Sixth Annual Faith & Choice Forum at The University at Albany on April 16

Speakers to discuss the connections between reproductive rights and civil rights in the larger movement for social justice

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Rev. Penny Willis

ALBANY, NY (04/09/2007)(readMedia)-- The Sixth Annual Faith and Choice will be presented on the evening of April 16, 2007, in Room 375 of the Campus Center at the University at Albany. The program will feature Reverend Penny Willis, Director of Multicultural Programs for the Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice and Rabbi Dennis Ross, Director of Concerned Clergy for Choice at The Education Fund of Family Planning Advocates of NYS. Doors will open and refreshments will be served starting at 7 p.m. The program will begin at 7:30 p.m.

The primary sponsors of this event are the University at Albany VOX chapter, Upper Hudson Planned Parenthood, and Spiritual Youth for Reproductive Freedom (SYRF).

This year's forum will address the connections between reproductive rights and civil rights in the larger movement for social justice. The speakers will also specifically address the strong role that clergy and people of faith have played in both these movements. This theme was chosen because Planned Parenthood Federation of America (PPFA) recently joined the Leadership Council on Civil Rights, a coalition of nearly 200 organizations that works to promote the enhancement and enforcement of effective civil rights legislation and policy.

Rev. Penny Willis currently serves as the Director of Multicultural Programs for the Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice and manages a well-regarded faith based sexuality strategy that helps African American and Latino faith communities address reproductive health concerns such as sexuality education, teen pregnancy, HIV/AIDS and sexually-transmitted infections. Rev. Willis has worked as community educator for Planned Parenthood Chicago area. She is an ordained United Church of Christ minister and has served the United Church of Christ in the Chicago area in the following capacities: Director of Christian education, Clergy and Congregation Boundary Trainer, Assistant Pastor, Peoples Church of Chicago, Metropolitan Apostolic Community Church, and a member at large of the Chicago Metropolitan Association Council.

Rabbi Dennis Ross is director of Concerned Clergy for Choice, a project of The Education Fund of Family Planning Advocates of New York State. He is also associate rabbi at Temple Emanuel in Worcester, MA. Ordained by Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion in New York, Rabbi Ross has served at Temple Beth El of Northern Massachusetts, Chappaqua New York, the Washington Hebrew Congregation in our nation's capital, and synagogues in Massachusetts. As director of Concerned Clergy for Choice, Rabbi Ross works with Planned Parenthood chapters affiliated with Family Planning Advocates of New York State and a nationwide network of more than 900 religious leaders, with the support of the Robert Sterling Clark Foundation. Through this project, he is author of "Stem Cells for Clergy: A Toolkit for the Classroom, Pulpit and Advocacy," lead author of, "When a Woman Makes a Choice: A Curriculum for Clinical Pastoral Education" and a co-author of "Abortion and Judaism: Rabbinic Opinion and Jewish law" for the LifeLight series of Jewish Lights Publishing.

The University at Albany VOX is a student-led organization at the University at Albany. It is affiliated with the national Vox network of pro-choice student groups that operate with support from Planned Parenthood Federation of America and local Planned affiliates. The SUNY Vox group has organized educational events, conducted film screenings, and provided informational tabling on campus. Email sunyalbanyvox@yahoo.com for information about membership and events.

Upper Hudson Planned Parenthood, a community-based non-profit organization, has served the men and women of New York's Capital Region since 1934. UHPP's mission is to promote healthy sexuality and reproductive choice through exceptional services, honest education and fearless advocacy.

Spiritual youth for Reproductive Freedom (SYRF) educates, organizes and empowers youth and young adults (ages 16-30) to put their faith into action and advocate for pro-choice social justice. SYRF is a program of the Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice.