Super Tuesday Procrastination

It's 11pm on the eve of Super Tuesday and I'm trying to study up and figure out what to vote for. Well if anyone's being real strict, technically I'm writing this blog post and further putting off making my decisions for tomorrow.

Occasionally I'll wait until the last minute to decide about one or two obscure measures, but I've never had it quite this bad. I'm no news junkie, but I get some at work, skim a few newspapers daily, and listen to a lot of NPR.

I relate to a lot of what Rebecca Traister writes in Undecided '08: Should I vote for Clinton or Obama?

I'm undecided at a moment -- one I thought might never transpire in my lifetime -- in which I will have the opportunity to pull a lever for a woman or an African-American. I am undecided while many around me whoop it up, volunteer, yell and cry at rallies, and feel the thrill of political certainty that I cannot share.

From what I can tell Obama and Clinton's stances on the issues are ridiculously close, so that hasn't really helped.

And I'm really trying not to let the identity politics influence my decision. From the much debated Gloria Steinem NY Times piece to NY NOW's scathing press release to e-mails from local feminist groups telling me to "Go vote for Hillary Clinton tomorrow," I'm tired of the feminist=must be for Clinton equation. But I also don't want my rebellion from that equation to be the deciding factor in my vote.

Metacentricies says it well:

This election isn’t about either gender or race. It is a historic occasion that the Democratic party will nominate someone who will be the first in history. That is significant enough. NY NOW’s stance (National NOW has been conciliatory) is divisive, at a time that divisiveness is destructive. We are in deep, deep shit as a country, and we need to find a way out of it. If you think Clinton is best (and not just because she has a vagina) then great. And if you think Obama is best (not just because he has dark skin) that’s great too. Do we need to add identity politics to an already challenging time?

Well, I guess I'll sleep on it.

But first a very appropriate cartoon (thanks feministing!):

nataliedee.com

Happy 35th Anniversary Roe v. Wade!

Lots of great stuff going on today to celebrate the 35th anniversary of the Supreme Court decision to legalize abortion.

Check out all the bloggers taking part in NARAL's Blog for Choice Day.

Also take a look at Planned Parenthood's Wall of Protest where you can "express your outrage over the Federal Abortion Ban." Beware it loads pretty slow. But I guess that means lots of people have contributed images, so slow is a good thing. The one thing I don't really understand is the images of people's pets up there. I mean I've never asked my cat if she's pro-choice, but maybe I should get on that!

I know there's a lot of talk about how Roe v. Wade is being eroded and reproductive choice is in jeopardy, but I've never felt like young people were really behind that. I mean we've grown up our whole lives with Roe v. Wade. I try not to pay too much attention to polls, but I was kind of freaked out to read that teens and young adults seem less pro-choice than older generations.

I read this today in the LA Times:

Looking specifically at teens, a Gallup survey in 2003 found that 72% called abortion morally wrong, and 32% believed it should be illegal in all circumstances. Among adults surveyed that year, only 17% backed a total ban.

The article talks about antiabortion clubs and summer camps for middle and high school students. Really? Antiabortion summer camp?! I had no idea.

Well we better keep fighting. Here's to many more choice filled years!

Giving Thanks (and not giving thanks)

So I spent yesterday with my mom, grandma, aunt, and cousin. There were moments when they drove me crazy of course, but overall I felt so lucky to be surrounded by such strong, awesome women and one smart, spunky eleven-year-old. This Thanksgiving I'm thankful for all the wonderful people in my life, but especially the amazing, brave girls and women I know.

Hopefully you'll have a chance during the holiday to think about all the awesome girls in your life. And keep in mind that Sticker Sisters has dozens of smart, spunky stickers, t-shirts, and gifts with celebratory, encouraging messages for girls of all ages. And you don't have to wrestle the crowds at the mall to get the goodies!

Okay, well just to round out this little mushy love fest, here are a couple things I won't be giving thanks for this year.

1) Turkeys that look like headless women's bodies (in a bikini no less!) waiting to be carved up. Misogyny on a plate. Ugh just what this holiday needed.

2) The upcoming Spice Girls reunion tour. Really? Oh please please don't say they're back.

But seriously--what are you thankful for and not thankful for today?

More Spooky Stereotypes

So it's old news that Halloween costumes for women and girls keep getting "sexier" and more stereotypical. Not to mention all the racist "ethnic" costumes. And then there's the "sexy," "ethnic" costumes. Those really take the cake.

But apparently there's a new fad for men and boys. Move over scary costumes, this year "muscle" costumes are all the rage. From "Mini Muscle Man Infant" to "Macho Biker Man Adult" costumes, there's no scarcity of stereotypes for guys either.


Tolerance.org has a list of questions to help identify stereotypes in costumes:

WEARING A FUNNY COSTUME?
Ask yourself: Is the humor based on "making fun" of real people, real human traits or cultures?

Though intended to be funny, last season’s "Mental Patient" costume by Disguise was considered demeaning, dehumanizing, and humiliating to individuals struggling with a mental illness and their families. Complete with a "Hannibal" type mask and a straightjacket, the costume reinforced stereotypes and fears about persons with mental illness.


WEARING A SCARY COSTUME?
Ask yourself: Is the "fear factor" based on real forms of violence or grotesque depictions of human traits?

"This scary stud can empty out a full house just by walking through the door," touts the tag line for Fright Catalog’s "Vato Loco" mask. The bandana clad, tattooed, brown-skinned vinyl creation makes light of gang violence, which takes a serious toll on families and neighborhoods across the country. The costume also sends the message that Latinos are violent.


WEARING A HISTORICAL COSTUME?
Ask yourself: If the costume is meant to be historical, does it further misinformation or historical and cultural inaccuracies?

The "Indian" get-up prevails each year as culture-turned-costume. But did you know few Native Americans wore buckskin and headbands and even fewer wore them together? Did you know "war paint" and feathers carry religious meaning and were never worn by Native American children?


WEARING A "BEAUTIFUL" COSTUME?
Ask yourself: If the costume is meant to be beautiful, are these characteristics drawn from commercial references, such as movie characters?

Too often, beautiful at Halloween means white, blonde, princess masks. What statement does your Halloween costume make about what constitutes beauty -- and about who is beautiful and who isn't?


WEARING A "CULTURAL" COSTUME?
Ask yourself: Does the costume reduce cultural differences to jokes?

People like Leigha Baugham, a former communications student at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, believe when it comes to picking Halloween costumes, we should "keep our hands out of the melting pot."

There are a zillion great things to dress up as that don't promote stereotypes. My favorite costumes have been a tube of toothpaste, a jellyfish, a gecko, a teabag, and a picnic. What great costumes have you worn or seen?

Love Your Body Day Recap

Hollywood NOW's Love Your Body Day celebration was really cool. I can't believe I forgot to bring a camera though! If anyone has pictures, I'd love to post some.

I think the highlight of the event for me was getting to see Joy Nash perform her "Fat Rant" live.

If you haven't seen her video yet, check it out...


What did you do for Love Your Body Day?

P.S. Everyday should be Love Your Body Day. So what did you do today?

10 Ways to Celebrate Your Body Sticker Sisters Style

October 18, 2007 is the National Organization for Women Foundation’s tenth annual Love Your Body Day.

To celebrate, all orders $35 or more ship free this week. Enter the code “loveyourbody” when you checkout. But hurry and get your gear because the free shipping expires 10/22/07.

10 Ways to Celebrate Love Your Body Day:
(adapted from the NOW Foundation's suggestion list with a little Sticker Sisters twist)

1. Go to a Love Your Body Day event or create your own. Sticker Sisters will be taking part in Hollywood NOW’s event.

Hollywood NOW presents
LOVE YOUR BODY DAY!
Sunday, October 21st, 2007
12-4pm
Plummer Park – Fiesta Hall
1200 N. Vista Street
West Hollywood, CA

2. Get some blank t-shirts and decorate them with body positive messages. Or proclaim Action Not Glamour or Girls Rock with a Sticker Sisters tee.

3. Don’t buy products from companies that use negative images of women in their ads. Send them letters letting them know how you feel about their ads.

4. Get a group together and go paste This Insults Women, This insults Girls and This Insults Everyone stickers on everything you find offensive.

5. Listen to positive music that makes you feel good about yourself and your body. Try India.Arie’s “Video,” Northern State’s “Girl For All Seasons ,”and Salt-N-Pepa’s “Ain’t Nothin’ But A She Thing” to get you started.

6. Write down some things you like about yourself. Write yourself a poem or a love letter. If you’re having trouble getting started, our Up Words Girls magnetic poetry kit will inspire your creative juices.

7. Get moving for fun not to fit into a smaller size. Spice up your running shoes with some Girl Power or Action Not Glamour shoelaces and take a long walk, do some bedroom dancing, shoot some hoops, whatever!

8. Throw an indulgence party where everyone wears whatever is most comfortable, eats whatever they want, talks openly, and guilt is left at the door. Pick up some Sticker Sisters party favors for your guests.

9. Don’t talk about your weight or weigh yourself (especially in front of young girls).

10. Spread the word about Love Your Body Day to your family and friends. The NOW Foundation even has some e-cards you can send.

Itty Bitty Titty Committee Movie

Hey, some Sticker Sisters stickers might be coming to the big screen in a town near you!

Our This Insults Women, Action Not Glamour, Defend Yourself, Hello My Name Isn’t Cutie or Honey, It’s…, and A Feminist Was Here stickers decorate the walls in Jamie Babbit’s new movie about a group of feminist activists. These photos from the set are like a treasure hunt for Sticker Sisters stickers. See how many you can count!

The Oct/Nov edition of Bust magazine has a review of the Itty Bitty Titty Committee. And they had this to say: "don't be surprised if you find yourself pasting up 'Riots, Not Diets' and 'This Insults Women' stickers all over your cubicle at work the next day."

Stock up on This Insults Women and A Feminist Was Here stickers so you’ll be ready when the mood strikes you.

I haven’t seen the movie yet, but Feminist Review has a good write-up:

Jamie Babbitt’s directorial follow-up to But I’m a Cheerleader was the dark drama The Quiet, starring Elisha Cuthbert as a popular teen that has a secret sexual relationship with her father. There isn’t much happiness or comic relief in the film, making it a stark contrast to her hit indie, quirky comedy about a camp for ex-lesbians (starring Natasha Leonne and Clea Duvall). Lucky for her lesbian following, Babbitt’s new film, Itty Bitty Titty Committee is almost as gay and hilarious — almost.

From the beginning of the film, viewers are trying to figure out Anna (Melonie Diaz), the protagonist. She’s out to her family, who takes no issue with her sexuality, and spends most of their time doting on her older sister, who is getting married. Anna is quiet and dresses for comfort in jeans, long-sleeved T-shirts and hoodies. She works as a receptionist at a plastic surgery office, uninspired, until she catches Sadie (Nicole Vicius) tagging her office with “A Woman is More than Her Parts” late one night. A Joey Lauren Adams look-and-sound-alike, Vicius is certainly a heartbreaker, but her character is emotionally unavailable, as Anna will come to find out the hard way. Sadie (strangely and without much discourse) invites Anna to a meeting of feminist minds, a group called Clits in Action (C.I.A.) and Anna, with nothing to do on her social calendar, accepts.

The C.I.A. is a tamer version of the Guerilla Girls, an activism-meets-feminist-art gaggle, despite their efforts to make change being distorted or ignored, that is unofficially led by Shuli (Carly Pope), who is a walking encyclopedia of feminist facts and theory to back up any comment or idea in question.

Read the rest of the review.

And watch a preview of the movie:

“Chaste but Chic?” Gimme a break.

Have you been hearing about this so-called “modesty movement?” Of course I’m all for providing alternatives to Bratz style clothes (have you seen the latest Sticker Sisters t-shirts?), but this “modesty movement” makes me gag.

They’re trying to push a "chaste but chic" dress code on girls. Not surprising that this movement is connected to faith-based organizations and abstinence only advocates. But perhaps the scariest part is that the mother of the modesty movement, Wendy Shalit, is still trying to blame sexual harassment and rape on women’s "lack of modesty." And here I thought we were past that ridiculous idea that a women is "asking for it" if she wears a short skirt. Ugh.

Ann Ream (founder of Voices and Faces Project) says it well in the LA Times:

"Scratch the surface [of the modesty movement], and what's supposed to be good for girls reveals itself to be all about the boys: dressing in a way that doesn't over-excite them, demurring so that their manhood remains intact and holding tight to our sexuality until we find a husband who is worthy of that ultimate 'prize.'"

More
LA Times: "The false modesty movement"
Talk of the Nation: "Modern Girls and the Modesty Movement"

Middle School Flashback (but in a good way)

This summer has been one middle school flashback after another. But luckily they’ve all been good! I met Hillary Carlip who wrote the book Girl Power and I saw Team Dresch perform. Reading material and music that helped me survive middle school.

But the coolest flashback has been getting a copy of Belle magazine. The magazine was started by Kelcie Angstadt when she was 13 years old (she’s now 15). It totally made me think of how I wanted to write a zine when I was 13, but didn’t feel ready to put my opinions out there with my writing. I ended up starting Sticker Sisters instead, which helped me find my voice in a different way. But I love seeing girls express themselves through writing.

The July/August issue of Belle has an article about how to "Be Green" and a quiz asking, "Do you care what other people think?" The title of the quiz might not sound that different from mainstream teen magazines, but the advice at the end sure is! It celebrates individualism and offers suggestions for getting away from today's "fashion-obsessed" society.

In an article on "The Great Debate about Weight," Kelcie writes:

"We are all different sizes, and I hope that I live long enough to see an era where women can be proud of that fact, not hide from it. If we accept that we are different, it will dissolve those thoughts in the back of our mind, like 'She's so much prettier than I am' or 'I wish I looked that good in a bikini.' Why focus on thoughts like that when they only bring you down. It doesn’t help anyone, and especially not you. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and if you train yourself to refocus that eye, you’ll see that you are beautiful, size zero or not."

Powerful words. Keep an eye on Belle—in a few years it just might give Bitch and Bust a run for their money!

Girls & Writing
WriteGirl
New Moon Magazine
Teen Voices

NOW Conference 2007 Report

It's taken me some time to recover and catch up from the NOW conference in Michigan. My mom and grandma came to help me at the booth. We're spread across the country so it was great to make a mini family reunion out of the conference.

I met cool feminists of all ages and had a great time. But I have to say that I was a little disappointed with the workshops I went to this year.

One was on "Sex, stereotypes, and beauty." They pointed out a lot of unbelievable stuff out there for little kids and adult women. Like did you know that Disney is now making princess wedding dresses for brides? They also showed a onesie (pink of course) that has a personal ad on it that says "Adorable future model seeks attractive boy with wealthy father. Call me: 123-CUTE." Jeez the baby's barely born and already she's having beauty expectations placed on her ("future model") and being told to find a man.

So in this workshop they spent pretty much the whole time pointing out examples like these. A few examples were good to get everyone into it and riled up. But that would have been plenty. It didn't seem like they were prepared to speak to a group of feminists who are already pretty aware of the problem. They only started to answer the question "So, what do we do?" in the last five minutes. And that was a very brief, standard "write letters to companies, get involved with things like love your body day, be a mentor" spiel. Where's the mention of the Allegheny County Girls as Grantmakers who organized a girlcott against Abercrombie & Fitch's offensive t-shirts? How about all the ways About-Face suggests taking action? How about some This Insults Women stickers?

I don't mean to rag on this one workshop, because this seemed to be a problem in several sessions--they would leave the making change part until the end and then run out of time. Even in a session called "Vision. Action Justice. Your Campaign for Change," some of the presenters started going off on tangents and they never even got to creating the "concrete plans" that the workshop description promised.

Those workshops are over, but I want to get the discussion going. What concrete actions have you done or thought of doing to make change?

Feminism, Abortion, Stickers

Those topics have all just collided in my mailbox. I got an order and on the front of the envelope is a sticker that says, “Women Do Regret Abortion.” Then on the back there’s another sticker that says, “As a Former Fetus I Oppose Abortion.”

I’d be angry seeing these stickers anywhere. But I’m extra troubled because they’re on an order for “This Insults Women” and “A feminist was here” stickers. There are countless uses for “This Insults Women” stickers, but anti-choice messages like those are something I’d use mine on.

This has all gotten me thinking about who calls themselves feminists, who doesn’t, what feminism means, and how reproductive rights fit in.

At the NOW conference last year I went to a workshop called “I’m Not a Feminist but…” There was a great discussion on why young people with feminist ideals are hesitant or resistant to identify as "feminist." Some see feminism as a movement made up of white women with class privilege. Others prefer Alice Walker’s term “womanist.”

W O M A N I S T
“A black feminist or feminist of color. From the black folk expression of mothers to female children, 'You acting womanish,' i.e., like a woman. Usually referring to outrageous, audacious, courageous or willful behavior. Wanting to know more and in greater depth than is considered 'good' for one. Interested in grown-up doings. Acting grown up. Being grown up."

“Womanist is to feminist as purple to lavender."

-Alice Walker
In Search of our Mother’s Gardens: Womanist ProseAnd then there are still those images of feminists (man-hating, bra-burning, hairy, militant, lesbian, the list goes on and on) that some people don’t want to be associated with. It’s funny, but I’ve identified as a feminist for as long as I can remember and for a little while I secretly hoped I wouldn’t be queer because I didn’t want to satisfy people’s assumptions about feminists. I thought it would be so revolutionary to be a straight feminist. Um yeah, glad I didn’t spend too much time working on that campaign. Don’t get me wrong, there are plenty of straight feminists that I admire. But I don’t find anything revolutionary about it. And the bigger lesson for me was that I was letting these stereotypes control me by trying so hard to be the opposite of them. Better to be a happy queer feminist and try to destroy the whole system of stereotypes.

Okay, but back to the whole anti-abortion feminist thing. I’m not one for wanting to exclude people or say someone isn’t really a feminist. But I don’t get people who call themselves feminists and are anti-choice, or anti-gay, or conservative. I don’t get it-- wow that was eloquent. Well bell hooks explains the conflict between feminism and anti-choice better than I can: “If feminism is a movement to end sexist oppression, and depriving females of reproductive rights is a form of sexist oppression, then one cannot be anti-choice and a feminist. A woman can insist she would never choose to have an abortion while affirming her support of the right of women to choose and still be an advocate of feminist politics. She cannot be anti-abortion and an advocate of feminism.”

What do you think?

make/shift magazine

On Ariel’s Nightstand:
Make/shift
Feminisms in Motion

Make/shift is a brand new magazine on contemporary feminist culture and activism. The first issue has a “Dear Nomy [Lamm]” column and articles about feminist resistance to war, Ugly Betty, hunger-striking hotel workers, and lots more.
Check it out!

Q&A

These are some questions I answered for a “Sociology of the Women’s Movement” class. They were doing presentations on alternative cultural productions that have risen out of the women’s movement.

1) What age group are your products geared towards?

I always say I've got stuff for girls of all ages. A lot of my stuff is geared towards young girls (elementary school age), but some things like the "This Insults" stickers are geared towards teenage girls and adults. Sometimes it's difficult to pinpoint the exact age groups though. I made the "Brave girl-aids" for little girls, but I use them and so do many of my friends (I'm 24). And I have a customer in her 50s who's a quilter and constantly nicking her fingers. She buys the "Brave girl-aids" in bulk and is practically always wearing one. So this question is tough!

2) Do you think that youth today are more aware and supportive of feminist
goals? If yes, do you think this is an important step for feminism?

It's hard to generalize young people as a whole. I think people are more aware of the term feminism these days, but don't necessarily know about the goals/movements behind the word. I'd like to think that most people are supportive of the idea that men and women should be equal. But equality is a vague, safe idea. And I see it as only one small part of feminism. I like bell hooks' definition that "feminism is a movement to end sexism, sexist exploitation, and oppression." But I don't think that notion is all that popular with youth (or people in general) today.

3) Your products both advocate feminism and are sources for creating feminist activism. Do you see your products more as a tool for advocacy or for activism, or perhaps both?

I definitely see my products as advocating feminism as well as being tools for feminist activism. I think these excerpts from a piece I wrote for the book "We Don't Need Another Wave" give examples of both:

A lot of the time it’s hard to speak up. But you can still say "action not glamour" or "my body is mine" with a well-placed sticker until you work up the courage to yell it in the streets.

Magnets and stickers give big sisters, aunts, and mentors tools to help girls speak up and be strong. One young woman used one of my "A Feminist Was Here" stickers to bring up feminism with her teenage sister. The stickers broke the ice, and led to a long discussion about body image and being a feminist.

There’s a long tradition in political movements of using stickers and buttons to make opinions known and start discussions. Stickers aren’t going to change the world on their own, but when girls feel strong and connected with each other, they’ll make improvements and demand respect.

New Book: We Don’t Need Another Wave

I’m so excited! A chapter I wrote about Sticker Sisters called "Sticking it to the Powers that Be" was just published in a new anthology.

The book is…
We Don't Need Another Wave: Dispatches from the Next Generation of Feminists

Edited by Melody Berger. Seal Press.

Here’s what people are saying about the book:

“In this exciting collection of essays, a whole new crop of talented and fiercly political writers make the case that while each new ‘wave’ of feminists (suffragists, women’s liberationists, riot grrls, etc.) may pass like so many political or cultural trends, as long as there’s a need for revolution, *feminism* is here to stay.”
—Jennifer Baumgardner and Amy Richards, co-authors of Manifesta: Young Women, Feminism and the Future


At the book party with other LA contributors.

“We Don't Need Another Wave self-confidently flips the bird to those folks who might protest, as they so often do, that feminism isn’t relevant in the lives of young women. The voices collected here are simultaneously outraged, snarky, hopeful, and lusty—and each one proving that political idealism lives on, as long as you know where to look.”
—Andi Zeisler, co-founder, Bitch: Feminist Response to Pop Culture

“Melody Berger has assembled a raucous rebuke to anyone who thinks that feminism is a thing of the past. This collection demonstrates that it is very much a part of our future.”
—Rebecca Traister, Salon.com

“Only one f-word (besides fat) has the power to strike confusion in the hearts of women and panic in the minds of men: feminism. Just when we need it most, here’s a collection of compelling viewpoints from fearless young feminists writing with equal parts passion, concern, opinion, analysis, and humor. Berger is right: We don’t need another wave when this one is just beginning to roll.”
—Wendy Shanker, author of The Fat Girl’s Guide to Life

“These stories are a testament to the fact that there are still many battles to fight; and that today’s women are not comfortable with being almost equal. We Don’t Need Another Wave gives women a shot of inspiration and the knowledge that sisterhood is still powerful. Indeed, we don’t need another wave; we just need to win every war.”
—Dyann C. Logwood, Founding Publisher of HUES Magazine, Activist, and Educator

“We Don't Need Another Wave reanimates feminist pride, encourages unity, and fosters a momentous rallying cry. For those of us invested in words, but bursting toward action, Berger’s collection of myriad and strident voices authenticates radical feminism as a movement-in-motion.”
—Pamela Means, singer-songwriter

Overheard and Seen at the NOW Conference

Here are a few pictures and stories from the NOW Conference...


One woman told me a story about trying to get her two-year-old daughter to eat her bread instead of just licking the butter off of it. The little girl responded, “My body, my choice.” All the woman could do was laugh and say, “You’re right.” Guess the little girl had been paying attention during those pro-choice rallies!

Another woman told a story about doing some activism at a Borders bookstore. She had gotten in trouble for stickering offensive magazines so she wrote messages on post-it notes and put those on sexist ads and articles. Since post-it notes are removable, she figured it wasn’t really vandalism. But the store could still have kicked her out for doing it. The employees discovered what she was up to and a female employee approached her. But all the employee did was give her a wink wink “warning.”

Spotted wearing brand new Sticker Sisters shirts!

Greetings from the NOW conference in Albany NY

I'm writing from the Sticker Sisters booth at the NOW conference. Hooray for wireless internet! We're having a blast here. So many cool people have come by and we've been able to get to a couple great workshops. And we unveiled the brand new Sticker Sisters t-shirts. They're hot off the press (no joke--I just got some of them a few days ago and more are being printed as I write this). Everyone's been snapping them up here! Don't worry--they'll be available online in a couple weeks.

Since there are so many women here they converted the men's bathroom into a women's bathroom. There's something kind of fun about changing your tampon in the men's bathroom. And we couldn't resist adding a Visit Our Power Room sticker to the sign!

Okay, I've gotta turn my attention back to the table. But I'll write more later!

On Our Own: Women’s History Month 2006

Betty Friedan at the March for Women's Lives.

Photo by my mom.

I tend to be bad at remembering holidays and history months. But this year Women’s History Month seems different. For the first time we’re celebrating Betty Friedan, Rosa Parks, and Coretta Scott King without them being here.

When I was learning about these feminist icons in school, it was always so cool that they were still alive. I’d look at old b&w photos and read stories of what they did in the “olden days,” but know that they were still around. It helped me connect with the times they lived in and the work they did. Knowing that they were still around just made the past seem a little closer.

Don’t get me wrong, I look up to historical feminist icons that have passed away too. Ida B. Wells has been an idol since elementary school. It started when we had to pick a historical figure to write a report on. I picked Ida B. Wells off the list because my oldest sister’s name is Ida. So, naturally, anyone that shared her name must be cool. Then when I found out she was an activist for racial justice and a suffragist—I was in love!

But still, there’s something special about learning about someone’s amazing work and then finding out she’s still alive. How do you think it’ll be different for kids who are learning about these women in the future?

I talked with my Grandmother about how Betty Friedan’s The Feminine Mystique impacted her when she read it as a young mother in the 1950s. How did the women in your family view feminist leaders of their times?

What current activists do you think will become feminist icons in the future?