Why Is Feminism So Cringe?

By Madeleine Broussard, Summer 2023 Collaborator at Power in Place

Where feminism once was the driving force behind energized young activists’ fight for social equality stands a jaded generation of politically aware nihilists. We have self-identified leftists who conservatively appreciate feminism for its intersections with other, more important class analyses, and those who have taken the “black pill” and chosen immovable pessimism as a response to the plight of women. Both are slightly embarrassed of feminism, the language of which is too easily co-opted by market demands associated with neoliberalism.

Unfortunately, even embarrassment cannot stop the ever-flowing tide of sneaky pop feminism. As Caitlín Doherty smartly discusses in her recent article, “A Feminist Style”, feminists lately have taken to the atomized snapshot of a woman’s suffering as a representation of “cool” feminism. Exhuming influential writers of the past, such as Andrea Dworkin, proves to be convenient: her highly personal prose distracts us just enough from mulling over the theory she authored. We are also under significantly less pressure to engage critically with authors who do not benefit from our monetary support. Even better, Dworkin is dead.

As the last decade’s trend of nostalgia continues to pump through the veins of fashion and culture, the lingering relevance of second-wave feminism proves to be functional not as a means of mobilizing, but of fashioning a new aesthetic. Make no mistake: if Dworkin walked onto the political stage right now and breathed life back into her radical analysis of intercourse from the eighties, she would be socially lobotomized. The outstanding feminist writer of the second wave is a dead, safe legend. And unlike any previous decade of feminism, no singular female writer or advocate stands out as having adequately described women’s “situation” in the current moment — the ones that try are too alive, and thereby too difficult to iconify. 

Women in politics face much of the anger we harbor towards women assuming any systemic power. Elizabeth Warren's claim to indigenous ancestry eclipsed her 2020 presidential platform in the news, rightfully inciting more than a few flinches and prompting her to apologize. Meanwhile, Donald Trump’s campaign success soared as he racistly nicknamed Warren “Pocahontas”. A few years earlier, the internet obscured Hillary Clinton’s presidential bid with her infamously grimace-inducing “Pokémon Go to the polls” line. In light of the hair-raising “locker room” attacks on female dignity that her opponent got away with, it is an utter disappointment to see netizens joke that Clinton’s cringe factor cost her the presidency. 

Yet, the girlboss archetype represented by most prominent women in politics activating our frustrations with neoliberal feminism — despite the punch that both women’s campaigns took in response to their scandals and cringey moments highlighting the disadvantages of even wealthy, white, cisgender womanhood — was a perfect match for the right’s unapologetic woman-hating. Their lovechild is the undue power of cringe. 

The undue power of cringe is enough to catapult a woman’s mistakes and non-mistakes alike to the forefront of her image, dominating Google search suggestions and further sterilizing the puritanism that we currently call feminism. Meanwhile, Trump’s countless sexual misconduct allegations sit behind him scot-free, and his high-profile crimes do little to deter his fiercely loyal fanbase from tearing their loving gazes away from him. Men are expected to be gross. Women dare not commit the crime of being cringe. When we place our nostalgia for the feminism of the past under a microscope, it begins to make a little more sense: empathy is harder to have for women who dare to take up space in the same room as us.

It is a funny coincidence that the age of nostalgia in fashion has ushered in a side-by-side, age-appropriate era of regression in politics. In addition to women’s severe electoral handicap, leading up to and following Dobbs v. Jackson in the summer of 2022 was bad gender politics from both mainstream sides. Conservatives who believe children should be forced to give birth and liberals who spent a disproportionate amount of time correcting the language of other liberals to fighting the human rights violation at hand dominated the debate. (The shrill voices of those in power nearly drowned out those of the most deeply-affected low-income women of color.) Currently, nationwide book bans threaten free speech, anti-LGBTQ privacy laws in schools strip students of their freedom to safely come out of the closet, and moral panics reminiscent of years past shape our increasingly hostile political culture. We need mean, nasty feminism now that every day is a throwback, in a climate that pushes radical change to the back. When we neglect the second wave’s resonance in exchange for its fashionability, we risk watering it down to the very thing we hate: an aesthetic, a tool of capitalism.

In our yearning to relive a time we weren’t even alive to see, we unknowingly trade reading and relating to one dead woman’s stories about suffering for listening to each other’s. Consciousness is impossible where conversation does not flow. Fashionable nostalgia, which glamorizes the past and dreads the present, has defanged modern feminism. Neoliberal feminism continues to individualize feminist action as a matter of personal choice, and women and other gender minorities are deeply divided. Where does that leave those of us charged with the burden of doing something about it?

We were alive to watch the neoliberal system appropriate our most effective language for nefarious, “cringe” ends. This moment is our opportunity to reclaim the second wave’s best ideas and apply them to our current situation. Our foremothers called cultural misogyny into question; as it persists, we can do the same by rejecting fashion feminism, raising consciousness, prioritizing solidarity, having empathy, and voting for women.

References

[1] Doherty, Caitlín. “A Feminist Style.” New Left Review. July 7, 2023. https://newleftreview.org/sidecar/posts/a-feminist-style

[2] Fraser, Nancy. Fortunes of Feminism: From State Managed Capitalism to Neoliberal Crisis, p. 472. Verso Books. 2013.

[3] Kaplan, Thomas. “Elizabeth Warren Apologizes at Native American Forum: ‘I Have Listened and I Have Learned.’” The New York Times. August 19, 2019. https://www.nytimes.com/2019/08/19/us/politics/elizabeth-warren-native-american.html 
[4] Powell, Michael. “A Vanishing Word in Abortion Debate: ‘Women’.” The New York Times. June 8, 2022. https://www.nytimes.com/2022/06/08/us/women-gender-aclu-abortion.html

Madeleine Broussard is an English major at Mount Holyoke College. She is an editor for an on-campus pop culture publication and serves on a Student Government Association committee. Outside of school, Madeleine enjoys reality TV, poetry, writing Yelp reviews, and deep-fried food.

A Letter to the Past

By Claudia Fernandez, Summer 2023 Power in Place Collaborator

Image: Library of Congress

Dear Mrs. Betty Friedan,

I would like to introduce myself, my name is Claudia Fernandez, and I am a student at Wake Forest University, studying Politics and International affairs. I am writing in regard to your impact on not only American history in the 1960s but ongoing as a feminist activist and writer. The 1960s was a decade marked by significant social and cultural upheaval, with activism playing a central role. A wave of activism swept the United States and other parts of the world, as people came together to protest against social, political, and economic issues. You were one of the most important individuals within the Women’s Liberation Movement and I would like to commend you for that achievement as well as highlight some of the ideas you brought forth to society. Not only did they implement change in the 1960s, but they laid the foundation for further strides to be taken years later for women’s rights.

Following a questionnaire given to a few of your women peers asking about their life satisfaction, you quickly became aware of the problems women were facing, yet remained silent about. Despite having achieved political equality through the nineteenth amendment in 1920, by large standards, women were far from equal to men. You came to the forefront of the second-wave feminist movement by championing equal pay in the workplace, ending sexual harassment in the workplace, and legalizing abortion. 

Perhaps your most renowned achievement was the publication of The Feminine Mystique in 1963, serving as a catalyst for the movement and empowering women to become involved in activism and demand change. Your book questioned the previously accepted notion that a women’s role in life was to be a domestic housewife, there to assist with the needs of one’s children and husband. Your argument that gender stereotypes translated into men and women taking traditional roles in society and rarely straying from such. By highlighting the dissatisfaction that women were facing, and their lack of ability to achieve their full potential, you were able to bring about ideas to not only men who dominated control in society but also women who weren’t able to understand their abilities outside of domestic responsibilities otherwise. Your words were able to depict the climate surrounding women during the time period, particularly through the statement, "The problem that has no name—which is simply the fact that American women are kept from growing to their full human capacities—is taking a far greater toll on the physical and mental health of our country than any known disease," in The Feminine Mystique. It goes without saying that your words helped galvanize the women's movement and set the stage for feminist activism. 

In terms of achievements your activism was able to contribute to, one of the most important was increased opportunities for women. The Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibited the discrimination of women in the workplace and the Equal Pay Act of 1963 requires employers to pay women the same wages they pay men for the same job. This legislation not only gave women greater opportunities on paper but also started the societal shift away from traditional gender roles. Additionally, your contributions to the ongoing fight for women’s reproductive rights were of equal importance. In 1973, the Supreme Court passed its decision that American citizens were entitled to their right to choose to have an abortion. This in combination with the recent legalization of the birth control pill allowed women to pursue an education or career without the fear of pregnancies interrupting their plans. In 1966, alongside other women's rights advocates, Pauli Murray and Mary Eastwood, you formed the National Organization for Women. As a formal voice for women, you were able to reach more individuals and gain greater traction in the fight for equal pay laws and other women’s issues. From marching through the nation’s capital to lobbying politicians, you were relentless in your efforts to achieve greater social and legislative norms and expectations for women. 

With the utmost respect, I would like to acknowledge the potential for greater inclusion concerning the diversity of women. I understand that the political and social climate at the time was less conducive to supporting white women and their individual rights, let alone those of African American women and other minorities, however in the fight for an equitable society in which all citizens are offered the same opportunities and freedoms, no individual should be excluded based off of their race, ethnicity, or background. Being an educated, middle-class woman, you experienced a degree of privilege other women were not afforded. With this privilege, you were able to attain a platform to speak on behalf of women everywhere, yet many women such as those in the LGBTQ+ community, those of color, or those in marginalized groups were excluded from the conversation. Many of these individuals held unique experiences and challenges which were unable to be voiced. However, I am well aware of the difficulties you amongst other activists faced in the efforts you were already making and I would like to inform you of the further progress which has been made on the women’s rights movement front since the 1960s. 

At my University, a small private school in North Carolina, tremendous progress has come about in the past decades. From studying the standards of conduct from the 1960s-70s, it is evident that women were still relatively under the constraints of a patriarchal society. From strict dress codes to social conduct rules, curfews, and more, women were to follow the guidelines of the Women’s Government Association handbook. Wake Forest University has actively made efforts to increase gender equality with the establishment of the Women’s Center in 2013 and providing greater equality in the admissions process. On a larger, national scale, the feminist movement continues to inspire women and men to fight for equality amongst gender and is far more inclusive to minorities and marginalized communities. Despite some recent regressions made in terms of women’s reproductive rights in the United States, the fight continues, and with figureheads such as yourself to guide them, people will continue to have the courage to demand change. 

Your impact on history is immeasurable, and your legacy continues to inspire new generations of women to fight for their rights and to work toward a world in which gender equality is a reality for all. Your work was and continues to be, a beacon of hope and a source of inspiration for women everywhere. Ultimately I would like to thank you for your unwavering commitment to women’s rights and your invaluable contributions to the feminist movement. Your impact will continue to inspire future generations to stand up for what they believe in and take action for such. 

Yours truly, Claudia Fernandez

References

[1] “Betty Friedan.” History.Com, www.history.com/topics/womens-history/betty-friedan. Accessed 11 July 2023. 

[2] Magazine, Smithsonian. “The Powerful, Complicated Legacy of Betty Friedan’s ‘The Feminine Mystique.’” Smithsonian.Com, 4 Feb. 2021, www.smithsonianmag.com/smithsonian-institution/powerful-complicated-legacy-betty-friedans-feminine-mystique-180976931/.  

[3] Michals, Edited by Debra. “Biography: Betty Friedan.” National Women’s History Museum, www.womenshistory.org/education-resources/biographies/betty-friedan.  Accessed 11 July 2023.

Claudia Fernandez is a rising Senior at Wake Forest University studying a major in Politics and International Affairs with a minor in Italian. She is interested in politics and economics and hopes to pursue a career in law. On campus Claudia is a member of the Women in Politics club which aims to encourage more women college students to pursue careers in politics or further their participation. 

The 1913 Women's Suffrage Procession: revitalizing the hope for female enfranchisement against all odds

Women suffragists at the head of the parade, marching down Pennsylvania Avenue, with the U.S. Capitol in background, on March 3, 1913. Courtesy of the Library of Congress.

BY: JACQUELINE QIU, WINTER 2021 COLLABORATOR AT POWER IN PLACE

On March 3, 1913, the Women’s Suffrage Procession manifested a new energy for the suffrage movement, paving the way for the landmark 19th amendment to be passed in Congress. A substantial procession of 8,000 marchers, 9 bands, 4 mounted brigades, and 20 floats gathered on Pennsylvania Avenue to march to the Treasury Building for an allegorical performance demanding necessity of female enfranchisement. Organized by the National American Woman Suffrage Association (NAWSA), this gathering of women demanding socio-political equality occurred on a strategic day in order to denounce the lack of female representation in the political sphere. These women marched on the same route that the new President, Woodrow Wilson, would undertake the very next day, March 4, en route to his presidential inauguration. The 1913 women’s suffrage procession was expertly planned in order to fall on this exact date, in the presence of lawmakers in Washington, D.C. The chairs of the NAWSA, Alice Paul and Lucy Burns, wished to send a provocative message that indicated a new chapter of resistance to gender-based disenfranchisement.

Cover of program for the National American Woman Suffrage Association procession, showing woman, in elaborate attire, with cape, blowing long horn, from which is draped a "votes for women" banner, on decorated horse, with U.S. Capitol in background. Courtesy of the Library of Congress.

““The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of sex.” ”

A diverse group of women gathered in order to justly demand the passage of the Susan B. Anthony Amendment in Congress. Proposed in 1878, this amendment prohibited the denial of enfranchisement, based on gender, and thus exemplified the core philosophy of the women’s suffrage movement. However, this amendment had been stalled for the last 35 years; this reality would not be tolerated anymore by the dedicated suffragists. With elaborate floats, decor, and songs, this procession possessed the intent to make that bold statement in a concrete way. In fact, the procession was designed to present an argument for the validity of female enfranchisement; each section highlighted the distinct accomplishments of the respective participants. There were delegations from states, specific professions (like business or law), and universities. 

Inez Milholland rides Grey Dawn as the herald of the Woman Suffrage Procession, March 3, 1913

Harris & Ewing, photographer. Records of the National Woman's Party, Library of Congress

The first sight of the procession was Inez Milholland, dressed in white on top of a white horse named Grey Dawn, represented the ideal of female suffrage. As a prominent lawyer and activist, she represented the New Woman, whose voice would no longer be suppressed by patriarchal, electoral institutions. As the New Women of the 20th century, this generation of women rebelled against the establishment of societal expectations and challenged gender norms in various ways. From dress to behavior, a new wave of change was being realized during the 1913 Women’s Suffrage Procession. This next generation of women pursued female equality, not only in the political and legal sphere, but in all areas of existence. Feminism was on display, as each woman had a specific individual cause that they stood for, in addition to standing together in a collective mission for female enfranchisement while marching down the National Mall. 

“We demand an amendment to the Constitution of the United States enfranchising the women of this country.”

The "Great Demand" float in the Woman Suffrage Procession, March 3, 1913

Schlesinger Library, Radcliffe Institute, Harvard University

The first float, which held the message of the “Great Demand,” represented the newfound commitment and energy that was needed by the suffrage movement to actively achieve their goal. Suffragettes were no longer content with accepting limited voting rights in bits or in one state/jurisdiction; a nationwide enfranchisement was necessary. 

March 3, 1913 photo at the Suffrage Parade, showing marchers (left to right) Mrs. Russell McLennan, Mrs. Althea Taft, Mrs. Lew Bridges, Mrs. Richard Coke Burleson, Alberta Hill and Miss F. Ragsdale. Courtesy of the Library of Congress.

Marie Louise Bottineau-Baldwin.

Suffragettes of color were a prominent feature in the 1913 Women’s Suffrage Procession. More than 40 black women, with their specific state delegations, marched together for a future of political enfranchisement and equality. Leading banners from their sections, they encapsulated a conjoint end of racial justice with achieving the right to vote for women. There were even 25 black students from the Delta Sigma Theta sorority at Howard University, with as many as 6 graduates. Those women, with their respected academic regalia, included prominent suffragists such as Mary Church Terrell. Additionally, Marie Louise Bottineau-Baldwin, a famous Native American lawyer who advocated for the rights of her people with the Society of American Indians, marched in the procession. Her presence highlighted the relevant role of suffragists of color to re-energizing the women’s suffrage movement. White female suffragists did not only function as important contributors; women of color actively contributed to the health and vitality of this collective cause of suffrage.

Ida B. Wells-Burnett

However, the participation and advocacy of suffragists of color did not function without complications. For example, Ida B.Wells-Burnett, a prominent African American suffrage activist, was denied the opportunity to march at the front of the Illinois delegation like she had originally intended. It is important to remember that she, as a black woman, still faced more barriers to her activism than her white counterparts, who as organizers of this procession relegated her to march at the back of the Illinois delegation. However, Wells-Burnett refused to let the color of her skin dictate the depth of her role in advocating for women's suffrage; eventually, she found a way to march at the front of her delegation. The efforts of Ida B. Wells-Burnett serve as a reminder that racial justice is a conjoint end with women’s suffrage, occupying the same status of importance.

Part of the 1913 Suffrage Parade. The signs read "In The Home,” and "Homemakers.” Courtesy of the Library of Congress.

The women’s suffrage procession seemed to have all the components to be successful, but faced unprecedented obstacles. A crowd of 250,000 people, mainly men who arrived in the nation’s capital for the presidential inauguration, formed a physical barrier against the marching procession of women. These spectators blocked the parade route, accosting the women in the street and stopping their forward movement. A physical confrontation resulted within the parade, as the crowd sought to advance their own agenda at the expense of this tightly organized procession of women. Even though the participants on horseback sought to block these individuals, the sheer number of spectators disrupted the women’s march to their destination, the Treasury building. In fact, a sea of hostile, jeering men shouted rude, explicit insults at the women. Harassment, cat-calling, and sexual propositions flew in the face of each woman in the parade as they persisted onward.

The crowd converges on marchers, blocking the parade route during March 3, 1913, suffrage procession, in Washington, District of Columbia. Courtesy of Library of Congress.

Yet, the bravery of these women was evident, as many continued on in the face of the vile opposition of the surrounding crowd. Even with tears, and psychological hurt, they persisted without interruption or hesitation. Some even carried banner poles, flags, and hat pins to ward off the attack. Physical unrest was a challenge that would be overcome together, with a collective effort. It was in fact necessary to assert their independent voices, and defend their bodies, when the Capitol Police was unable, or unwilling, to intervene. It was only until U.S. army troops entered the crowd that the spectators disappeared from harassing these women. En route to demanding their right to vote, it is telling that these female participants also had to, in an autonomous manner, affirm their own safety against an opposition that was threatened by their willingness to break traditional patriarchal norms. For these women, giving up was not an option, as there was too much at stake in their quest for socio-political equality.

The crowd surrounds and slows a Red Cross ambulance during the Women's suffrage procession, on March 3, 1913. Dozens of marchers were injured during the march, shoved and tripped by spectators. Courtesy of the Library of Congress.

The women’s suffrage procession on March 3, 1913, made notable headlines in newspapers around the country. The disruptive unrest of the crowd yielded 100 participants that were eventually hospitalized as a consequence of their involvement in the parade. Therefore, as the public deemed it unfathomable that the police did nothing to stop the blatant disruption of the ongoing procession, scandal ensued. An investigation of the ineffectiveness of the Capitol police commenced in the following days, resulting in the firing of the Washington, D.C. superintendent of police. It is clear that the police did not value this procession, which was threatened by disruptive crowds, as a cause worth protecting.The women of the NAWSA took a stand for themselves, in the face of substantial resistance to their efforts, and did not back down.

Tableau presented by the Women's Suffrage Association, on the U.S. Treasury building steps, on March 3, 1913. Courtesy of Library of Congress.

The women’s suffrage procession garnered more attention than the events of the next day, the presidential inauguration. On the same steps of the suffragists occupied, President Wilson was seemingly an afterthought in the shadow of the previous events. The suffragettes, who even suffered injuries to march against the physical barrier of the spectators, took center stage. The procession of these bold suffragettes renewed energy and public attention to their cause of pursuing and realizing the passage of the Susan B. Anthony Amendment and the “Great Demand.” The suffrage movement needed this jolt of energy in order to affirm greater vitality and vigor in its character. This reinvigoration of the suffrage movement thus created powerful momentum, as in the next 7 years, the right to vote for women would be concretely realized in the political and legal sphere. The 19th amendment benefited from the events of March 3, 1913; a newfound spirit that fought for gender egalitarianism in enfranchisement manifested in the actions of these brave women. The women marching in the 1913 procession unequivocally valued a future where the next generations of women would experience socio-political equality.

References: 

1. Taylor, Alan. “The 1913 Women’s Suffrage Parade.” The Atlantic. March 1, 2013. https://www.theatlantic.com/photo/2013/03/100-years-ago-the-1913-womens-suffrage-parade/100465/ 

2. “1913 Woman Suffrage Procession.” U.S. National Park Service. 2020. https://www.nps.gov/articles/woman-suffrage-procession1913.htm 

Jacqueline Qiu is a junior at Middlebury College, double majoring in French and Political Science. She is passionate about humanitarianism, women in politics, mental health awareness and advocacy, and French language and literature. On campus, she is the Co-President of the French club and Active Minds Middlebury

Marla Farbacher

** Marla is not currently an elected official. She is running for political office. Marla’s current position is Chief Counsel for the Grand Jury Division of Franklin County, OH. **

INTERVIEWED BY HALEY GLOVER

Photographed by Victoria Vongsaphay

MARLA FARBACHER, CANDIDATE FOR MADISON COUNTY (OH) PROSECUTOR

Place of Special Meaning: My children both attended West Jefferson Schools… We have a lot of community involvement and ties to the high school. More specifically, this will be my tenth season as the volunteer West Jefferson High School mock trial legal advisor…. Mock trial is how I’ve most consistently served my community. West Jefferson is a very athletic-minded community, like many rural communities, where football is the “end all be all.” We felt that it was important to have an option for students who weren’t interested in sports and to provide an opportunity to expand their experience while they’re still in high school.

“I think we need to relabel politics and have things be more about getting to the right place and not having it be so divisive ”

How She Defines Herself: I would define myself as a prosecutor. I think it’s unfortunate that in Ohio the prosecuting attorney position for county office, as well as for city prosecutors, is a political position and an elected position… A prosecutor’s job is to seek justice and party politics shouldn’t have anything to do with that. Beyond being a prosecutor, I would define myself as a community member, mother, wife, friend, and neighbor, but prosecuting attorney is probably my most exact title.

“It is rewarding to serve your community in a way that fits your skill set.”

Strength of Underestimation: Last year’s mock trial team was an all girls’ team. One nice thing about having a team of all young women… I felt they were underestimated because they were women. We would go to a competition and some older male judge would say “Oh, we have an all girls’ team!” Okay. But, as a result of that, I found that people really underestimated them…I think young women are underestimated. I had that same experience when I was a young attorney as well… The girls would go in knowing they were being underestimated and then do so incredibly well…I think because people underestimate [women], it gives you a secret weapon.

Regina Young Interview

Photo via PA Senate Democrats

BY: CAITLIN MULDOWNEY, SUMMER COLLABORATOR AT POWER IN PLACE

Regina Young’s entrance into politics was not spurred by ambition, but rather necessity. Before running for State Representative of Legislative District 185, she worked in the Philadelphia Mayor’s Office of Education as the Community Schools Organizer. As a longtime social worker and community organizer, she felt that there was work to be done beyond the scope of the role she was currently filling. 

Throughout the interview, it became clear that two things have run consistently throughout Regina’s career: her commitment to education and community development. While her job titles and employers have varied, she has consistently placed the importance of human capital at the center of her work. This is evident through her campaign in the listening tour she embarked on prior to running, and the consistency she displayed in connecting with her constituents throughout the pandemic. 

In her recent talk with Power in Place, she urged attendees to center their careers on an issue they are passionate about, rather than a specific industry or position. In her own words, “connect your importance with who you are.” This advice is particularly salient as it becomes more common for employees to spend a shorter amount of time in a role before moving on. [1] Therefore, dedicating one’s career to a set of values or causes they care deeply about will not only be more fulfilling, but will also make it easier to chase new opportunities and to deal with change.

Regina took her own advice in deciding to run for office. As she put it, it was “an opportunity [she] couldn’t ignore” and, “a risk [she] had to take because [she] wanted to see the community more empowered.” Although politics was not a path she would have predicted for herself, she embraced the change and risk because it offered her an opportunity to expand upon the work to which she was passionate and committed. Regina’s grassroots campaign against a longtime incumbent was successful, with her becoming the Democratic nominee this past June. [2] Even if this were not the case, I am confident that she would find new ways to promote education, economic development and criminal justice throughout her community and beyond. [3]

References

[1] Landrum, Sarah. “Millennials Aren't Afraid To Change Jobs, And Here's Why.” Forbes. Forbes Magazine, November 10, 2017. https://www.forbes.com/sites/sarahlandrum/2017/11/10/millennials-arent-afraid-to-change-jobs-and-heres-why/ 

[2] Marin, Max. “With Less than $10,000, Philly Candidate Scoops PA House Seat from Democratic Dynasty.” Billy Penn. Billy Penn, June 16, 2020. https://billypenn.com/2020/06/13/with-less-than-10000-philly-candidate-scoops-pa-house-seat-from-democratic-dynasty/

[3] “Platform.” Regina Young For PA 185. Accessed August 13, 2020. https://www.reginayoung185.com/platform

Caitlin Muldowney is a rising senior at the University of Pennsylvania majoring in International Relations and Modern Middle Eastern Studies. She is involved in Alpha Phi Omega, a co-ed national community service fraternity and works as a research assistant studying the effectiveness of international organizations. She is passionate about international human rights and learning new languages.

Interviewing Margarita Guzman & Valerie Gomez

Photo via Town of West New York

BY: SARAH DECARO-RINCON, SUMMER COLLABORATOR AT POWER IN PLACE

On July 31st, I had the pleasure of photographing and interviewing Commissioner Margarita Guzman and her nominee Valerie Gomez. I have had the privilege of knowing Commissioner Guzman since I was a sophomore at High Tech High School. Along with being a commissioner for the town of West New York, NJ, Margarita Guzman is also a Spanish teacher that goes out of her way to support & help her students. Before interviewing Commissioner Guzman, I knew that she was a kind, intelligent, & moral person. Our interview not only strengthened those views, but also showed me how much she cares about her community and constituents. 

Throughout the interview, Commissioner Guzman stressed the fact that being in politics is about serving your community, and doing what is best for your constituents. Ever since the beginning of the pandemic, Commissioner Guzman has helped to start a project that is feeding West New York, NJ. Commissioner Guzman, alongside others from the community, have been going door-to-door handing out bags of food to those in need. This is not the only way Ms. Guzman helps our community. Commissioner Guzman’s Special Place of Meaning was the park she helped rebuilt that has a gorgeous view of the New York Skyline. The park on 58th street and J.F.K. Boulevard East represents her first action as Commissioner of Parks and Recreation, and the New York Skyline, an open door for opportunities for all immigrants, including herself. 

Every year on International Women’s Day, Commissioner Guzman hosts a luncheon to support and applaud the strong women in our community. She invites business women, police officers, politicians, and even her students to show them all that they are truly valued. Commissioner Guzman does all she can to encourage and inspire other women to be involved in their communities & to take positions of power and leadership. A great example of this is Commissioner Guzman’s nominee, Valerie Gomez, who does an amazing job at taking leadership in our community. 

Valerie Gomez was born-and-raised in West New York, NJ and is a middle school math teacher in Brooklyn. The work that Valerie does for our community is noteworthy and inspiring. Ms. Gomez is the co-founder of Food for Us, an initiative/organization that gives food & resources to those in need all over Hudson County. One thing that Valerie emphasized was the importance of offering plant-based options, fresh fruits, & vegetables because they “believe in de-colonizing the diet. We realized that we have been fed a lot of the residue food that is just unhealthy for us. It’s what feed this cycle of heart problems, diabetes, all of these things we tend to see in communities of color.” The health of our community is at stake because of COVID-19, and Valerie is doing what she can to help our immune systems. 

Both Commissioner Margarita Guzman & Valerie Gomez are two very intelligent, proud, strong women of color who are improving our community with their leadership. Every step that they take to better the lives of the people around them is another step in inspiring more young women to try and take charge. I want to thank them again for taking the time out of their days to help Power in Place to continue to spread the message of female empowerment. 

Sarah DeCaro-Rincon is part of the Sarah Lawrence class of 2023 and her concentrations are Political Science and Pre-Law. Some of Sarah's passions are immigration reform and the rights of workers in the service industry (hotel, restaurant, etc.). Her favorite part about being a part of Power in Place is working with and hearing from strong, intelligent, inspiring women.

The American Politician: Why We Elect Women

Graphic by Ellen Weinstein for Politico.

BY: Haley Glover, SUMMER 2020 COLLABORATOR AT POWER IN PLACE

I’ve heard it time and time again. Said off to the side at the dinner table, whispered in class, or mentioned in the news. The defensive, “I’m a femininist but I didn’t vote for Hillary,” the angry, “She doesn’t get to be president just because she’s a woman,” or the gender-neutral “I vote for policy, not the politician.” And I agreed. I agreed because I didn’t stop to think about who a politician is. Specifically who a politician is in America. “The who” varies across regions and states as a consequence of America’s vast land and diversity. The “American politician” cannot be defined by a set of qualities or qualifications because the politician is the physical manifestation of the voters. In the opening lines of The Constitution, America was defined as a representative democracy. Section two states, “The House of Representatives shall be composed of Members chosen every second Year by the People of the several States.” [1] With the establishment of The House of Representatives, the politician became “the representative '' of the people. We the people, allow our voice to be projected through the individuals we elect. We give up certain political freedoms in exchange for representation with the expectation that our interests will be heard by the greater American political system.                                                                         

Graphic via The Cut.

But who is listening? Over two hundred years after the drafting of the Constitution, and it’s added amendments, “the people” has come to encompass those outside the white male demographic. Yet, representation in politics has failed to answer to the whole of the American people. In order for politicians to represent their constituents they must understand and empathize with the lives of those they represent to accurately relay their interests in government. Some argue that who the politician is doesn’t matter, and that only their policy platform should be voted for. While I agree policy must be considered when voting, I do not believe it overshadows the identity of the politician. This is because identity matters. It matters because the identities of the American people have been politicized throughout history. 

Marginalized individuals have been forced to advocate for their right to be represented in government and have not stopped fighting since. They cannot stop until their voices are echoed in government. Today, politics has not only defined the identity of women but has infringed on the woman’s body. This is evident in the Supreme Court's most recent decision to uphold the Trump administration’s ACA’s birth control mandate. With this decision, employers can choose to not provide birth control coverage in their employees’ health plans if they have a strong religious or moral opposition. [2] Such a decision prohibits women employees from accessing safe means of contraception and marks women’s bodies as a place of reproduction and shame. The identity of women as mothers pervades government and the normalized female rhetorical strategies of female politicians. This identity can be diversified with the increase of women in politics. These women act as the voice of women across America, and with enough representation, they can be loud enough to make a change for the politicized woman. 

Graphic via Catalyst.

While I am currently speaking for women, this logic can be applied to all marginalized groups. As America continues to diversify, our government should be a representation of this change, not a tool that actively works against the marginalized. This election season I am voting for women because my identity as a woman has been written into law time and time again. And every time I see no woman behind the pen and hear only muffled female voices. 

References

[1] U.S. Const. art. I, § 2.

[2]Adamczyk, Alicia. “The Supreme Court’s ruling on the ACA’s birth control mandate could cost women hundreds of dollars each year.” Article Title.” CNBC, June 8, 2020. Accessed July 15, 2020. https://www.cnbc.com/2020/07/08/what-to-know-about-the-supreme-courts-birth-control-mandate-decision

Haley Glover is an English and Political Science major at Middlebury College. Originally she is from a small town in Ohio and is particularly interested in the Midwest's political stage. She hopes to aid communities throughout middle America in a future law career.

To Aim Higher as a Woman

Graphic by Javier Jaen for the Wall Street Journal.

BY: ELIZA KING FREEDMAN, SUMMER 2020 COLLABORATOR AT POWER IN PLACE

A young boy tells his school teacher that he wants to be the President of the United States. That teacher is charmed, and, in the back of his or her mind, he or she believes that maybe he could really do it. 

A young girl tells her school teacher that she wants to be the President of the United States. That teacher is charmed, but, in the back of his or her mind, he or she believes that it is truly unlikely and assumes that that young girl will change her mind before graduating elementary school. 

Society teaches young boys to aspire to be CEOs, partners at law firms, lead surgeons, and tech pathfinders. And young girls are finally being taught that they can achieve in these same careers. However, for girls it is often not CEOs but employees, not partners but lawyers, not lead surgeons but participants in the field, and not pathfinders but lower-level coders. As females, we are asked to step back. We can be intelligent, we can get the grades in school, but after graduation only a few of us will fight against the male-dominated business world and win. Women make up 50.8 percent of the United States population, earning nearly half of all law and medical degrees handed out each year, however as of November 2018 women made up only 5 percent of CEOs of all Fortune 500 companies [1].

Power in Place represents far more than just a collection of stories. It is an organization that is teaching us, all women and girls, that we deserve to aim higher. We deserve to want to fill the House and the Senate and the White House, and we need to support the women who are paving the way for us right now. The female mind is chemically wired differently than the male mind, and that is not something to be ashamed of or something that should hold us back. We must embrace our womanhood, in whichever form it presents itself within us, and use it to our advantage. We do not have to learn to “be one of the boys” in order to succeed. Women are criticized in the media for their fashion choices, their emotions, and parts of their bodies that they have no control over. Hopefully, these realities will change with time. But in the meantime, it is organizations like Power in Place that will combat the media and the anti-feminist rhetoric that makes us question ourselves. 

That young girl is going to be the President of the United States. And we don’t know who she is yet, but we have to believe that any girl we meet could be her. 5 percent of CEOs is not a big enough number. None of the numbers are big enough. And it is my very personal hope that Power in Place, and organizations and movements like it, will give women and young girls the motivation and the option to strive for more.

References

[1] Warner, Judith, Nora Ellmann, and Diana Boesch. "The Women's Leadership Gap."  Center for American Progress. Last modified November 20, 2018. Accessed July 24, 2020. https://www.americanprogress.org/issues/women/reports/2018/11/20/461273/womens-leadership-gap-2/#:~:text=Women%20are%20just%205%20percent,of%206%20percent%20in%202017.&text=Women%20are%20only%207%20percent,in%20the%20Fortune%20100%20companies.

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Eliza King Freedman is a rising sophomore at Middlebury College. She intends to major in International Politics and Economics with a minor in Architectural Studies. In addition to Power in Place, she also works for a horse therapy organization that specializes in the rehabilitation of veterans. She is most passionate about the study of nonproliferation and prison reform.

Historically Women’s College Graduates in Office

Photo of Senator Tammy Baldwin via The City Pages.

BY: SOPHIA CASTEN, SUMMER 2020 COLLABORATOR AT POWER IN PLACE

Historically Women's College (HWC) graduates and current students have longed for equal representation for gender minorities in all facets of professional life. Specifically, representation  of women and other gender minorities in politics is dear to the hearts of many HWC attendees and alums as the United States becomes increasingly political.  In 2016, Presidential candidate Hillary Clinton brought attention to the Historically Women’s College education as a proud Wellesley College graduate. 

Before Clinton’s time in office, many other HWC graduates graced the political world with their poise, worldliness, and passion for intersectional women’s rights. The first woman to become Secretary of State, before Clinton, was Madeleine Albright. Albright also graduated from Wellesley in 1959 and truly set the stage for women in Cabinet-level positions to come. Some other notable HWC graduates in office include, Senator Tammy Baldwin, Smith College Class of 1984. She became the first openly gay senator in 2013 and continues to fight for women’s rights within the LGBTQ+ community. Senator Baldwin is still proud to be involved in the lives of Smith College students and often works with them in her D.C. and Wisconsin offices. 

Coming from my home state of Arizona, former Representative Gabrielle Giffords (Scripps College Class of 1993), became a beacon of hope, light, and strength when she survived an assisnation attempt in 2012. Just two years after the near-fatal shooting, Giffords became a gun control activist with a focus on women’s rights. She repeatedly advocates for decreasing gun violence because as she told The Atlantic, “gun violence is a women’s issue.” [1] Representative Giffords’ story is one of the many reasons I focused on applying to HWCs during the end of my high school career. 

Like many other women and gender minorities, I was terrified after the 2016 election. I feared for what was to come for all women and gender minorities. I thought back to the strength of Representative Giffords, Senator Baldwin, and Hillary Clinton. I also thought back to the women of color who graduated from HWCs, such as Elaine Cho, Mary McLeod Bethune, and Ruth Davis, whose legacies were seemingly obsolete after the election of Donald Trump. I was motivated to keep the legacies of HWC graduates alive and be a part of a network that continues to make history in the face of adversity. 

References 

[1] Westcott, Lucy. “Gabby Giffords Says Gun Violence Is a Women's Issue.” The Atlantic. 16 June 2014. https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2014/06/gabby-giffords-calls-gun-violence-a-womens-issue/372876/?utm_source=share&utm_campaign=share 

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Sophia Casten is a rising junior at Smith College majoring in Government with a certificate in Reproductive Health Rights and Justice. Sophia is a yoga teacher and a Community Health Organizer at the Smith College Wellness Center and is committed to spreading inclusive wellness practices. Some of her interests include reproductive justice, LGBTQ+ rights advocacy, and public policy reform.

Finding Your Purpose, Changing the World

Photograph by Katrina Hajagos.

BY: ELLIE BROEREN, SUMMER 2020 COLLABORATOR AT POWER IN PLACE

“It’s important to be honest with yourself and the people around you about what you need to do to feel like you’re maximizing your potential and to really work hard to figure that out.”

-Dr. Elizabeth Steiner Hayward

In this historical moment, with racial injustice flourishing and COVID-19 rates spiking, focuses have shifted from the individual to the community. How can we help the majority of people in a community? Sometimes, focusing on your individual strengths is the best way to help others.

One of the most profound moments of my high school career was an off-hand comment by my 10th grade English teacher. While talking about how unhappy her husband was with his job at a plastics factory, she told us that we would never be happy in a job where we are not helping people. I have just finished my sophomore year of college and that comment still resonates in my head today. It solidified something I had known for a while—I am going to be a doctor and use my skills to help other people. 

So when I was tasked with analyzing the interview of Oregon State Senator Dr. Elizabeth Steiner Hayward, I was ecstatic. I could not wait to hear about her journey as both a physician and politician. Towards the end of the interview, Dr. Steiner Hayward was asked what she has learned from the lives of her mother and mother’s mother. Her response struck a familiar chord within me. She stated: “When I think about the meaning of life, I think it’s about figuring out what gifts you’ve been given, . . . and how you use that to make the world a better place”. 

Dr. Steiner Hayward has clearly found her gifts and is putting them to great use. She says she knew she was going to be a doctor as early as 4 years old. As a medical student and practicing physician, she was always involved in organized medicine, which works to help patients. And as she progressed in her career, she realized that if she was going to make Oregon the healthiest state in the nation, she also needed to advocate for education, transportation, and the many other factors that contribute to the health and wellbeing of a community. From establishing Oregon’s Coordinated Care Organization systems to more efficiently deliver healthcare to working to raise the legal tobacco purchase age to 21, Dr. Steiner Hayward has worked tirelessly towards this objective as a state legislator.  

Hearing this advice, and her story ignited a flame within me that has existed for a while; this flame has been dimmed recently by uninspiring classes, family illness, and a disrupting global pandemic. However, this flame is my gift; my way to give back to the world is to become an OB/GYN and fight to change how women’s health is handled. To take women’s pain seriously and to advocate for more (ethical) research on the female body and especially to fight to lower the absurdly high maternal mortality rate for women of color, specifically Black women. Dr. Steiner Hayward’s interview has inspired me to keep fighting for this dream, even when life gets tough and messy, and I believe it will inspire other women to discover their gifts and make the differences the world has been waiting for.  

Ellie Broeren is a rising junior at Middlebury College, majoring in Molecular Biology and Biochemistry and minoring in Gender, Sexuality, and Feminist Studies. She is passionate about women’s health, reproductive justice, and sex-positive education. In the future she plans to be an OB/GYN and will work to improve women's health for all.