First Bloom
HONORING ABORTION ADVOCATES
First Bloom, established in 2012(?), is our annual community awards gala. Each year, we take time to honor abortion advocates who have created change and a lasting impact on our community through their support of reproductive justice and reproductive health care access.
What originally began as an annual daytime luncheon, First Bloom has blossomed into an evening affair, with refreshments, passed hors d’oeuvres, and engaging entertainment. We also feature a keynote speaker who has made an impact on our community on a national and/or international scale.
become a sponsor.
Are you interested in sponsoring First Bloom? Check out our sponsorship deck today if you or your business or organization would like to support TEA Fund during First Bloom 2024.
coming soon: first bloom 2025
Looking Back
past first bloom events
First Bloom - may 2024
Please join Texas Equal Access Fund for the First Bloom 2024 community awards gala on Thursday, May 16 at 6 p.m. central time. This year, we are excited to join everyone at 2616 Commerce Events, located at 2616 Commerce St in Deep Ellum. We will recognize some outstanding reproductive health, rights, and justice advocates, and will present our Volunteer of the Year and Abortion Out Loud awards, in addition to our Spirit of Reproductive Justice, our Expanding Access, and our Media Ally Awards. Please join us as we lift a glass to these wonderful partners. Individual Ticket sales end Wednesday, May 15th. Sponsorships are accepted through May 6th.
Keynote Speaker: Dr. Pamela Merritt
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Pamela Merritt is executive director of Medical Students for Choice (MSFC), a global non-profit working in over 34 countries to ensure medical students and residents are educated about all aspects of reproductive health care, including abortion. Prior to joining MSFC, Pamela co founded and served as the co-director of Reproaction, a national organization formed to increase access to abortion and advance reproductive justice. Pamela is chair of the Guttmacher Institute’s Board of Directors, honorary chair of Reproaction’s Advisory Council, and serves on both the Our Bodies Ourselves Today Leadership and Learning and Accountability Project Advisory Councils. A longtime writer and progressive thought leader, Pamela’s personal blog was named one of the world’s 50 most powerful blogs by the Guardian. Her political and social justice commentary has been published in the Guardian, Rolling Stone, and Rewire News Group.
Official dj: ursa minor
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We are so excited to have local living legend and entrepreneur, DJ Ursa Minor, as our DJ for the evening. Ursa Minor is a black female DJ based in Texas who plays to the black girl in the room and the ones who didn’t want to leave the house anyway.
She’s worked with brands like Netflix, Revolt and Danessa Myricks, festivals such as Idapalooza, A3C, and SXSW, and has completed multiple tours for artists like Cupcaake and Felly. Ursa is primarily an open-format DJ – leaning heavily on R&B, Pop, Rap, Hip-Hop, and Progressive House in her mixes.
Ursa is also the creator of Femme Friday – a monthly residency series that centers black women and femmes both in music selection and attendance, and features an all female staff. She prides herself on making safe and inclusive places to reconnect and reinvent what a party should be for black women and femme identifying individuals – no matter where that party might be.
OFFICIAL ARTIST: COURTNEY MARIE
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We are so excited to feature Denton-based poet, artist and founder, courtney marie, as the official artist of First Bloom. Please join us in this interactive art piece that will be presented by courtney marie during our awards ceremony. courtney marie is a writer & artist based in denton, texas. they are the author of don’t get your hopes up (2018, Thoughtcrime Press) and songs we used to dance to (2022, Goliad Media). cm enjoys making weird & sentimental art with/for their community & is a founding member of the artist collective spiderweb salon. cm lives with three cats & cries a lot. they dream of a free Palestine & a better world for everyone.
First Bloom - may 2023
Please join Texas Equal Access Fund for the First Bloom 2023 community awards gala on Thursday, May 18 at 6 p.m. central time. This year, we are excited to be back in-person with everyone for an evening of cocktails, hors d’oeuvres, and celebration of the abortion advocates in our community.
We will recognize some outstanding reproductive health, rights, and justice advocates, and will present our Young Voices in Action award in addition to our Force for Change, our Expanding Access, and our Media Ally Awards. Please join us as we lift a glass to these wonderful partners.
We are excited for you to join us and to commiserate with you as we celebrate these wonderful achievements by community members and usher in the new growth of spring and the coming year.
Keyote Speaker, Wendy Davis
Wendy Davis was once a teen mom living in poverty who went on to graduate from Harvard Law School (after getting her higher education start at Tarrant County Community College). She has long been an advocate for creating a more fair, just and equal world in which we all can thrive.
Wendy served in the Texas Senate for 6 years after beating a 16 year incumbent in a Republican district. Prior to that she served for 9 years on the Fort Worth City Council.
After conducting a filibuster in the Texas Senate in 2011 to stop $5.4B in cuts to our public schools, Wendy rose to prominence when she stood for 13 hours in her pink sneakers two years later, filibustering a law that threatened to close almost all abortion clinics in Texas. Wendy was the Democratic nominee for Texas governor in 2014 and the Democratic nominee for Congress in Texas’ 21st district in 2020. In 2016 she founded the non-profit, Deeds Not Word, to activate young women as advocates for gender equity, reproductive autonomy and access to the ballot. In 2022, Wendy raised a fund, “DefendTheFrontline.org” to support the civil and criminal penalties that frontline fighters for abortion care might incur.
First Bloom - may 2022
Please join Texas Equal Access Fund for a virtual First Bloom awards ceremony on Thursday, May 18 at 6 p.m. central time. More details are to come. Please read on for more information about First Bloom 2022.
We will recognize some outstanding reproductive health, rights, and justice advocates, and will present our new Young Voices in Action award in addition to our Force for Change, our Expanding Access, and our Media Ally Awards. Please join us as we lift a glass to these wonderful partners.
Our keynote speaker will be Renee Bracey Sherman, executive director of We Testify.
Keyote Speaker, renee bracey sherman
Renee Bracey Sherman is a reproductive justice activist, abortion storyteller, and writer. She is the founder and executive director of We Testify, an organization dedicated to the leadership and representation of people who have abortions and share their stories at the intersection of race, class, and gender identity.
She is also an executive producer of Ours to Tell, an award-winning documentary elevating the voices of people who’ve had abortions, and the co-author of the forthcoming book COUNTERING ABORTIONSPLAINING from Amistad/Harper Collins.
upcoming events
Check out our calendar of upcoming events.