and Cultural/Spiritual Healing & Understanding.
Noah Rattler
A native of Houston, TX, has been working to make the world a better place since obtaining his Bachelors of Science degrees in Mechanical Engineering and Physics at Prairie View A & M University. began his 18 hundred mile journey in March to raise awareness about homelessness. "I took it upon myself to take this walk, and speak out,....Walking for the Homeless | KNAU Arizona Public Radio.
Lisandra Ramos
Creator of Creative Playhouse is built of dreams, wondrous imaginations and creative inspiration. The joy that is manifested from this experience awakens the artist dormant within each of us. Creative Playhouse uses the art of theatrical performance, masks and puppetry to stimulate creativity cultivating the development of a diverse, dynamic and vibrant community. Theatre is a social art form that originates out of ritual, music, story and cultural expression. Creative Playhouse creates the space for the exploration of various traditional and modern popular performance styles. Popular expressions, elements, techniques and styles of acting, movement, story structure are fused to develop original performances that awaken the artist within everyone!
Mya B
A native of Gary, Indiana, filmmaker/ educator
/gun violence advocate.
Dr. Nancy Arvold, PhD,MFT
Marriage & Family Therapist, educator, prison reform activist.
Marc (Furi) Newsome
Local Filmmaker from the historical community of Third Ward.
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JOIN THE
BEAH Ripple in the Pond Movement​
BRPM is inspired by Beah Richard's poem:
​
A Black Woman Speaks
“When you educate a man you educate an individual, when you educate a woman, you educate a NATION.
First they Women heal the Women, then the Women, Heal the MEN.”
BUSI PETERS, CEO
