Since The Quill has changed formats, I have a few articles that I wrote that where never printed. In the spirit of "waste not, want not" I am going to publish them here. Below is an article that I wrote about my amazing experience when I met Ms. Gloria Steinem...
On April 2, 2008 I had the amazing opportunity to meet Ms. Gloria Steinem when she participated in the panel discussion, “Feminist Perspectives on Politics, Work, Immigration and Healthcare”, at The First Unitarian Society of Albany. It was an honor to meet her and hear her speak on a panel of women about a series of issues including; the continuing problems of gender-based pay inequality, that fact that women are still among the majority of those living in poverty and without health care, and the effects of immigration policy on immigrant women.
In addition to Gloria Steinem the panel consisted of Dr. Alethia Jones of the Dept. of Public Administration at U Albany, Renee Giscedi Director of Education and Research and Practice at the NYS Nursing Association, and Albany Common Councilwoman the Honorable Barbara Smith. All of the panelists are very successful in their own careers and they take an active roll in their professional lives to ensure that the problems of pay inequality, absent health care and education are corrected so that all women have the opportunity to prosper. These women, and others like them, stand on the shoulders of the great women of history and continue the fight for equality.
In addition to the topic at hand, Steinem also spoke of the book that she is currently writing about her research of ancient cultures, and how she has uncovered that the widely accepted idea that patriarchy has been the norm since the beginning of time is simply false. Through her research she has learned that in many early cultures, groups were in fact led by women and not by men. Of this discovery she said, “The truth will set you free, but first it will piss you off.” I believe this to be true and that getting “pissed off” can be a blessing if it leads to taking action to expose or change the very thing that makes you angry.
I left the event feeling inspired, empowered, and with a lot to think about. As a woman and aspiring writer and editor, being in the presence of Gloria Steinem was a moment that will forever be etched in vibrant color in my mind. It was almost a surreal experience.
Before the panel discussion, Steinem held a book signing for which I was among the first in line. As I nervously waited for my turn, I searched the depths of my soul for what I should say to this remarkable woman. The only words that I could find to convey everything that was swirling in my head were, “Thank you”. But I was not merely thanking her for signing my book; I was thanking her for everything that she has done so that I have the opportunity to set my aspirations as high as my ambitions are willing to go.
After she signed my book Steinem allowed me to take a photograph with her. The picture is already framed and hanging above my desk. Now, whenever I am struggling to finish a paper on time, trying to write a memorable article for The Quill, or put my thoughts into words, I look up and I am reminded of that extraordinary day and I find inspiration and strength to keep my chin up, to know that my goals are within reach, and to write with all of my being without fear of recourse or judgment.
I am so thankful to Gloria Steinem because I know that she has advanced the cause of women so that I have a better opportunity to become a “Women of Influence”. She has opened many doors for women in the field of publishing and journalism. Steinem is a co-founder of Ms. Magazine; she helped pave the way for female journalists beginning in the 1960’s with several politically charged articles and exposés, including going undercover as a Playboy Bunny at the famed Playboy Club in 1963 to expose how the women who worked there were treated. Gloria Steinem was among the first successful female journalists, largely because she refused to allow her gender to be a barrier to her success. For more than forty years she has been on the front lines in Washington lobbying for equal rights, equal pay, women’s reproductive rights, and many other issues. To Gloria Steinem, I am eternally grateful and I will forever be inspired by her unyielding tenacity and strength.
In the days that followed the event, every time someone asked me how I was, all I could exclaim was, “I met Gloria Steinem!” However, as I tried to share my excitement and empowerment with some of my friends and fellow students, I uncovered some truth, that in some ways has set me free, and has definitely pissed me off.
I was shocked and appalled at how many blank stares coupled with the question, “Who is Gloria Steinem?” that I received from women of all ages. I got that reaction from women on and off this campus, but I am the most surprised at the students at Russell Sage College who had no idea who Gloria Steinem is.
I understand that for most of the students here Gloria Steinem is not “of your generation”; she is not of my generation either. I know about Steinem because my mother is of the generation of women who watched in real-time as she and other American feminists led the fight so that their daughters would have more freedom and opportunity than they did. I am one of those daughters and my mother has always made sure that I knew that I had choices and opportunities that she and generations before her did not have. My mother and her friends made certain that I knew that the suffragettes may have given me the right to vote, but if it wasn’t for women like Gloria Steinem, I probably wouldn’t be able to get out of the metaphorical kitchen long enough TO vote, and if I did, my apron would likely be tied so tight that I would have to wear it to the voting booth.
I cannot understand how a woman studying at a college for women, especially at Russell Sage College, could not know who Gloria Steinem is. We are here to become the Women of Influence that we will be someday. We cannot do that without knowing about the women of influence who have obliterated the barriers that allow us to lead the lives that we do and have the opportunities that our mothers and grandmothers could not have even dared to dream of. We will not learn everything that we need to know in a classroom; we must also take responsibility for our own learning and seek out important lessons of truth on our own.
I do not claim to be an expert about women’s history; I know that I have a lot to learn and an endless list of women to learn about and thank, and I realize that I cannot let them down by taking it all for granted and allow myself to be ignorant about women’s history; it is when we become complacent and forget about history that it repeats itself. We must never forget that it is because of our foremothers that we do not have to prove that women can do it; we only have to prove that we can do it. For the sake of generations of the women to come, we must remove the words “I don’t know” from our vocabulary and replace them with “I will find out.”
Women have made great strides toward equality, but there are still gross injustices happening all around us. There are too many women who are living in poverty without homes, health care, and education. Just because we may not be one of those women does not mean that we have no responsibility to them. If women such as Gloria Steinem and the countless other woman who have fought for women’s rights did not care about them, we could have easily been one of them. We owe a great deal to the women who fought for our rights; we can start paying them back by educating ourselves about who they are and what they have done. Then we can take that information and decide what we will do to ensure that all women have the future that we deserve.
I came to Russell Sage with a lot of goals and aspirations, but as my first year here comes to a close I realize that I have whole heartedly added becoming a Woman of Influence to my list of goals; although I am still contemplating exactly how I will influence the world, I have come to one concrete conclusion: I know that I hope to be the kind of Woman of Influence who has made such extraordinary changes to the world and made it such a better place for the generations of women who will follow me, that one day a college student will ask to take a photo with me, so that she can hang it above her desk and look to it for inspiration and strength.
I hope that all of my sisters here at RSC embrace the idea of becoming a Woman of Influence and in the search for what that means to you, you will seek out truth and find something that makes you “pissed off” because I know that you will channel that emotion and energy into action which will demand change that will make the world a better place. I am honored to be among you, because you are the future Gloria Steinems, Harriet Tubmans, Elizaneths Stantons, and Susan B. Anthonys of the world, and I hope to live long enough to read your pages in the history books.
