From The Homefront, Vol. 12

May 27, 2020

Dear Leading Ladies,

What thoughts disturb your peace of mind most during these lingering days of the pandemic? For most of us, our first concerns are for the health and welfare of our family and loved ones. We yearn to visit and hug children and grandchildren, parents and grandparents we haven’t seen in months. We all struggle to make our own decisions about how carefully we will wash our groceries and wipe off our car handles; how often or if we will enter grocery stores and whether or not we will attend places of worship. 

Then, when we get through all those layers of personal concern, if we have any energy left, we turn to thinking about the larger picture. What we find is that the pandemic highlights so many societal issues that deserve our attention - and relate to the mission of Leading Ladies. For example,

• City figures indicate that a frightening 20 percent of Boston students are not signing in to any online academic platforms and, therefore, not engaged in distance learning. There are several reasons: lack of wireless access; no computer; no quiet space to work; difficulty using the programs or getting help with assignments. Problems abound throughout the state and the country. The education gap can’t get any larger; solutions need to be found. 

We hope you will join us this Thursday, May 28, at 7:30 p.m. for our Zoom discussion group about the inequalities in public education. Please watch the TEDx Talk entitled “The Opportunity Gap in US Public Education - and How to Close It” (only seven minutes long) and read the article  “The Shift to Online Learning Could Worsen Educational Inequality” before we meet. 

We encourage you to contact your state and federal senators and representatives to voice your support for actions regarding this important matter. Write Senator Elizabeth Warren and Senator Ed Markey. 

On another subject, we invite you to watch “How the Pandemic Put a Spotlight on Healthcare,” available for viewing on the We Are America the Beautiful website and Facebook page after 9 p.m. on Monday, June 1 and thereafter. The speaker is Dr. Jonathan Woodson, leader of the Boston University Institute for Health System Innovation and Policy. 

Stay safe and healthy,

Therese

Judy

Kim

Mary

Leading Ladies Executive Team
LeadingLadiesVote.org