MY TURN-Continuing with my series in honor of Women’s History Month I want share two events I attended last Saturday. Both were well attended, both paid tribute to women of accomplishment and differed from each other like night and day.
Yet they both spoke to me in a way that was both impactful and hopeful. I came of age in the MAD MEN aftermath. Yes, I wore gloves to work and even a hat when I went on business trips to New York or San Francisco. I would show up at events and they would ask me when “my boss “Mr. Denyse” would be arriving. I guess they thought “he” had a strange spelling of his name.
There were many times when I was the only woman in a room with 500 men and the speaker would apologize that he couldn’t entertain the audience with off-color jokes because there was a lady in the room. I put up with sexual innuendos, propositions, not so discreet invitations and more. It was the occupational hazard of doing business in a man’s world. I developed some terrific lines to diffuse the conversation but didn’t complain because in the 60’s this was normal.
Was I a feminist? Was I a “women’s libber”? Yes … but mostly silently. I do remember wearing an ERA pin (Equal Rights Amendment for you youngsters) to one of my industry conferences and the executive committee -all men of course- told me I had to remove it. I didn’t.
The only women’s group I was active in was “Women in Business”-I had a family and a business to run and felt I was doing my part by hiring qualified women for important positions. Instead of shouting about equality … we’d show that we were as good if not better than our male competitors and colleagues.
After my first article appeared in CityWatch (for Women’s History Month) I started receiving invitations to events honoring women. There was one from Martha Weelock, Educator and Film Maker, and Co-Chair of an event called National Women’s History Project (NWHP). She had read my article and thought I might be interested in attending their 35th anniversary honoring the “Lives of Extraordinary Women” taking place at The Autry National Center in Griffith Park.
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Thirty-five years and I had never heard of them.
The National Women’s History Project started as a grass roots effort because a group of women educators, historians, community and organization members were incensed that women's accomplishments had been given short shrift in history books and there was no central clearing house for referrals for information related to multi-cultural women’s history. Even with the advent of Facebook and Google it continues to be a primary source and has become a national institution.
Executive Director and Co-Founder Molly Murphy McGregor, stated in the program that “Our goal of promoting, celebrating and recognizing women's achievements, remains unchanged.
“The stories of women's lives and the choices they made, encourage girls and young women to think in larger and bolder terms about their own futures and give boys and men a fuller understanding of the female experience. Knowing women's achievements, challenges, stereotypes and social assumptions, about who women are and how they can transcend traditions and prejudices to embrace whatever goals they choose to set.”
Each year Congress passes a resolution and recognizes the contributions made by women. It reads in part:
WHEREAS American women of every race, class and ethnic background served as early leaders in the forefront of every major progressive social change movements, not only to secure their own right of suffrage and equal opportunity, but also in the abolitionist movement, the emancipation movement, the industrial labor union movement and the modern civil rights movement; and whereas despite these contributions, The role of American women in history has been consistently overlooked and undervalued in the body of American history.
It calls for the President to issue a proclamation calling upon the people of the United States to observe a month with appropriate ceremonies and activities.
The NWHP Board of Directors, Donors, and past honorees read like a “Who’s Who” of Women of various accomplishments. You can get a better idea by going to their website: www.nwhp.org. There was no shortage of advanced degrees, Peabody’s, Emmy’s, etc., in the audience. The nine honorees included the representative ethnicities of this country. Attending the ceremony was former Honoree and LA Council Member Joy Picus, (photo above) and Activist and Valley Village Neighborhood Council Board member Ginny Hatfield.
The list of “partners” in this project were women’s groups of every description. One of the ongoing projects is to have a “female” face on a $20 bill. Did you know that there are no women’s likenesses on any of our monetary denominations? Move over Andrew Jackson!
After the ceremony there was a wine and dessert reception. As an aside the Autry Museum is well worth a visit. In keeping with the theme, there was a display of women who helped build the West.
From there … I attended Assembly Member Patty Lopez’s “Women of Power” celebration dinner in the City of San Fernando. From academia to grass roots activists…both groups keeping their heritage alive; promoting life issues; and paying tribute to women who have forged a place in their communities and in the history books of this country. (Photo left: BONC Commissioner Lydia Grant and ASM Patty Lopez.)
The filled to capacity audience were mostly women and all ages. The article I wrote last week about Patty Lopez received tremendous response and I was curious to see her in action. It was truly a celebration. There is something about an Hispanic party that is very special. It is full of warmth and public displays of affection … in a good way! The food was a feast of Latin specialties and the audience loved being there.
The Assembly member and the other women on the program delivered bi-lingual messages that were greeted with loud applause. ASM Lopez must have presented more than 25 certificates and pointed out the achievement of each recipient. Among the recipients was Board of Neighborhood Commissioners (BONC) Lydia Grant who is very much a part of her North Valley district.
Lopez also used the occasion to hand out literature in both Spanish and English about contacting various government agencies and the workings of the State Assembly, as well as self addressed cards for individuals seeking an appointment with her.
It was an inspirational day and was an example of the wonderful contributions that women have made and continue to make for the betterment of their communities; to continue to inspire young women to reach their goals; and to not so gently remind our men that women are their partners in every facet of life.
As always comments welcome.
(Denyse Selesnick is a featured CityWatch columnist. She is a former Publisher/journalist/international event organizer. Denyse can be reached at: [email protected])
-cw
CityWatch
Vol 13 Issue 27
Pub: Mar 31, 2015
