Every March, we celebrate women by recognizing their importance and contributions to society. In these closing days of this year’s Women’s History Month, I turn my focus not so much on the historical women figures (though their contributions are invaluable) but on those — Black women in particular — whose hands are not just rocking the cradle but ruling the world in the seat of government. For this opinion, I am talking about women leaders like Kamala Harris, the first female Vice President, the highest-ranking female official in U.S. history, and the first African American and first Asian American. Currently in New York Governor Kathy Hochul is celebrated as the first female governor of this State. We are also privileged to have influential women leaders like the New York State Attorney General, Letitia James, the first African American woman elected to that position. In the Senate, Andrea Stewarts-Cousins is doing a masterful job in her history-making position as President Pro Tempore and Majority Leader. Also of note is that there are more women in the NYS Legislature than ever in its history. Locally, at the city government level, the New York City Council comprises a majority of women and is led by Adrianne Adams, the first African American speaker on this body.
However, while it’s necessary to celebrate these women and their achievements, we need to also view their rise in leadership as much more than a marker in the sands of history. Their presence on the local, state, and national stage must be upheld for the importance it brings to our way of life and our world at such a time as this.
Because here’s the thing: juxtaposed to the many historic firsts of women currently in high offices is the sober reality of issues like gender pay equity and domestic violence. It has been said that the COVID-19 pandemic not only fueled a health and economic crisis but a caregiving crisis that magnified the challenges that women and girls – especially those of color– have long faced. I assert that with so many women rising to leadership positions, we have a unique opportunity to right some of the wrongs of the past, especially in these areas.
A White House report on a National Strategy for Gender Equity and Equality conducted during the pandemic spotlighted what it called a “shadow pandemic” of gender-based violence in the United States and around the world. As an example, in the area of domestic violence, 4.6 million intimate partner-related physical assaults are perpetrated against women every year. The Centers for Disease Control estimates that the cost of domestic violence – which includes medical care, mental health services, and lost productivity – runs over $8.3 billion. Moreover, the gender pay gap – the difference between the earnings of men and women – has barely closed in the United States in the past two decades. In 2022, American women typically earned 82 cents for every dollar earned by men. That is about the same as in 2002 when they earned 80 cents to the dollar.
However, beyond the static words in a report or the poetic musings of a hand rocking the cradle, many more evidence-based facts support the argument that these women in power are critical to affecting change. And that is their track record of service and life experiences. In every instance, these women have attended public school, lived in public houses or urban centers, been public defenders, have family members who were incarcerated or launched domestic violence initiatives, among other social justice issues. In other words, their power and influence come from much more than just being a woman. They have lived lives that support their innate “motherhood,” thus having the sensibility and sensitivity to be the preeminent force for change. As such, each and every one of them has earned their seat at the table.
It was Shirley Chisholm, celebrated as the first Black Congresswoman and Presidential Candidate, who advised her contemporaries: “If they don’t give you a seat at the table, bring a folding chair.” Thankfully, in death, Chisholm’s voice has been amplified. With what Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. called the “fierce urgency of now,” women have packed up their folded chairs and are rightfully taking their seats at the table. It is more than past the hour when we must not only advance women into leadership; we must now level the playing field to the point where their presence in positions of power is no longer “the first.”
Coretta Scott King, as the wife and soulmate of Dr. King, was a preeminent example of “rocking the cradle while ruling the world.” During her lifetime, she encouraged women’s leadership this way: “Women, if the soul of the nation is to be saved, I believe you must become its soul.”
Indeed, women leaders in government have emerged as the soul of this nation, and so it is urgent that we do not fall asleep in protecting all their rights. In the remaining days of Women’s History Month, I urge you, as we celebrate our past and present women history makers, let’s take it a little bit further this year and honor the women who personally inspire us every day, including our mothers, nieces, sisters, and neighbors. Honor each woman who provides an essential and loving role model for our next generation of outstanding women, even if their seat is at the kitchen table.
