Brenda Chavez on Cherríe Moraga

Credits

Producer/Director, Kim Ray,
Talent Producer, Karla Legaspy,
Director: Kim Ray
Cinematographer, Sevdije Kastrati,
Sound, Alana Waksman,
Second Camera, Jerry Sun,
DIT, Antonetta Kastrati,
PA, Im-Sun Song

Topics

“A pioneer of the Xicana, Lesbian and Feminist movements, SHE inspired generations of young writers.”

CHERRÍE MORAGA was born in 1952 in Los Angeles to a Mexican mother and a white father. After graduating from Immaculate Heart College with a degree in English, she enrolled in a writing class at the renowned Women’s Building in LA. It was there that she created her first lesbian poems. Her love of writing, her interest in Xicana culture and the bourgeoning liberation movements of the 1970’s and 80’s led her to study Feminist Writing at San Francisco State University. As a professor at UC-Santa Barbara and an artist-in-residence at Stanford University, Moraga has nurtured and encouraged hundreds of young writers and activists, including our storyteller. “Cherríe inspired me to jump start my writing journey, which is also my healing journey,” says Brenda Chavez, expressing what many of Moraga’s students and contemporaries feel about her pioneering efforts to promote the experiences and creative work of Latina, lesbian and queer women of color.

Storyteller

Brenda Chavez

Brenda Chavez attended Stanford University and majored in Chicana/o Studies and Sociology, graduating with departmental honors. She received her Juris Doctorate from Columbia Law School and began her legal career in the corporate and securities department of Greenberg Traurig, LLP in New York where she also worked on various entertainment matters, most notably representing the buyer of the Elvis Presley estate. Ms. Chavez is a transactional attorney who drafts and negotiates contracts. In entertainment, she represents musicians, bands, filmmakers, producers, writers, directors, editors, influencers, and new media content creators. In business, she represents start-ups, restaurants, cafes, theaters, yoga studios and clients in the cannabis industry. She assists clients with business, corporate, employment, trademark, service mark, copyright, branding and entertainment matters. Ms. Chavez is fluent in Spanish and is licensed to practice law in California and New York. She is a member of Cap and Gown: Women Leaders at Stanford, due to her academic excellence, community involvement and leadership experience. She is also a member of the Latina Lawyers Bar Association and LGBTQ+ Lawyers Association of Los Angeles. Ms. Chavez is a first generation Chicana and was the first in her family to attend college. In 2010, she was a featured alum of the Hispanic Scholarship Fund. (Link to interview). She lives in Los Angeles and is happy to have her own practice which allows her to balance family, career and community involvements.

Featured Woman

Cherríe Moraga

Cherríe Moraga is a Chicana lesbian feminist writer, playwright, and activist who has made significant contributions to the fields of literature, theatre, and social justice. Born in 1952 in California, Moraga grew up in a family of migrant workers and later became involved in the Chicano movement of the 1960s and 1970s. Moraga’s writing often explores issues of race, gender, sexuality, and identity, and her work has been influential in the development of Chicana feminist theory. She is best known for her plays, including “Heroes and Saints” and “The Hungry Woman,” which have been performed widely across the United States and internationally. Throughout her career, Moraga has been a vocal advocate for LGBTQ+ rights and social justice, and she has worked to create spaces for marginalized voices and communities. She has received numerous awards for her writing and activism, including the United States Artist Rockefeller Fellowship and the American Studies Association Lifetime Achievement Award. Moraga continues to write, teach, and advocate for social justice, and her work remains an important contribution to the fields of literature, theatre, and activism.