Will Anything We Do Matter?
CNN
February is Black History Month. This year, more than ever, we need to celebrate the immeasurable contributions of African Americans in every aspect of life: science and academia; the arts; business; cuisine; politics; sports; and media. And we need to continually acknowledge that our country was literally built on the backs of the ancestors of today’s Black Americans. That history needs to find the light in our schools and homes.
Dear Leading Ladies,
We find ourselves almost speechless as we watch the news and hear the heartless response of our president to the deaths of children on an airplane; to the deportation of immigrants; to the dismantling of programs meant to combat centuries of inequality; and to the dissolution of international alliances that protect our worldwide community.
The well-known words of the German pastor Martin Newmoller come to mind with renewed urgency. In his early years, Newmoller supported Nazism but later expressed his sense of guilt and responsibility. He wrote,
First they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out—because I was not a socialist. Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out—because I was not a trade unionist. Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out—because I was not a Jew. Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me.
For so many of us, the question remains: how do we keep from being complicit? How can we effectively fight against racist, homophobic, antisemitic policies when they are government sanctioned? Against regressive environmental policies that promise to “drill, baby, drill” and discourage clean energy and electric transportation? What can we do when underserved children stop receiving free lunches and preschool and their parents no longer have rent subsidies?
We definitely don’t have answers that are totally satisfying. Some people say to concentrate on the midterms in two years, convinced that the current administration will lose favor with enough of the electorate to ensure a turnover in the House and Senate. If the recent past is any indication, we don't think we can bet on that, though it’s worth putting time and money in that pot if you’ve got it.
Our plan is to focus on the people and needs right in our backyards. What can we do to help a few children or families with food, education, housing, clothing, and opportunity? We encourage everyone to look for places where their dollars and energies can best fill such needs. Think about the babysitters, landscapers, caregivers, and house cleaners with whom you interact regularly. They may need help, both financial and legal, navigating the new scary immigration climate. And connect with local food pantries, literacy programs for children and adults, shelters for families, immigration law centers, any places that depend on federal funds that may soon disappear.
Leading Ladies will continue to present events that educate the public about issues that affect women and families. We will sponsor programs such as our Art as Activism poster contest for high school students. We will write to our legislators and show up at the State House to lobby for measures we believe in. And we will speak out, in small conversations and in larger venues, calling out all the “isms” where we see them.
But we will also look at individuals, agencies and programs that are victims of cutbacks, and we will encourage our supporters to support them. We can neither be silent nor idle.
We may be horrified, but we can not give up.
Therese (she/her/hers)
Judy (she/her/hers)
Didi (she/her/hers)
Leading Ladies Executive Team