Inside Mass NOW: Meet Helena Berbano

Voting rights advocate and second generation Filipina American, Helena Berbano, joined the Mass NOW Board of Directors in March.As the Co-VP of Action, Berbano works with the VP of Legislation to strategize and plan opportunities around legislative actions. She also coordinates with the VP of Community Engagement to manage volunteers and membership engagement. Here, she chats about the Mass NOW mission, her favorite feminist quote, and other fun facts.

What's your favorite feminist quote and why?

"Women’s leadership in the public sphere didn’t come from the White House or from CEOs. It came only after millions of women came together in small consciousness-raising groups to share stories of our 'second sex' lives." - Grace Lee BoggsThis is my favorite feminist quote because it emphasizes that our agency and power (as feminists) is NOT siphoned from traditional power structures; it is within ourselves to build movement and create change.

What part of the Mass NOW mission are you most passionate about?

The part that says that we are "advancing intersectional justice." This is the piece that jumps out to me, and it is the aspect that I am most passionate about because feminism is not feminism unless it is intersectional.

If you could be an article of clothing, what would you be?

A sundress because, like strong women, you can adapt it to work with any kind of environment.