Persistance

"never the less she persisted'. This is a phrase that characterized our recent history. Women have historically gotten the short end of the stick as far as opportunity in our country and around the world. As the youngest child in a family with four older sisters I was raised to appreciate women and value them as equals - and my father did not treat them any different, insisting that we all go to college. But not all families were as equality minded as mine. Many were down right hostile and we have struggled as a society to accept, let alone promote the advancement of women.

That is why it was especially heartening to see the scene at the recent Presidential joint address to Congress where for the first time in history two women were seated behind the president  - Nancy Pelosi, Speaker of the House, and Kamala Harris, Vice President. There are many more women elected to Congress as well as Governors and Cabinet Secretaries. Still there is room for more and the wage gap is still there.  

Women have led the way in recent protest against inequality - starting with the Women's March of January 2017. They have led in the Black Lives Matter movement, just as they were very active in the civil rights movement and anti-war marches of the 1960's. The originator of the "persisted" quote meant it as a complaint, but it is an example to follow. When opposition is strong, persistence and resistance is needed even more and if anything good came out of the last 4 years it was the persistent resistance to inequality.

My advice to my latest nieces to graduate high school was "never let anyone tell you what you can or cannot do, just because you are a women". It is my advice to all women out there. Learn the stories and follow the lead of historical women out there  - from Sojourney Truth and Harriet Tubman of the 1800's to Susan B Anthony and Alice Paul of the 1900's, to the Elena Kagan, Sonya Sotomayor, and Stacey Abrams of this century. Study their lives, say their names, aspire to persist as they did.

Resistance is not futile.