The Importance of Rallies, Marches, Walkouts, Sit-Ins, and Other Non-Violent Protests

"Non-violent resistance (NVR) is the practice of achieving goals such as social change through symbolic protests, civil disobedience, economic or political non-cooperation, Satyagraha, or other methods, while being nonviolent. This type of action highlights the desires of an individual or group that feels that something needs to change to improve the current condition. It is largely but wrongly taken as synonymous with civil resistance. Each of these terms—nonviolent resistance and civil resistance—has different connotations and commitments.” 

“Civil resistance is political action that relies on the use of nonviolent resistance by civil groups to challenge a particular power, force, policy or regime. Civil resistance operates through appeals to the adversary, pressure and coercion: it can involve systematic attempts to undermine the adversary's sources of power, both domestic and international. Forms of action have included demonstrations, vigils and petitions; strikes, go-slows, boycotts and emigration movements; and sit-ins, occupations, and the creation of parallel institutions of government. The phenomenon of civil resistance is often associated with the advancement of democracy.”

Perhaps some of the greatest examples of nonviolent resistance and civil resistance have been at the hands of leaders and people like Martin Luther King Jr., Mahatma Gandhi, Henry David Thoreau, Leo Tolstoy, Nelson Mandela, Alice Paul, Rosa Parks, amongst many, many others. From the Freedom Riders, to the Marchers at Salem, to the #NeverAgain and #EnoughisEnough protests (Marjory Stoneman Douglas student activists), we have seen great political and societal change from these nonviolent forms of demonstration.

Let’s take a quick look at some historical NVR’s:

Exhibit A:
1848-1920: Unites States: Women’s Suffrage was a political movement that spanned over a century, where women protested in order to receive the right to suffrage, or the legal right to vote, in the United States. This movement emerged from the broader movement of women’s rights; in 1848, the Seneca Falls Convention (the first women’s rights convention) passed a resolution in favor of women’s suffrage. It was a long battle, and included many marches and much protest, but eventually, in 1920, the 19th Amendment to the Constitution was passed, giving women the right to vote.

Exhibit B:
1823-1829: Ireland: One of the first mass-membership political movements of Europe, the Catholic Association was founded by Daniel O'Connell to use non-violent means to push the British government to pass Catholic emancipation, which culminated in the passing of the Roman Catholic Relief Act 1829 by the government of the Duke of Wellington

Exhibit C:
1819: England: Peterloo Massacre: Famine and chronic unemployment, coupled with the lack of suffrage in northern England, led to a peaceful demonstration of 60,000–80,000 persons, including women and children. The demonstration was organized and rehearsed, with a "prohibition of all weapons of offence or defense" and exhortations to come "armed with no other weapon but that of a self-approving conscience". Cavalry charged into the crowd, with sabers drawn, and in the ensuing confusion, 15 people were killed and 400–700 were injured.

Exhibit D:
1955-1968: United States: The Civil Rights Movement included tactics of nonviolent resistance, such as bus boycotts, Freedom Rides, sit-ins, marches, and mass demonstrations, were used during the Civil Rights Movement. This movement succeeded in bringing about legislative change, making separate seats, drinking fountains, and schools for African Americans illegal, and obtaining full Voting Rights and open housing. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s vision of "the Beloved Community" was inspired by his leading Christians in nonviolent resistance.

Exhibit E:
1968: Worldwide: The protests that raged throughout 1968 were for the most part student-led. Worldwide, campuses became the front-line battle grounds for social change. While opposition to the Vietnam War dominated the protests, students also protested for civil liberties, against racism, for feminism, and the beginnings of the Ecology movement can be traced to the protests against nuclear and biological weapons during this year. 

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. said that “nonviolence is a powerful and just weapon. Indeed, it is a weapon unique in history, which cuts without wounding and ennobles the man who wields it. It is a sword that heals.” I’ve been thinking a lot about the innumerable wise words of Dr. King. Coretta Scott King, an author, activist, and civil rights leader (and wife of Dr. King) stated that “nonviolence is the only credible response to the violence we’re seeing around the world.” Many people question what the purpose of walk-outs, sit-ins, and protests are, saying that they don’t actually do anything. I would whole-heartedly disagree. I think there is great power in the collective, in unifying people under a cause, and standing with each other and supporting one another.

The example I often give when responding to the question “do you think that just wearing a specific color assigned to your protest day and showing up for a rally/march really matters?” is that of breast cancer awareness. Wearing a pink ribbon or pink clothing during Breast Cancer Awareness Month is a pretty standard and accepted social display of support. No one ever thinks twice about it. I’ve never seen anyone complain or riot about people walking for breast cancer awareness, raising funds for victims and survivors, or posting pictures on social media wearing pink for #breastcancerawareness. 

BUT WHEN IT COMES TO SEXUAL ASSAULT, THEY ALL COME OUT OF THE WOODWORK.

I cannot even comprehend the amount of backlash I saw and received for wearing black in support of Dr. Ford and ALL sexual assault survivors on our day of protest last week. I mean, literally, so many people blasted me on Facebook. I was truly dumbfounded and appalled. It rocked me, to my core. What was the difference? You have a victim, who took a polygraph test about her assault and showed ZERO signs of lying, who KNEW her assulter before she was assaulted by him, and spoke out about it when this person was being interviewed for a lifetime appointment to the highest COURT in the USA. And when millions of people want to stand up and stand with her and victims like her, wear black to unify together and draw attention to the issue, people really want to degrade all these women, say horrible things about them, disregard their democratic showing of protest and make them feel like trash?? Really?? 

So much of what I’ve seen and read these last couple weeks makes me sick. I am disgusted, appalled, outraged, and disheartened by the last of empathy and understanding and support of victims and survivors. But I (we) cannot let this stop us from using our voices, from standing up for our beliefs, from supporting each other because we fear the repercussions of doing so. THIS IS NOT FOR NOTHING. THIS IS NOT IN VAIN. What we’re doing is IMPORTANT. IT MATTERS. IT MAKES A DIFFERENCE. Even if that difference doesn’t come about quickly or visually, it matters to the millions of people who’ve experienced sexual assault, to know that WE BELIEVE THEM, that we support them and stand with them and will fight for them.

People make the mistake of thinking that the only goal of protests and nonviolent resistance is to reform law and change practices. While this is a main goal, of course, it is not the ONLY goal. We stand, we sit, we march, we chant, FOR THE PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN AFFECTED BY THESE TRAUMAS. 

THIS IS NOT FOR NOTHING. 

THIS IS NOT IN VAIN. 

THIS MATTERS.

THIS IS IMPORTANT.

THIS DOES MAKE A DIFFERENCE.

To All My Activists & SJW: TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF. #SELFCARE

Social Justice Warriors get a lot of flak out there. Many people see the “Social Justice Warrior” as a product of liberal-arts-school-brainwashing. You name it, I’ve heard it. Not just from older individuals, but even peers who don’t identify with what ‘social justice warriors’ typically identify with politically. As an activist, both in the government and non-profit sectors, I’m on the receiving end of a lot of this. People diminish the work you do, usually with hostility in my experience, because they don’t understand it or because they don’t want to. This post isn’t for them. This post is for all my sisters and brothers out there fighting for equality and justice and social/political reform.
Recent times have been trying, to say the least. The last two years have felt like Groundhog Day in a torture chamber. [This is not a post about Trump. Frankly, I cannot possibly summon the amount of emotional stamina to post about him right now.] This is a post for all those people with boots on the ground, who are part of grassroots activism, who volunteer, who attend rallies and marches and other forms of nonviolent protests, who strive to make a difference within your own circle. This is for all my social justice warriors out there who do so much work, who give so much of themselves every day, and never get any acknowledgement.

Here’s the thing. The last two weeks have been very difficult, for many of us. Most of the women I know, and including myself, have experience with sexual harassment and sexual assault. This issue is extremely close to home. As activists, we utilize our experiences and the experiences of those around us as fuel to power ourselves, our machines. Our experiences are like coal, burning in our hearts, boiling in our guts, producing steam that runs through our bloodstreams to power our generator and create energy. Being an activists requires accessing and using our emotional experiences on a daily basis, which can be an extremely daunting task, especially during these times of heightened duress.

And the past couple weeks have been just that. Heinous. In my speaking out in support of Dr. Ford and against Judge Kavanaugh, I have been on the receiving end of much vitriol and virulence. As an outspoken activist, this is a burden, an awful side effect, of what I do. Knowing this, and willingly taking it on, does not make it any easier. At the start of all this, I was full of righteous indignation at the mistreatment of Dr. Ford. But wave after wave of disgusting comments, news segments, and social media posts...my fire was beginning to burn out. This issue is so close to home, that it felt as if everything that being said to/towards/about Dr. Ford was also being said about me, also being said about women that I know and love.

This experience was extremely damaging. Again, as an activist, I am used to these feelings of sadness, disheartenment, of seeing inequality and injustice, and experiencing immense sympathy and empathy; I am used to channeling these feelings into action, into fire and steam and energy. But this time was different. This time was reminiscent of November 8th, 2016. This time felt like a new rock bottom, even though we thought we were already there.

My sadness and anger at the injustice and mistreatment of a victim of sexual assault morphed; I began feeling depressed. I began to feel resentful of the people that I know, who’d expressed beliefs and thoughts about this situation that I didn’t agree with. I began to feel hopeless. That’s a word I do not use frequently. Disheartened, baffled, appalled, angry, outraged, definitely. But hopeless…hopeless is not a word I use on the reg, nor do I use it lightly. Hopeless resembles parts of my life when I dealt with depression, when I dealt with life-altering experiences and the darkness of being sucked into a metaphorical black hole.

And after seeing the PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA MOCK A VICTIM OF SEXUAL ASSAULT IN FRONT OF MILLIONS OF PEOPLE [thousands of which laughed and cheered in the background] MADE ME FEEL HOPELESS. It also made me feel so disgusted at humanity that I couldn’t eat. I was nauseous. I was beyond hurt- I was obliterated. 

The past couple days I have felt nothing but hopeless.

As a person who deals with anxiety on a daily basis, I could feel my anxiety pumping at a higher frequency. My hands were shaking for days on end. My chest felt fluttery, my blood like a live-wire under my skin. I was so anxious, and so depressed, and so utterly heartbroken, that I just powered off. I couldn’t deal with it anymore. For three nights in a row, after work I just went home and did nothing, because I couldn’t do anything. I felt hollow. I couldn’t stop feeling like at any moment I would implode. The feeling and level of anxiety that I normally felt right before a panic attack was constant. I couldn’t sleep. Those of you with anxiety or sleeping disorders know that feeling well. I went to work, at a job that I love and at which I feel fulfilled every day, and felt like crying the whole time. And I did at times. I cried in private moments of despair and grief, for not just past experiences, and just for what Dr. Ford was going through, but for what all survivors have gone through, for the world that we live in, and knowledge of the world we could live in.

I watched Tina Fey’s “sheetcaking” sketch on SNL’s Weekend Update many times. I read posts of others feeling the same way, I talked with friends and coworkers feeling the same things, but still felt empty inside. On an off-chance, a random thought that occurred to me in a deep hour of despair last night, I tweeted one of my favorite activists, Sophia Bush, and asked her what she does as an activist to stay positive and keep fighting. I know she must get a lot of tweets, so I didn’t expect anything in return. Maybe another social justice warrior, another activist would see it and respond with their tips and tricks to staying in the game when you feel like you have nothing left to give. To my utter surprise/relief/joy, she responded this morning. What she said was this: 

It was such a good reminder for me, it something I definitely needed to hear. TAKE A DAY OFF. In my past studies in psychology, they used the old adage “you can’t pour from an empty cup. Take care of yourself first.” Self-care is so important, and it’s vital to understand what self-care your body and soul needs, because none of us are the same!

Dr. Barbara Markway states, in an article titled “Seven Types of Self-Care Activities for Coping with Stress,” that “when we’re stressed, self-care is often the first thing to go. Why is this?

1. Our brains go into fight-or-flight mode and our perspective narrows. We don’t see we have options—options for coping with stress and making ourselves feel better.

2. We’re so busy trying to solve problems that we’re stuck in “doing mode”—trying to get more and more done—when switching to “being mode” may be just the break we need.

3. We may not have a “go to” list of self-care activities. Self-care has to become a habit, so that when we’re dealing with stress, we remember that, “Hey, I need to take care of myself in this situation.” And, you need a variety of activities to try—if one doesn’t work, you can switch to another.

Fortunately, there are several pathways to self-care, and none of them need be difficult or take a lot of planning:

SENSORY

When you feel stressed and need a calm mind, try focusing on the sensations around you—sights, smells, sounds, tastes, touch… This will help you focus on the present moment, giving you a break from your worries.

Breathe in fresh air.

Snuggle under a cozy blanket.

Listen to running water.

Sit outdoors by a fire-pit, watching the flames and listening to the night sounds.

Take a hot shower or a warm bath.

Get a massage.

Cuddle with a pet.

Pay attention to your breathing.

Burn a scented candle.

Wiggle your bare feet in overgrown grass.

Stare up at the sky.

Lie down where the afternoon sun streams in a window.

Listen to music.

PLEASURE

A great way to take care of yourself when you’re coping with stress is to engage in a pleasurable activity. Try one of these ideas.

Take yourself out to eat.

Be a tourist in your own city.

Garden.

Watch a movie.

Make art. Do a craft project.

Journal.

Walk your dogs.

Go for a photo walk.

MENTAL/MASTERY

You can also give yourself a boost by doing a task that you’ve been avoiding or challenging your brain in a novel way.

Clean out a junk drawer or a closet.

Take action (one small step) on something you’ve been avoiding.

Try a new activity.

Drive to a new place.

Make a list.

Immerse yourself in a crossword puzzle.

Do a word search.

Read something on a topic you wouldn’t normally.

SPIRITUAL

Getting in touch with your values—what really matters—is a sure way to cope with stress and foster a calm mind. Activities that people define as spiritual are very personal. Here are a few ideas:

Attend church.

Read poetry or inspiring quotes.

Light a candle.

Meditate.

Write in a journal.

Spend time in nature.

Pray.

List five things you’re grateful for.

EMOTIONAL

Dealing with our emotions can be challenging when we’re coping with stress. We tend to label emotions as “good” or “bad,” but this isn’t helpful. Instead:

Accept your feelings. They’re all ok. Really.

Write your feelings down. Here’s a list of feeling words.

Cry when you need to.

Laugh when you can. (Try laughter yoga.)

Practice self-compassion.

PHYSICAL

Coping with stress by engaging the body is great because you can bypass a lot of unhelpful mental chatter. It’s hard to feel stressed when you’re doing one of these self-care activites:

Try yoga.

Go for a walk or a run.

Dance.

Stretch.

Go for a bike ride.

Don’t skip sleep to get things done.

Take a nap.

SOCIAL

Connecting with others is an important part of self-care. This can mean activities such as:

Go on a lunch date with a good friend.

Calling a friend on the phone.

Participating in a book club.

Joining a support group.

It can also mean remembering that others go through similar experiences and difficulties as we do. We’re not alone. Simply acknowledging that we’re all part of this human experience can lessen isolation and lead to a calm mind. That’s the best self-care strategy I know.”

So please, take of yourselves! I’m working on taking care of myself too! And making self-care a true part of my daily routine!

“Rest and self-care are so important. When you take time to replenish your spirit, it allows you to serve others from the overflow. You cannot serve from an empty vessel.”

-Eleanor Brown

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/shyness-is-nice/201403/seven-types-self-care-activities-coping-stress

#WCW Feminist Profile: Sophia Bush

Sophia Bush is a Feminist Icon. But I have a little bit of truth to tell you first before I get into it, which I'm not proud of. The last year has been VERY difficult for me. For someone who is very loud and proud about feminism and social change, the November 2016 Presidential Election results knocked the wind out of me. I was more than disheartened...I was heart broken. You see, I'd been very actively working in my community with Non-Profit Organizations and State agencies to advocate for women's rights and fight for justice and change. It seemed as if we were on a forward propellant, climbing up and up...I could see our bright new future, it was on the horizon, but I could see it. 

I could see a world where women and girls were given equal opportunities and equal access to education and funding and pay equity. I could see a world where women and girls held 50% of the jobs in STEM fields, where they were 50% CEO's, leaders, lawmakers, judges, politicians. A world I could be proud of to show my nieces that whatever they dreamt of being, (a vet, a scientist, an artist, a ballerina, a mom, whatever they wanted!) they could grasp, as long as they did their part. A world where they felt safe at school, where they were treated with respect, where I didn't have to fear for them walking home. A world where bullies and sexual assault and violence against women had decreased to such an extent, that it was like talking about the Dark Ages in history class. I dreamed of that world. I knew we could become that world. And then suddenly...it was gone. The horizon now held only blackness.

I'm not proud that it took me a while to shake it off.  I'm not proud that at many times during the next several months, I thought, "Why even try." I'm not proud that I considered, truly considered, giving up the fight. 

But I am proud that I had the guts, the tenacity, the willpower, to get back up and keep fighting. And I did that, because of this amazing person, Ms. Sophia Bush, and her incredible strength. I watched interview after interview of her talking about feminism and social change. I followed her IG and Twitter accounts religiously, because it was the daily ((if not, hourly)) pep talk I needed to keep going, to keep fighting, to keep picking myself up defeat-after-political-defeat. [If you don't follow her on social media, stop reading this right now and DO IT!! They're both linked above] 

She has positively impacted me so greatly, that I wanted to share it with all of you, in case you also need the Sophia-Bush-Empowerment-Magic-Pep-Talks! Here are some of my favorites since election day: (Newest to Oldest)

1. "L.A., I love you. For your fight, your heart, your diversity, your tolerance. The food vendors, community organizers, legal teams, day laborers, storytellers, artists, chefs, farm workers, creatives, and more. The fabric of our community is colorful and fantastic. It was an honor to march with you, my neighbors, today. It was a thrill to speak before you. And I am endlessly inspired by the ways that you show up, stand up, and speak up. You are truly a City of Angels." -IG


2. "Speak your truth. Even when your voice shakes." -IG

3. "That’s the tremendous value of friends, right? People who can come into your sacred spaces, be it your home, your heart, your psyche, and help you see what’s in there in new ways. I’m so grateful ladies." -IG

4. "ALL HANDS ON DECK PEOPLE. Call and leave comments before the end of the day on the Trump administration's proposed rollback of contraceptive coverage for the ACA. This script will get you started! Birth control is HEALTHCARE. It’s a basic right for women who want to go to school, have careers, have families, and be able to PLAN those families. Do not let this archaic patriarchal moron strip you of your rights to control your own life. BURN UP THE PHONE LINES! 🔥🔥🔥 " -IG

5. "Here's to the fierce females. The choir getting louder every day. Anyone who has ever felt silenced, who now knows they can roar. Here's to each of you." -IG

6. "Thought & Prayers. Policy & Change. We demand action. Your pattern of offering lifeless condolences with no follow-through will not be tolerated any longer. You work for us. You are not keeping us safe. We can vote you out. Soon. Stop insulting us by hiding your profiteering behind religious words. It's ugly and painfully obvious. Sincerely, A Gun Owner Who WANTS Sensible Gun Laws + Every Other American Who Is Sick of the Slaughter." -IG

7. "sleep is not coming. anger is the gnawing, nauseating pang that keeps you up past 3am.
screaming is what your insides do when you give them just enough space to breathe.
fury moved in a long time ago and set its roots. joy still exists. make no mistake. they are not mutually exclusive. it is hard won, and worth fighting for. but if you mistake my joy, other women's joy, to mean there is an absence of pain? we will burn you to the ground when we open our mouths to share our rage. you are not entitled to more pieces of us than we are ready to share. be very careful what you wish for, when it comes to information.
you just might get it. and once you've seen, you can never unsee. sometimes we withhold to protect your eyes." -IG

8. "It's shocking to see how many men are shocked. That women they know, perhaps even EVERY woman they know, has been sexually harassed. Sexually assaulted. This problem reaches farther than Harvey. Or Donald. (Both of whom, by the way, I hope get their due.) We live in a country where 1 in 4 women is assaulted or raped by the time she leaves college. And those numbers come from what gets reported. Estimates put the true stats at 1 in 2. Half of all women. By the age of 22. And if you scoff at that reality, you are part of the problem. If you are feeling a little uneasy, wondering if your behavior is part of the problem? It is. I promise you. If you're a woman who has been manipulated or bullied into feeling like her assault was her fault? It was not. There is no excuse for the behavior of abusers. And so many abusers are adept at psychological and emotionally abuse, thus masterful manipulators. 

And if you're one of those men that I know? One of those men whose palms are sweating reading this? Wondering if your names are about to be exposed because of what you've done? How you've abused. How you've twisted. How you've lied. Good. Sweat. Be afraid. Welcome to our world. And watch your backs. We have looked over our shoulders in fear, every day and night, for long enough. Your turn. To you abusers and the ones who stood by and stayed silent? Consider this your notice. From me and from women everywhere. We are roaring, alright. #MeToo #WomenWhoRoar" -IG

9. "Did you know, on this #InternationalDayOfTheGirl, that 130 million girls worldwide are not in school? That's 130 MILLION potential doctors, coders, researchers, designers, future leaders. Stripped of their potential. That has to change. And it can. From @onecampaign:  We know (Girls) + (Education) = Unstoppable. Let’s make sure world leaders know that ALL #GirlsCount" -IG

10. "Some of you have come at me on social media recently, telling me that I deserve to die. That I'm a disgrace to America. That I should get shot and stop complaining. All because I am heartbroken and really, really f-ing angry about America's gun problem. I've had people tell me to give up my body guards. Guess what? I don't have any. Tell me that if I'd ever shot a gun in real life I'd feel differently. Guess what? I've been a sharp shooter since the age of 12, own my fair share of guns, & love nothing more than an afternoon at the range. Especially with the SWAT team and/or the servicemen & women I've visited on USO tours. I've had people tell me that I live in a "celebrity/coastal/libtarded bubble" & have no clue what real people go through. That my outrage is just band wagon jumping. Guess what? My cousin's 9 year old was murdered in a mass shooting. In Arizona. No coastal bubble in sight to save her. So STOP. If you're more outraged that I'd say "f- you" to a President & GOP masquerading as leaders, than you are that they're pushing laws to make silencers readily available (because they're getting NRA $$) the same week of a mass shooting? Well then you & I have different priorities. And that's fine. But on my end? I'm angry that the NRA wants to sell more crap that we don't need so they can make money. I'm angry that they're claiming it's about ear protection. Newsflash it's not. That's what cans are for. I'm angry that money is valued more than human life in this country. I'd happily go through more rigorous background checks, wait longer to get a gun, or give my guns BACK, if it meant we could work toward stopping this madness. Saying it doesn't work that way just ISN'T real. Data doesn't lie. Every country that's enacted some form of gun control has ended massacres. And for the "dangerous criminals who don't abide by laws?" That's what our police & military are for. And they don't think any of us need auto/semi-auto weapons or silencers either. So the next time you tell one of your fellow Americans to die/get raped/leave the country because she doesn't like that leaders value kickbacks over children's lives? Look in a mirror. Long & hard." -IG

11. "Donald Embarrassment-to-us-all Trump called an American citizen exercising his right to free speech, who is peacefully protesting violence + racism, a "son of a bitch." Trump called a group of NAZIS chanting racial slurs who murdered an American citizen "very fine people." Let that sink in. I'm damn proud to count myself as a son of a bitch by those standards." -IG

12. "Dear Senators who are willing to kill 35 million Americans to offer tax cuts to the super rich and get kickbacks from corporations who stand to profit off of your constituents dying? Shame on you. Where do you all think you came from? Pregnant women. Who will NO LONGER BE COVERED IF GRAHAM CASSIDY PASSES. Us. THAT'S WHERE. Though given your current disregard for the lives of human beings you're sworn to serve, perhaps you all crawled from the bellies of beasts.

And to the Senators taking the GOP bribe of YOUR states keeping the Affordable Care Act while others are stripped of its coverage? (Yeah Murkowski, I'm looking at you. Hard.) Shame shame shame on you. The richest nation on EARTH should be better than this. Too bad all we seem to have is money. Nothing "caring" about this." -IG

13. "If your house is burning, so is mine. If your liberty is threatened, so is mine. Your fight is my fight. Our fight. We stand with you and we will fight to #DefendDACA.
Sincerely, Me + Americans who know what, and who, makes this country great." -IG

14. "I'm tremendously grateful to have friends who are disrupting the world for good, prioritizing quality culture, and shining lights on the incredible women in their workforce. Not to mention proving that doing good is also good for business."- IG

15. "Silence is violence. Silence is encouragement. So hit the streets. Make some noise. Be safe. Hug your neighbors and let them know you've got their backs. Love people by showing up for them. That's what we are here for." -IG

16. "You are not alone. Humans, we are in this together. All of us. Injustice thrust upon any group is injustice thrust upon us all. Defend the brothers and sisters in your communities. Step up for the marginalized. They will step up for you when this monstrous "leader" inevitably threatens your existence and attempts to take away your rights. It's coming. In the same way that he lied when he held a pride flag and stumbled through the LGBTQ acronym to say he would defend our fellow man, he will lie to your face and eviscerate you behind barely closed doors to prove that he won and he can do whatever he wants. We are here to tell him that we will not abide by his cruelty and betrayal. We have to stand united in the face of this." -IG

17. "I've watched so many people kick off #MentalHealthAwarenessMonth with astonishing and beautiful vulnerability. That takes so much courage. And it got me thinking about how each of them has shared that while they may look like they have it all figured out to people peering in from the outside, they don't. No one does. Remember that whatever you perceive -- or are just "certain" about -- when you look at another person is quite simply a projection of yourself. You literally have no idea what anyone is going through, or experiencing. So meet people with love rather than judgement. Meet them in ways that allow them to expand, rather than causing them to contract. Nothing else matters." -IG

18. "That's the kind of thing that makes my soul cry out in a way it only does when it comes face to face with deeply universal truths. The kind that encourage human tenderness. Yes. There is only your way. You will learn the hard way. You will make mistakes. You will have great love. You will experience tragic loss. People will give you advice and it will, sometimes, be taken but it will not save you from the good or the bad. You will live in your own way and you don't need to apologize for ANY of it. There is only your way. There is only your heart beating in your chest. Serve it first. Do so with kindness and consideration for the world around you, obviously. But dammit. Own your own way. Grip it in your first and hold it tight. Be true." -IG

19. "The Resistance is WORKING. Making noise works. Giving a s- works. Demanding that people be held accountable and treat others with some gd decency and respect WORKS. Keep it up y'all. Keep changing the game. And don't let them forget that we are watching. We both expect AND deserve better." -IG

20. "They say that it takes 100 positive thoughts to undo a negative. Our little human brains have evolved over time to keep us alive based on our fear responses, but in modern times these evolutionary traits have gotten out of whack. Harboring a deep and paralyzing fear that you are not enough, and thus hating yourself, isn't going to keep you alive the way that knowing you should fear a lion or a rattlesnake will.

Almost everyone I know struggles with the negative self-talk spiral. It's a silent killer of fun, creativity, self worth, romance ... the list goes on. So let's, for the next few minutes, start to beat it back to where it came from k? Great. Really sit, and be thoughtful. It might be scary. It might feel weirdly hard. Avoid the desire get snarky or to say, "I'll do this later." See what happens. Maybe it'll make you feel surprisingly free! You can keep them to yourself or share them if you like. But I'd love for each of you to change your day, even momentarily, by coming up with three things you like about yourself ... go for it." -IG

21. "#PrettyMighty is ... every woman out there using her inspiring brain and worthy voice to stand in defense of her community. They define strength. Commitment. Grace. Gumption. The willingness to head toward the fear. They are beautiful and bold. They have my utmost gratitude." -IG

22. "You deserve better. Examine the ways in which you deserve more, and also look at the ways that others deserve more from you. Make sure you're being shown up for, and make sure you're showing up to the best of your abilities. Life is a two way street. Own your successes and failures so that you can keep growing. You deserve to." -IG

23. "I still believe in us. I do. I think if anything this should motivate us. This should wake us up. We've clearly been complacent. We haven't sought out one another and had the tough conversations and really LISTENED to each other. People are hurting. You don't decide to risk throwing the whole country out the window to "change the system" if you aren't hurting. People who feel like they've lost everything today are hurting. Their rights as women, the LGBTQ, POC, environmental champions, union members, and the list goes on. People are terrified. So please... Instead of giving in to the fear and reacting with savage hearts, let's come together now. Have conversations with people who believe in different things than you do. And instead of needing to be right, try to hear them. Then ask for the same respect in return. Build bridges, not walls. Let's sew the broken pieces of ourselves back together again, and remake the fabric of America. We can." -IG


***I didn't intend for this to be so long, but then I couldn't stop choosing things and I couldn't kick any of these off my list!! So anyways, here's to you, Sophia Bush, for being a beacon of light in these dark, dark times. For reminding us to keep fighting, to stand up, to make noise, to care for each other and fight for each other. You are a goddess and a Feminist Icon. An incredibly smart, vibrant, kind, talented, beautiful, powerful human being with a soul of compassionate fire. Thank you for your words, your empowerment, your courage to scream from the hilltop and not care what the haters have to say. You are an inspiration, and you truly got me through this though time, and helped motivate me to continue to fight the good fight for social change. From the bottom of my heart, THANK YOU. 

Sincerely,
Ashley, aka: Brown Eyed Girl

#WCW Feminist Profile: Senator Elizabeth Warren

Senator Elizabeth Warren was born on June 22, 1949 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma to Pauline and Donald Herring. Before her political career, Senator Warren was in academia; she was a professor of law at University of Texas School of Law, University of Pennsylvania School of Law, and most recently at Harvard Law School. She specialized in bankruptcy law and commercial law and was considered one of the top minds, and one of most cited law professors, of the field in these areas.

Following the 2008 Financial Crisis, Senator Warren served as the chair for the Congressional Oversight Panel, which was created to oversee the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP). She was a renowned consumer protection advocate and forged the path for the establishment and implementation of the U.S. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau in 2011. She served as Assistant to the President and Special Adviser to the Secretary of Treasury for the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau under President Obama. 

In 2012 she ran for a spot in the Massachusetts Senate against republican incumbent Scott Brown and won, becoming the FIRST FEMALE elected to the U.S. Senate from Massachusetts. While campaigning for the Senate election, Sen. Warren replied to the charge that asking the rich to pay more taxes is "class warfare" by stating:

“There is nobody in this country who got rich on his own. Nobody. ... You moved your goods to market on the roads the rest of us paid for; you hired workers the rest of us paid to educate; you were safe in your factory because of police forces and fire forces that the rest of us paid for. You didn't have to worry that marauding bands would come and seize everything at your factory, and hire someone to protect against this, because of the work the rest of us did. Now look, you built a factory and it turned into something terrific, or a great idea. God bless. Keep a big hunk of it. But part of the underlying social contract is, you take a hunk of that and pay forward for the next kid who comes along”.

President Obama later echoed her speech during a 2012 election campaign speech. Sen. Warren was assigned a seat on the Senate Banking Committee, and immediately started to put on the pressure. At her first Committee hearing in 2013, she pressed banking regulators as to why they hadn’t taken any Wall Street bank to trial, citing that she was worried that big banks were being treated more leniently than others, which shouldn't happen. A video of her questioning the regulators went viral through social media. 

At another banking hearing in March of that year, Sen. Warren questioned Treasury Department officials as to why criminal charges for money laundering were not brought up against HSBC. She showed her adamant disapproval, stating that "If you're caught with an ounce of cocaine, the chances are good you're going to go to jail... But evidently, if you launder nearly a billion dollars for drug cartels and violate our international sanctions, your company pays a fine and you go home and sleep in your own bed at night." She later sent letters to the Justice Department, the Securities and Exchange Commission, and the Federal Reserve questioning their decisions to settle instead of go to trial. 

Senator Warren was appointed to be the first-ever Strategic Adviser of the Democratic Policy and Communications Committee, a position that was created just for her. In July 2015, she, amongst others (Sen. John McCain, Maria Cantwell, and Angus King) introduced the new Glass–Steagall Act, a revamped version of the Banking Act of 1933, which intended to reduce the risk for American taxpayers in the financial system and decrease the likelihood of future financial crises. She stated that “despite the progress we've made since 2008, the biggest banks continue to threaten our economy”.

In 2016, she was appointed a seat on the Senate Armed Services Committee, fueling [hopeful] rumors that she might be up for a bid in the 2020 Presidential Election. (I, for one, would be completely ECSTATIC is she ran. I’d probably even join her campaign!) 

Despite making considerable splashes along the way with her no-nonsense, no-free-tickets attitude towards big corporations and Wall Street, she made another [even bigger] splash when she gave rise to the current Feminist Battle Cry last year during a Senate session in the debate over Jeff Session’s nomination for Attorney General. Sen. Warren read a letter written by Coretta Scott King in 1986 to Sen. Strom Thurmond regarding Jeff Session’s Nomination as a Judge at that time. The letter stated:

“Civil rights leaders, including my husband [Dr. Martin Luther King] and Albert Turner, have fought long and hard to achieve free and unfettered access to the ballot box. Mr. SESSIONS has used the awesome power of his office to chill the free exercise of the vote by black citizens in the district he now seeks to serve as a federal judge. This simply cannot be allowed to happen. Mr. SESSIONS' conduct as U.S. Attorney, from his politically-motivated voting fraud prosecutions to his indifference toward criminal violations of civil rights laws, indicates that he lacks the temperament, fairness and judgment to be a federal judge.”

— Coretta Scott King

As Sen. Warren read the letter allowed, she was interrupted, talked over, and badgered by Presiding Senate Chair Steve Daines of Montana who reminded her of Senate Rule XIX which prohibits ascribing "to another senator or to other senators any conduct or motive unworthy or unbecoming a senator". 

“Senator Warren stated that she had only said that former Senator Kennedy had called Senator Sessions a disgrace, and she asked whether reading King's letter that had been admitted into the Senate Record in 1986 was a violation of Senate Rules. Presiding Senate Chair Daines again quoted Rule XIX. Senator Warren asked to continue reading Mrs. King's letter, and Presiding Senate Chair Daines allowed her to do so.

“While Senator Warren continued reading the letter, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky interrupted, saying, "The senator has impugned the motives and conduct of our colleague from Alabama, as warned by the chair." Senator Warren said she was "surprised that the words of Coretta Scott King are not suitable for debate in the United States Senate", and requested to continue. Senator Daines asked whether there was objection. Senator McConnell objected, and Senator Daines called for a vote saying, "The senator will take her seat", preventing Senator Warren from continuing. The Senate voted to sustain McConnell's objection along party lines, 49–43, silencing Warren for the duration of the Sessions confirmation hearings. Thirty hours remained in the hearings, and Democrats objected to Senator Warren's silencing. Senator Jeff Merkley of Oregon subsequently read the letter from Coretta Scott King without objection. Senator Cory Booker of New Jersey pointed out that the letter was already in the 1986 Congressional Record.”

On February 7, 2017, Republicans in the Senate voted that Sen. Warren had violated Senate Rule 19 during the debate, claiming that she impugned his character when she quoted statements made about Sessions by Coretta Scott King and Sen. Ted Kennedy. Following the Senate ruling to silence Senator Warren, Senator McConnell said on the Senate floor:

“Senator Warren was giving a lengthy speech. She had appeared to violate the rule. She was warned. She was given an explanation. Nevertheless, she persisted.” 

Nevertheless, she persisted.

Amy Wang, from the Washington Post, wrote “If the Republican senators had intended to minimize Warren's message, the decision backfired—severely. Her supporters immediately seized upon McConnell's line—giving Warren a far bigger megaphone than if they had simply let her continue speaking in what had been a mostly empty chamber, some pointed out.”
 

"Nevertheless, she persisted" was an instant battle cry for all nasty women in the resistance, to continue our fight for equality and justice and fair treatment. I think it rang so true to women because the scene of watching an incredibly brilliant, tried-and-true female leader, an expert in her field, be condescendingly shut down, interrupted and talked over, and berated by one of the many males in the room was all to familiar. And then again when she was voted to be silenced, a male colleague read the letter and finished it without continuous uproar that had been directed at her. How many of us have been in the same situation. We have been talked down to, mansplained to, talked over, silenced, belittled, ignored, after countless times of proving ourselves worthy of our (1/8 of a) seat at the table- a table which claims to be equal, inclusive, and gender-blind.

Senator Elizabeth Warren taught me that 'you can't win what you don't fight for'. How true that is, in every aspect of our lives, but especially as it pertains to social justice. When I graduated with my degree in psychology, I decorated my graduation cap with this very phrase, because it summed up my entire educational and life experience up to that point: NEVERTHELESS, SHE PERSISTED. May we all continue to persist and resist!  Sometimes the fight gets too hard, too dirty, too unfair, but we must press on. 

We cannot win what we do not fight for. 

Why We Need Male Feminists to Speak Up! #HeForShe & Emma Watson’s U.N. Speech

When I posted my Feminist Profile this week on Emma Watson, I had intended to follow it up with this article about her #HeForShe speech at the U.N. and our need for male feminists. The beginning of this week was a rather busy one for me at work, so I’m sad to admit I didn’t give Emma Watson’s Feminist Profile the attention and detail it deserved. Thankfully, I have another chance with this segment to add a little more to one of my favorite gals. So, without further adieu, let’s start out with her famous U.N. speech that started off the U.N.’s #HeForShe campaign. [While the entire speech is wonderful a worth the watch, I will only be highlighting certain parts of it here. But you can watch it here]

“How can we affect change in the world when only half of it is invited or feel welcome to participate in the conversation? Men—I would like to take this opportunity to extend your formal invitation. Gender equality is your issue too. Because to date, I’ve seen my father’s role as a parent being valued less by society despite my needing his presence as a child as much as my mother’s.

I’ve seen young men suffering from mental illness unable to ask for help for fear it would make them look less “macho”—in fact in the UK suicide is the biggest killer of men between 20-49 years of age; eclipsing road accidents, cancer and coronary heart disease. I’ve seen men made fragile and insecure by a distorted sense of what constitutes male success. Men don’t have the benefits of equality either.

We don’t often talk about men being imprisoned by gender stereotypes but I can see that they are and that when they are free, things will change for women as a natural consequence. If men don’t have to be aggressive in order to be accepted women won’t feel compelled to be submissive. If men don’t have to control, women won’t have to be controlled.

Both men and women should feel free to be sensitive. Both men and women should feel free to be strong… It is time that we all perceive gender on a spectrum not as two opposing sets of ideals. If we stop defining each other by what we are not and start defining ourselves by what we are—we can all be freer and this is what HeForShe is about. It’s about freedom.

I want men to take up this mantle. So their daughters, sisters and mothers can be free from prejudice but also so that their sons have permission to be vulnerable and human too—reclaim those parts of themselves they abandoned and in doing so be a more true and complete version of themselves.

You might be thinking who is this Harry Potter girl? And what is she doing up on stage at the UN. It’s a good question and trust me, I have been asking myself the same thing. I don’t know if I am qualified to be here. All I know is that I care about this problem. And I want to make it better.

And having seen what I’ve seen—and given the chance—I feel it is my duty to say something. English Statesman Edmund Burke said: “All that is needed for the forces of evil to triumph is for enough good men and women to do nothing.”

In my nervousness for this speech and in my moments of doubt I’ve told myself firmly—if not me, who, if not now, when. If you have similar doubts when opportunities are presented to you I hope those words might be helpful.

Because the reality is that if we do nothing it will take 75 years, or for me to be nearly a hundred before women can expect to be paid the same as men for the same work. 15.5 million girls will be married in the next 16 years as children. And at current rates it won’t be until 2086 before all rural African girls will be able to receive a secondary education.

If you believe in equality, you might be one of those inadvertent feminists I spoke of earlier. And for this I applaud you. We are struggling for a uniting word but the good news is we have a uniting movement. It is called HeForShe. I am inviting you to step forward, to be seen to speak up, to be the "he" for "she". And to ask yourself if not me, who? If not now, when?”

Emma gave this speech with great courage and bravery; I encourage you to watch the whole thing (its 12 minutes long, so totally doable on your next break!). I think she brings up some amazing points; IN ORDER FOR WOMEN’S EQUALITY TO SUCCEED, MEN HAVE TO GET ON BOARD TOO. That is a fact. The Women’s Movement cannot succeed in their fight if men do not fight with them. It takes all of us working together.

Some people don’t think men should be called 'feminists', that they can be 'feminist allies' but not a ‘feminist’. I do not agree with this concept. I think "Feminist" has to be a genderless term; if you believe in, and advocate for, the social, economic, personal, and political equality for all people, no matter their gender, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, or able-bodiedness, then YOU ARE A FEMINIST. It’s that simple. By definition, feminism is the advocacy of women's rights on the basis of the equality of the sexes. Feminism is a range of political and social movements and ideologies, which, as it’s matured into current intersectional feminism, takes on all of these roles, because women are not just women, they are complex and multi-faceted people, and thereby experience complex and multi-faceted issues. A woman does not just experience prejudice as a woman, but perhaps prejudice for her race or ethnicity, her sexual orientation, her religion, her weight, her looks, her disability, or any combination of the above. The same goes for all people. We are not just our sex organs. We are whole beings, and thereby face a myriad of situations and experiences and have diverse perspectives.

It is my belief that in order for true societal, political, and legal change to occur, both men and women have to want and fight for equality of the sexes. WE NEED MALE FEMINISTS TOO. WE NEED THEM STAND UP AND BE COUNTED.

There are many men that are already doing this. They don’t hog the spotlight or try to speak for women’s experiences, rather they show up in support, at the voting polls, at the marches, in conference rooms, on social media, etc. They use their platform, whoever and wherever they may be, to support women and turn the mic over to them. They acknowledge the  ingrained privilege they have as men, which in almost all societies and cultures,  affords them 'special advantages not enjoyed by everyone'. (The definition I'm using for privilege in this context means "a benefit enjoyed by an individual or group beyond what's available to others.")

I thought I’d celebrate the men who are already doing that with a little highlight of some of my favorite celebrity male feminists, who use their privilege and their platform to speak up about Feminism and Women's Rights issues. 

Mark Ruffalo (My FAVORITE ((and delightfully outspoken!)) male Feminist)
 

“It becomes kind of a moral issue about who you are and how you view the women in your life,” the Avengers star, an outspoken feminist, said in January 2014 via a promotional video for The Center of Reproductive Rights. “There’s a common sense and a wisdom and a decency in women that needs to be upheld and doesn’t warrant being pushed back 30 years into the whole nightmare that brought about the abortion rights movement that we’ve fought for and created laws around … As a man, I see no wisdom in going backwards.” 

“I am a man. I could say this has nothing to do with me. Except I have two daughters and I have a mother.” 

[In response to people rejecting Feminism] “You’re insulting every woman who was forcibly restrained in a jail cell with a feeding tube down her throat for your right to vote, less than 100 years ago...You’re degrading every woman who has accessed a rape crisis center, which wouldn’t exist without the feminist movement.”

Joseph Gordon Levitt

“What that means to me is that you don’t let your gender define who you are — you can be who you want to be, whether you’re a man, a woman, a boy, a girl, whatever. However you want to define yourself, you can do that and should be able to do that, and no category ever really describes a person because every person is unique.” 

“That, to me, is what feminism means. So yes, I’d absolutely call myself a feminist. If you look at history, women are an oppressed category of people. There’s a long, long history of women suffering abuse, injustice and not having the same opportunities as men, and I think that’s been very detrimental to the human race as a whole. I’m a believer that if everyone has a fair chance to be what they want to be and do what they want to do, it’s better for everyone. It benefits society as a whole.” 

Will Smith

“[Jade and I] let Willow cut her hair. When you have a little girl, it’s like how can you teach her that you’re in control of her body? If I teach her that I’m in charge whether or not she can touch her hair, she’s going to replace with me some other man when she goes out in the world. She can’t cut my hair but that’s her hair. She has got to have command of her body. So when she goes out into the world, she’s going out with a command that is hers. She is used to making those decisions herself. We try to keep giving them those decisions until they can hold the full weight of their lives.” 

Chris Hemsworth

“Oh yeah, for sure [I’m a feminist]. My mum’s a big feminist. I think that my views on things, as far as my respect for women and so on, came from my mum. My dad has a very balanced and respectful view on a lot of things too. They were huge positive influences in my life. I think the balance has been tupped for a long time heavily in men’s direction.” 

He also said that Charlize Theron should be the next James Bond. "She’s smart as hell. She’s physically able. Ya know watching her in those fight scenes, doing it in high heels by the way and 8-foot long gown [in ‘Snow White and the Huntsman’], was even more impressive. And I just think why not? It’s time.”

Seth Myers

“When you work with the sort of really strong women that I work with, the idea that anyone would want to make decisions for them is hard to wrap your head around.” 

John Legend

“All men should be feminists. If men care about women’s rights, the world will be a better place. We are better off when women are empowered — it leads to a better society,” said Legend before performing with Global Citizen partner CHIME FOR CHANGE at their concert in 2013.

John Hamm
Despite having played Don Draper on Mad Men, John Hamm is actually a proclaimed feminist, and former teacher. At a benefit for the Rape Treatment Center in Los Angeles, he specifically emphasized the importance of educating boys and men on the impact of gender-based violence. “It is an important thing to instill in a younger generation about the impact of rape, the lasting impact of rape. Children from grade school to high school to college are incredibly susceptible and incredibly malleable, as we all know. To get them early, to teach them about the facts and figures and other realities of rape is key. It is an important issue to me as not only a man, but as an educator, as a human being and as a person on this planet."

Farhan Akhtar

“...You are growing to be a confident, independent and conscious young woman. You’ve spoken to me about the movies our industry makes, about how women are sometimes portrayed as ‘objects’ and I’ve always tried to answer your questions. It gives me great pleasure to speak with you about women and gender issues.

Tom Hardy

It wasn’t long before memes of “feminist Tom Hardy” began to circulate the internet after Hardy proudly stated that it’s about time the lead role in an action film like “Mad Max” went to a woman. And he’s all for more of these roles. “It would be interesting to take crime genre and replace men’s parts and have women play them, and not even question it. Just let it go,” said Hardy.

Jason Sudeikis

Jason Sudeikis has always considered himself a feminist — even before the birth of his daughter, Daisy. “I think [feminism] is a sign of masculine evolution on my part. And I’m going to wave that flag freely and as high as I can hold it."

#WCW Feminist Profile: Emma Watson

Emma Watson is most known as the wickedly smart, always-saving-the-day Hermione Granger from the Harry Potter franchise or as Belle from the new live-action Disney film Beauty and the Beast. Though I absolutely love her in these roles, I love her even more outside her characters (which can’t always be said for actors who play amazing characters). Emma Watson in a Bad A Feminist, and has been working to change the world by using her platform to promote gender equality and raise awareness to current issues important to the Feminist Movement.

Emma was born in Paris, France. Her parents were both English lawyers, but after their divorce when she was young, she moved to England and lived primarily with her mom. J.K. Rowling was a fan of Emma’s from her first screen test audition for Hermione Granger in 1999, and she was (obviously) cast as the role along with the other two of the fabulous three. And the rest is HERstory. 

Emma started to dismantle the patriarchy the same way Hermione dealt with Draco’s immaturity; with a swift punch to the nose. 

After Harry Potter finished filming, she attended Brown University, where she graduated with her Bachelor’s Degree in English Literature. Amongst her other movie roles, Emma has worked as a model (heading up Burberry’s 2009 fall/winter line, and 2010 spring/summer line), a certified yoga instructor, and as a creative advisor for fashion branch People Tree, a fair-trade apparel company. But perhaps her most groundbreaking and impactful work started when she was named as a United Nation’s Goodwill Ambassador. 

In this new role, Emma helped the U.N. launch their 2014 “HeForShe” campaign, by giving a speech at the U.N. Headquarters in New York City. This inspiring speech set a ripple affect into the universe. The “HeForShe” campaign, which calls for men to advocate for gender equality, made a huge splash in Feminism, but caught unsightly attention from misogynistic A Holes; 12 hours after giving her speech, Emma started receiving threats. However, she didn’t let the threats bring her down or affect her work. Emma stated that if they were trying to put her off women's rights work, it had the opposite effect. 

She continued 2014 with her first U.N. trip to Uruguay, where she gave a speech about female participation in politics. In 2015, she gave another speech at the World Economic Forum’s annual conference, and at 25 years old, made Time 100’s list of the World’s Most Influential People, at #26, which cited her work for women’s rights and her call for male participation in the feminist movement as a "gutsy, smart take on feminism”. 

 
In January 2016, Emma started the online feminist book club Our Shared Shelf (located on Good Reads), which I couldn’t wait to enjoy! It created a community of both celebrity and non-celebrity women reading amazing feminist literature and talking about it via the online forum…what more could you want?! 

Emma has positively shaped my outlook on life in so many ways. She is a bright, shining example of how to stand up for what you believe in and fight against injustices. She is incredibly smart, nice, humble, brave, devoted, and passionate about making the world a better place, and she sparks courage in me to continue the good fight.