Welcome to another Feminist Friday! This week we’re so pumped up because of the female badassery we are seeing right now. Although there is plenty to be concerned about in politics, in culture, and around the world, we take heart knowing that change is happening, and women are rising up to positions of power where their voices are being heard.
The first woman we need to bow down to is Ayanna Pressley, who is a member of the Boston City Council in Boston, Massachusetts. She just made history by winning the Democratic primary race for the 7th Congressional district seat, beating the 10-term Democratic incumbent Michael Capuano. She also becomes the first African-American Massachusetts voters have sent to the US House of Representatives.
The seat has previously been held by John F. Kennedy, so the historical statement she is making simply by wining cannot be overstated. Her win is part of a Democratic wave we are seeing across America in the lead up to the November mid-terms, where progressive women of color are coming out in force and winning. And since there is no Republican challenger for the 7th District, Ayanna is all but assured to become a Congresswoman in November.
In her winning speech, she unapologetically talked about her ambition, stating that “change can’t wait” and she is ready to do the work people elected her for. She also said, “I fundamentally believe that the people closest to the pain should be the closest to power,” echoing the unrest that many across America feel with our current political leadership despite seeing so much injustice in schools, in our healthcare system, in the prison system, within minority issues and more. We are excited to see more progressive women of color rise up and lead this country forward. If you to want to be inspired by what is to come, watch her speech below:
The second woman we have to give props to is US Senator Kamala Harris. The Democratic California Senator was part of the Judicial Committee questioning Trump’s Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh, who has a very sketchy record on women’s reproductive rights. Not only does he believe Roe v Wade can be overturned by judges (one of which could potentially be him if he gets confirmed), but he also doesn’t believe women are not competent to make decisions about their own bodies.
He wrote the dissent in the Garza v Hargan case in 2017 where an undocumented immigrant teen girl from Mexico was looking to get an abortion. She went through the proper legal process, getting permission from a Texas judge and yet Brett Kavanaugh still didn’t think she should’ve been allowed simply because of her age.
In a much older case from 2007, he ruled against the rights of two disabled women to make their own reproductive decisions. Both women were forced to get abortions despite them not having a say in the matter, and in the court case Brett Kavanaugh ruled that it was a good decision. Essentially, he approved of the forced abortion because these women were intellectually disabled.
With this shocking, anti-women’s rights context in mind, Senator Kamala Harris questioned the current Federal judge about laws pertaining to the regulation of men’s bodies. You can tell by his facial expression that he knew what she was angling at. We wish more political leaders had the guts to call out hypocrisy like this. Watch below:
Our final video this week comes from the 2018 Miss America competition. While we certainly have our issues with beauty pageants in general, over the past number of years we have seen some positive changes and examples of contestants using their voice to advocate for something important. This year, Miss Michigan, Emily Sioma, may not have taken home the top prize, but her moment on stage certainly went viral and captured the attention of the nation.
“From the state with 84% of the US’ fresh water but none for its residents to drink, I am Miss Michigan, Emily Sioma,” she stated in a short clip (from 0:33 in the video below) that has been doing the rounds on social media. Say what you want about beauty pageants, but this is the kind of disruption that shows they still hold some value in our culture.
By drawing attention to the ongoing Flint water crisis, she was able to remind audiences of a vitally important issue plaguing her state. In an interview with MSNBC after the competition, she spoke with journalist Chris Hayes about the water crisis, as well as the #MeToo movement and her own sexual assault experience. As you watch the video below as well as the two above, we hope these women will motive and inspire you to use your voice, stand up for what you believe in, and take the lead.
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