#section02rocks

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Race, Gender and the 2016 Election

I recently attended the Center for Women and Politics’ talk on Race, Gender and the 2016 Election by Senior Political Reporter, Nia Malika Henderson. Coupled with the mentors’ plenary, these discussions really got me thinking about how identity is shaping the current presidential election. One of my professors started the The Center for Women and Politics, the first research center of its kind over 40 years ago and the center has been doing amazing work ever since. Lat month I saw Justice Sonia Sotomayor and this month Henderson spoke to a large audience candidly about her thoughts on how each candidate was affected by stereotypes, primarily about gender. For instance, Hilary Clinton is often ridiculed as hawkish or manipulative simply because of gender stereotypes. One of the things that really struck me was when someone commented that us college students didn’t understand how revolutionary a female president is. That was true of myself, I realized I always assumed we would have a woman president, it never felt out of reach, so I never thought about its importance. Whereas Trump always accuses Clinton of playing the “woman card” he plays the much more valued “man card” constantly, just one example of how strongly gender is affecting our election. 

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Plenary: Podcasting and Women

When Caitlin Kenney came to speak about her career in storytelling and her success at Gimlet she talked about the trials and triumphs that led her to where she is today. She didn’t focus specifically on being a woman, which is interesting because in her industry it may not have held her back much, or she might not have been very aware of its effects. Storytelling is historically feminine although most people on the radio are men, I’ve even heard a lot of people say they have preferences for male voices. One thing she did discuss however was her tendency to underestimate herself, for the imposter syndrome feeling that she didn’t know what she was doing and conversely her ability to surpass people’s expectations and excel in her job. She told risks, challenged her mindset and critically analyzed her reporting which was really inspiring to see.

Although Caitlin worked at Gimlet, this site and podcasts are very interesting feminist commentaries on current issues- check it out! https://bitchmedia.org 

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Outside Event “Take Back the Night”

Going to this event was very inspiring. This event is a international event that focus on addressing the violence and harassment women face in public and private settings. I was a little reluctant to attend this event but my friend motivated me to go anyway, and I am glad I went. I enjoyed the event because it tied into one of our class topics that we discussed about catcalling and women being harassed on the street. Basically this event clarify exactly what we discussed in class. Once again, I am glad that I attended this event.  

[drcknowledgeandpower]

Mentor Plenary

Ah, microaggressions. You could say that this topic has been one of my most frequently visited this semester. This plenary was especially well suited for me because we are reading Claudia Rankine’s “Citizen” in another course I am taking, but I digress.

I loved the mock debate! It gave so many students who might have been unaware of the political views of real candidates a look into what they might be getting themselves into. Many people don’t have time to look up facts or watch debates when they have 85 assignments due so they just go by word of mouth and decide who they think the best candidate might be based on that. I’m hoping that we at least all fell the same about Ronald Clump...

Also, allowing students to speak up about the microaggressions they face was a great platform for people to understand themselves and the struggles of others. Too many times people go around saying insensitive things and not knowing that they are actually offending someone’s identity, I know personally all too well how that feels and I am glad that I have learned to call people out, even family members, on it.

Thank you, mentors! You all did an amazing job and your confidence shined through while you were all on stage! Special thanks to section 02′s mentor, Herling! Hopefully we’ve all had a great semester! <3

[drcknowledgeandpower]

Panel on Women, Sex, Gender and Religion

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/03/08/women-religious-leaders_n_4922118.html

I loved hearing Dr. Traci West, Dr. Sandy Russell Jones, Rabbi Esther Reed share their opinions on being female religious leaders. They were all really strong women in the community and had very different experiences in their roles in their respective religions. It’s interesting because they seemed to agree on most things and to enjoy working together when so often that isn’t the story the media paints for us. I recently found the link above featuring other powerful female religious leaders. Feel free to check it out!

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The Final Plenary

I think the last plenary may have been my favorite, because it brought everyone together. While the mentors may have been acting out the roles of the candidates for the presidential election, we were also able to hear how words can affect our peers. Listening to the microaggressions others were facing proves that this world has a lot of work to do. Too many of my peers are constantly hearing things about their gender, race, background, etc. However, I liked how we were also able to hear how our peers faced the criticism. There is nothing better than listening to how someone twisted negativity, to a positive experience for them. 

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Plenary: Mentors the Election, Microagressions and More

When the mentors asked their first question, there was a moment of hesitation before dozen’s women jumped up to share their stories and thoughts. I loved hearing everyone’s experiences, different perspectives and ideas about how we should try and change (or not change) our microagression filled world. However, I found myself at one point getting kind of tired, I had dozen’s of experiences to share and so did everyone else in the room. It was exhausting to think about how many stories of being told we shouldn’t try to be so smart or not to dress to provocatively we could share. That tiredness is just a little window into what really happens when you are repeatedly told you can’t or you shouldn’t. Yet more so than tired, I was really inspired by what my fellow students thought, by their resilience, their humor, their drive to change things. I want to thank all the mentors who put this event together. Yes, it can be draining to hear presidential candidates repeatedly make microagressions towards women, but we need to and we can enjoy talking about it, to fighting it and to hearing each other’s stories. 

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Plenary: Mentors’ Takeover

This plenary was very enjoyable for me because, not only was it very comedic, but is also allowed us students to interact with the actors and each other throughout the session. The way in which the mentors portrayed the current political candidates proved to be a great integration of how the issues that we have learned about in class correlate with the issues occurring in the real world. 

One important part of this plenary for me was the way in which the mentors handled the term ‘micro-aggression’. As women of different races and sexual identities, it was very interesting to hear everyone’s response on the different micro-aggressions that they hear and see regarding their lives on a daily basis. Furthermore, it forced us girls to tell stories that added a very unique feature to this plenary. 

Also, I loved the way that the mentors asked the audience questions rather than the audience posing the questions towards the speakers. The diverse responses for the girls in the audience made me more openminded towards to various struggles that us women go through and also taught me how to be more aware of what things can happen to women. 

i thoroughly enjoyed this plenary. I can say that we definitely ended the semester with a bang!