"I think that there needs to be a revolution in terms of how women feel about themselves and how women think about themselves. And I'm not just talking about women who are affected by poverty and the powerlessness of that condition, but I look at women in general and the issues around sabotage in the workplace, and · issues of how women define power for themselves. How do they define power in their lives?"

Janice Mirikitani defines power by helping those in need improve their lives. As Executive Director of Programs at Glide Church, she directs 50 programs that provide comprehensive services to the poor, ill and homeless of San Francisco. A committed activist in the civil and human rights arenas, she has organized numerous marches and demonstrations. Ms. Mirikitani is an award-winning poet, editor, choreographer, activist and administrator. Her critically acclaimed books of poetry - We the Dangerous, Shedding Silence and Awake in the River - have received outstanding reviews both here and abroad. As a founding member of Third World Communications, she has been instrumental in organizing and promoting Third World writers, artists and musicians.. Mirikitani has compiled and edited children's writing about crack cocaine (I Have Something to Say About this Big Trouble) and adult writings about incest (Watch Out, We're Talking). Mirikitani has choreographed over 35 productions as a producing director of the Glide Dance Ensemble, and has also served as guest choreographer for the Asian American Dance Collective. She has received more than 35 awards and honors for her art and community service.

A third generation Japanese American who was incarcerated during World War II in an internment camp, she graduated from UCLA with honors and earned a teaching credential from UC Berkeley. She is married to the Rev. Cecil Williams and they have a daughter, Tianne.

For more about Mirikitani, go to www.glide.org