Feeds:
Posts
Comments

Posts Tagged ‘election 2020’

When you are introduced for the first time, the greeting is not ‘Pleased to meet you.’ The greeting is ‘I see you.’ I see you as a complete human being. At this moment in time, it is so critically important in our country for all people to be seen in their full selves, in a way that gives them the dignity they deserve.

Kamala Harris, US Senator and Vice President Elect.

Senator Harris will be the first woman and the first woman of color to hold the office of Vice President. (What a fitting way to mark the 100th anniversary of women’s right to vote.)

In this quote from an interview with Elle magazine (November, 2020) Harris was speaking about how African cultures greet each other when meeting for the first time. (The message here, “I see you” is perhaps something to keep in mind as we move forward.)

During the presidential campaign I watched with interest the style choices of both Biden and Harris.

The well-tailored suits and aviator sunglasses on Biden hit just the right balance between youthful and presidential.

Harris’ pantsuits are a practical choice for the campaign trail and Harris looks good in them. She sported simple black pumps when appropriate but she stepped off airplanes in Converse sneakers. This is a sporty and confident choice and I really like the unexpected pairing of spry sneakers with the modest pantsuit. And then there are the pearls! Harris likes her pearls, both single and double strand. Feminine and ladylike, pearls have been her go-to jewelry choice for her entire career.

Sneakers on the bottom, pearls at the top – now that’s a modern woman’s mashup!

Congratulations to President Elect Joe Biden and Vice President Elect Kamala Harris. Hooray for you! Hooray for America!

Read Full Post »

Illustration by Nina Allender (1873-1957), American suffragist and political cartoonist.

Many suffragists spend more money on clothes than they can afford, rather than run the risk of being considered outré, and doing harm to the cause.

Sylvia Pankhurst (1882-1960) – British suffragist.

In the early twentieth century, British suffragists chose to forgo pushing against contemporary fashion with practical masculine looks that were targeted in the press. Instead, they embraced the current trends and presented a fashionable feminine image. It made the movement less odd, more attractive and it soon became fashionable to identify with Votes for Women.

In 1908, Emily Pethick-Lawrence came up with a fashion branding idea – three colors for suffragists to wear to show their allegiance to the movement: purple for loyalty, white for purity, and green for hope. Tricolor ribbons were used on hats, belts, and badges.

American suffragists, following the lead of their British sisters, also branded the movement with three colors, but they switched out green for gold to honor the sunflower used in the 1867 Kansas referendum campaign. They wore white dresses to stand out in a crowd against men’s dark suits.

VOTEVOTEVOTE VOTEVOTEVOTEVOTEVOTEVOTEVOTE

Read Full Post »

Voting is so much bigger than one election, one party, or one candidate. It’s great to feel inspired by candidates and the visions they put forth, but it is by no means a prerequisite to casting a ballot. Because at the end of the day, someone is going to be making the decisions about how much money your school gets and how tax money is distributed. Voting gives you a say in those matters.

Michelle Obama, former First Lady.

If you haven’t voted already, one week to go. Tuesday, November 3, 2020.

Read Full Post »

One election year when I was in college, I got a bee in my bonnet about the importance of voting; I knew that college students tended not to vote. So, I wrote a letter to the editor of my university newspaper.

I kept it brief and said something like – We should all get out and vote. Particularly women, because we owe it to the many women before us who fought hard for the right.

When I arrived at work that election morning (I worked in a health food restaurant) one of my female co-workers approached me and said: “Moya, I wasn’t going to bother to vote but I read your letter to the editor and it inspired me.”

I was pleased to know that my small effort made even a slight difference.

California Suffragists.

This year marks the 100th anniversary of the ratification of the 19th Amendment, which guaranteed women in the United States the right to vote. Even with that, not all women were welcomed at the polls; minority women suffered intimidation and voter suppression, something that continues today.

Since I was old enough to vote, I have never missed an election and this election in particular I am thinking of the thousands of women across America who, for decades, worked tirelessly for the right to vote. Not only did they work, they suffered and sacrificed as well. It would feel all wrong to take my right to vote for granted.

Ladies, don’t be left out! Have your say!

VOTE. VOTE. VOTE. VOTE. VOTE. VOTE. VOTE.

Read Full Post »