Inspiration
She’s Doing It: Madge and LaKeisha
Madge Woods was a mediator and at a networking event, a woman asked her if she would like to mentor a parolee. The program was called “VIP Volunteers in Parole” and was then funded through the California State Bar Association. While Madge is not a lawyer, she was told they wanted her anyway and she agreed.
Her first parolee, in her words was “a disaster” and eventually after three years Madge “learned her lesson and moved on” and then she met LaKeisha Burton.
As I wrap up my next HeartFeldt Leadership BlogHer column on this very same subject, it is their touching story written by Madge I’m honored to share on this week’s She’s Doing It.
Friday Round Up on Saturday: Women’s Equality Day Edition
“Men, their rights and nothing more; women their rights and nothing less.” ~ Susan B. Anthony, 19th Century Women’s Rights and Suffrage Leader
In celebration and in reflection of Women’s Equality Day, this week’s Round Up collects some wonderful reading about it. Not only about the time when women achieved the right to vote via the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution on August 26th, 1920 but also frank and honest discussions about where women are today in this journey and about the work ahead. Here’s a great timeline from the Susan B. Anthony Center for Women’s Leadership, headed until her untimely death last week by my friend and dedicated leader for women’s equality, Nora Bredes.
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Panel at the University of Rochester’s Susan B. Anthony Center for Women’s Leadership. With Susan B. and Elizabeth Cady Stanton pictured in the background, and the late Nora Bredes at the podium moderating panelists Jennifer Lawless (Director of the American University Women and Politics Institute), Allida Black (Founder of the Eleanor Roosevelt Project) and me (in my Susan B Anthony costume–she always wore black with a red scarf) in October, 2010.
Make History With Your Media Activism on Women’s Equality Day
Note: This is posted today as a Women’s Media Center Exclusive
The invitation to today’s Phoenix-Scottsdale National Organization for Women (NOW) “Equality Day Feminist Convergence” depicts a quaint sepia photo of suffragists picketing the White House. It telegraphs “old.” After all, the event celebrates the 91st anniversary of the date in 1920 when women’s right to vote entered the U.S. Constitution.
But, remember, in the decades at the beginning of the 20th century those purple and white sashes and those picket signs wielded by (purposefully) demurely dressed women were new media in action.
Fittingly, attendees at the Arizona event will have a contemporary victory to celebrate, one involving media activism squarely in the suffragist tradition. But this one is powered by e-mail and concerns itself with very modern day attire. Tight jeans to be exact…
Read MoreKeli Goff: Out of the Closet and Wearing the Feminist Shirt
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You’ve probably seen author and commentator Keli Goff on MSNBC and elsewhere, read her opinions on TheLoop21 or Huffington Post, or perhaps have read her books Party Crashing (which I love) and the brand new one, The GQ Candidate (which I know I will love but haven’t read yet). I ran into Keli at the HBO screening of “Gloria: In Her Own Words”, the moving documentary about Gloria Steinem that’s been getting so much well-deserved play lately. After the screening, she wrote this eloquent commentary about her self-perceptions and the f-word, and then delivered it as her “rant” on Dylan Ratigan’s MSNBC show…
Read MoreShe's Doing It: Emily May of Hollaback!
Are you afraid on your daily commute? Leering glances. Unwanted physical contact. Harassing, suggestive derogatory comments thrown at you while you are just minding your own business on the bus, train or simply walking down the street. Are you fed up in having to always be on your guard when you are just trying to live your life? Talk to most women and these experiences are ones that have caused not only fear for your own personal safety but also a sense of deep outrage.
In this week’s She’s Doing It, I couldn’t be prouder to highlight Emily May, co-founder and Executive Director of Hollaback! as someone who has taken the global problem of street harassment and embraced Power Tool #7: Create a Movement with both arms and mobile technology!
Read MoreFriday Round Up: 'Good Guys' No Longer Unusual Edition
PHOTO: NWPC CA President and National Vice President for Board Development Teray Stephens and I checking out the Good Guy Awards.
I had the honor of emceeing the National Women’s Political Caucus 40th anniversary convention Good Guys Gala July 30th in Washington DC.
The Caucus started giving “Good Guys” awards back in 1971 as a way of recognizing and encouraging the then-rare men who joined in efforts to get women elected and appointed to political positions. Later, the great feminist and late Congresswoman Bella Abzug (D-NY) created an award to memorialize her supportive spouse, Martin–the Martin Abzug Supportive Spouse Award. I’m proud to say that my husband Alex Barbanell received this award a decade ago. In his acceptance speech, he revealed that he is my chief cook, bottle washer, and sex slave…
Read MoreShe's Doing It: Rabbi Holly Cohn
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When I was told by my good Midland TX friend Dr. Norman Gould that the congregation I belonged to when I lived in West Texas had hired a woman, Rabbi Holly Cohn, as its first fulltime spiritual leader, I knew instantly that I wanted to write about her for this “She’s Doing It” column. I found her optimism and devotion to her calling inspiring. And I was also struck by how women are playing an ever-larger role in religion and religious observance.
This piece was originally published on the Sisterhood Blog of the Jewish Daily Forward. “Rabbi Holly in Mojoland” was my original title. I’d love to know your reactions. And whatever your religious persuasion, what have been your own experiences as women have been taking on increasingly significant roles as members of the clergy?
She’s Doing It: In New Book, PunditMom Examines Mothers in Politics and Activism
This week’s She’s Doing It features popular blogger ‘PunditMom’ Joanne Bamberger. She is not only illuminating women’s clout and influence both online and in the political realm but uses her voice to get out the message of the importance of political motherhood and mothers in politics. Joanne is an amazing example of No Excuses Power Tool #8, “Employ Every Medium”…
Friday Round Up: Women Who Make Us Laugh
This week, I’ve been preparing to emcee the National Women’s Political Caucus “Good Guys” Gala at the Caucus’s 40th anniversary convention. Emcees are supposed to be somewhat humorous, and I got to thinking about how some people (remember when the curmudgeonly Christopher Hitchens lobbed the idea in Vanity Fair?) like to say women aren’t funny. Especially feminists. So this week’s Friday Round Up is devoted to women who make us laugh…
She's Doing It: And in combat boots!!
Did you know women are the fastest growing group of armed forces veterans with estimates of growing from 1.8 million in 2010 to 2.1 million by 2036? I didn’t until I read some recent reports.
Women have made great strides throughout the U.S. Military, serving in almost every position now. This is a big change in an organizational culture designed by men for men. Change as we know, can create chaos, or at least the feeling of chaos. This week’s “She’s Doing It” celebrates those brave women in uniform, and looks at how they are using No Excuses Power Tool #5, “carpe the chaos” when Janie comes marching home.
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