The one, the only, the Gloria
This semester, I have written many blogs about my ideal feminists: Zooey Deschanel, Lilly Pulitzer, Beyonce, etc. However, the world wouldn’t have these empowering women if it weren’t for one who led the way, and this one woman is without a doubt my hero and role model: Gloria Steinem.
Steinem has been a leader in the feminist movement since the 1960s. When she first got started in journalism, she went undercover in a Playboy Club to see how the bunnies were treated. I pray every day my journalism career takes a turn like hers did. She went on to be an outspoken advocate for women across the globe, eventually co-founding the popular feminist magazine, Ms. Magazine.
Miraculously, I got to see my hero in the flesh Tuesday at Voices of Social Change: Gloria Steinem in Hoff Theater. Not only did I get to see her, but as she was leaving, she stood right in front of me and I’m pretty sure we touched. Life changing moment, right?
As I listened to Steinem speak, I realized that she wasn’t just a leader in the feminist movement anymore, but a leader and activist for all groups of oppression such as LGBT, minorities, people with disabilities and mental health issue, etc.
“There’s no such thing as being feminist and not anti-racist,” Steinem said. “They are inherently intertwined.”
Steinem spoke about how she believes she was born a feminist but it took her saying “ it’s not fair” and “you’re not the boss of me” for it to take full effect.
Steinem and others started the women’s movement when there were very few women who had already led by example. Don’t think that you’re just one person who can’t do anything. I’m quite certain there are others who feel the same way and as we know, the power of community brings great things. I bet our parents never would have thought a woman would be able to be a CEO or start her own business.
The most important piece of advice Steinem gave was that we should have the mindset of “I’m not more important than you, but I’m also not less important.”
Spot on, Gloria, spot on. But it’s true! Imagine how better people’s attitudes towards each other would be and how much social change would happen. Her remarkable words inspired me to do something about injustices in the world and on this campus — I hope they’ve inspired you, too.
Are you angry about the plus-minus system because it messes up your GPA? You should write a letter to the administration about why the old grading system should be reinstalled. If it’s not fair there aren’t stricter gun policies, then go rally in D.C. If it’s not fair that people die from cancer, go out and fundraise so that we can finally find a cure.
Without a doubt, hearing Steinem speak will definitely be one of the most memorable moments in my college experience. To make the world a better place, we should always have the mindset, “It’s Gloria Steinem time.”
