Charlotte Cressey is someone who is quietly changing the
world while totally being herself. On the same day that might you see her
dancing barefoot on the beach, you’ll find her carrying a clip board, taking information
and giving instructions. She’s an activist and a teacher, and the newest
addition to the Barefoot and Powerful
series that Almost Barefoot started
two years ago.
Charlotte was a vegetarian before she was ten and a vegan by
her mid-teens. Before she was 30, she was a globally-recognized speaker and an
authority on animal rights and feminism. The two causes, she says, are
inherently linked, and she speaks simultaneously for humanity and for animals
each time she’s at the podium.
“We are committed to co-creating a kinder world for all beings
and helping people learn to live in harmony with each other and the Earth,”
says Charlotte on her website, www.charlotte cressey.com
Ecofeminism, which, as an idea and an ideal Charlotte
focuses on, says that the exploitation of animals and women are connected in a
social mentality that focuses on exploitation, hence the social mentality that
condones destroying the environment for humanity’s personal gains. Charlotte is
committed to changing the world to one where Ecofeminism is a social norm.
What’s different about her presentations is that, even as a
powerful feminist, and one who is not afraid to say so, (ask her about God and
she’ll tell you about how to see God as a woman), she is committed to a kind
approach. Her tone is one that sticks to being kind, and still, she draws and
keeps the crown engaged. Even if she’s in a street protest, she stays committed
to a kind approach, and even she’s speaking while wearing a dress and heels in
a formal ballroom, she won’t likely be shaking her fist.
Instead, she’ll be raising her hands gracefully as she leads
her audience with Yogic breathing techniques and brings the whole crowd
together before she speaks of deep topics like feminism and the environment. Attending
her speech means going to Yoga while you’re at it.
We’re going to visit more with Charlotte, who has been unavailable
for interviews, which we hoped to finish before our own summer break, but Almost Barefoot promises more to come. We
want to know how Yoga has helped Charlotte empower herself, so that you can
too. We are committed to empowering women and thus empowering all of society
for positive change, and we’ll be back in early August.
