Inside Mass NOW: Meet Sasha Goodfriend

Sasha Goodfriend first became involved with Mass NOW as the 2013 Feminism in Action Grant awardee, co-creating a leadership program for middle school girls in Boston Public Schools.She then joined the Mass NOW board in 2013 as VP of Action and was elected Co-President in December 2015.Here, Sasha shares what inspired her to join Mass NOW, her favorite feminist quote, and a recent big achievement.

Q: What's your favorite feminist quote and why?

A: "When they go low, we go local" - this was said by one of the speakers at the New England Women's Policy Conference this past fall, right after the election. Senator Warren referenced it when she spoke later in the day at the conference, and the entire room stood up to applaud her and her advocacy, and in celebration of the power of all of us in the room that day.

Q: What inspired you to join Mass NOW?

A: As the co-recipient of the first Feminist in Action Grant in 2011 I saw how an idea could become a reality with the help of some seed funds and a loving feminist community. A year later after the project ended Ellie, who was the Mass NOW policy and operations manager at the time, asked if I'd offer oral testimony about the Healthy Youth bill advocating for comprehensive and medically accurate sexual health education. This experience showed me how the personal - an issue that impacted me and my community personally - could become political, and with a little help from my friends; I saw how I could play a role in the political process.

Q: What's one big achievement you're working toward right now?

A: I just finished my Masters in Public Policy this May at Simmons College!