More Than A Magazine, A Movement
“The most powerful and trusted messenger you have in reaching your community is you.”
“Half this country is female, and half is composed of people of color. Until those exclusions are gone, we are not living in a true democracy.”
“Keep it moving. That’s the only way.”
“Anyone can lead, especially on the issues that they care about.”
Some thoughts to keep us going.
I first interviewed Anita Hill over 10 years ago for my book What Will It Take to Make a Woman President?: Conversations About Women, Leadership and Power, where we discussed the various factors involved in why the U.S. had not yet elected a woman president and what could be done to move us closer to this milestone, as well as pave the way for more women leaders.
Now, as the U.S. is poised to possibly elect Kamala Harris as not only its first woman president but its first Black and South Asian woman president, I wanted to talk to Hill again to get her insights on this potentially history-making moment.
From calling attention to the endless labor performed by women in the home, to being the first magazine to put the first female speaker on its cover, Ms. covers allowed the magazine to make a statement on newsstands—and bring feminist conversations into the mainstream.
In honor of Women’s History Month, here are our picks of 10 of the magazine’s most impactful covers.
Since the news broke about Pat Schroeder’s death on March 14, there have been thousands of tributes, obituaries, tweets and social media postings in her honor. They described her as a maverick, pioneer, feminist champion, trailblazer, fearlessly independent politician, and an icon and role model for many elected officials, men and women. We agree—but for the feminist movement, Pat Schroeder was much more. On March 22, 2023, the House of Representatives will honor Schroeder with a moment of silence. In honor of this one minute—60 seconds—of silence, we’ve compiled 60 stories from people who knew and admired Pat Schroeder.
“Pat was best known for being a fierce advocate for women. And many young women asked her for advice. She told them to make sure women were in rooms where decisions were being made. And if they were not, to kick the door down and hold the door open for those behind them.”
As Ms. turns 50, we are looking back at the life and legacy of some of the groundbreaking Black feminists who have been featured on the magazine’s covers and in its pages over the years—from Anita Hill, to Pauli Murray, to Zora Neale Hurston, to Coretta Scott King.
From the Jan/Feb 1992 issue:
“The response to my Senate Judiciary Committee testimony has been at once heartwarming and heart-wrenching. In learning that I am not alone in experiencing harassment, I am also learning that there are far too many women who have experienced a range of inexcusable and illegal activities—from sexist jokes to sexual assault—on the job.”
For female-identifying whistleblowers like Frances Haugen, Anita Hill and Christine Blasey Ford, pulling back the curtain does not always change the script of the play.
“For too long in Hollywood, there have been ‘open secrets’ about the harassment perpetrated on workers by powerful people who are able to successfully evade accountability for their actions,” said Anita Hill, chair of The Hollywood Commission for Eliminating Harassment and Advancing Equality. “With this survey, we have identified the most vulnerable workers in Hollywood and the resources and systems that will provide support and a safety net for them. Our expectation is that these tools will be the foundation to build a new era of transparency and accountability for all workers in the entertainment industry.”
The Survivors’ Agenda aims to create a platform that “drives policy change and systems to build a world that is free of violence.” In engaging in virtual town halls, kitchen table conversations, and online surveys, survivors will connect across gender, race and nationality.
The Survivors’ Agenda is hosting a virtual Survivors Summit from September 24-26 in order for survivors to connect, find healing and work towards creating change.
Weekend Reading for Women’s Representation is a compilation of stories about women’s representation.
This week: celebrating Women’s Equality Day; trail-blazing women like Anita Hill and Megan Rapinoe look ahead 100 years; a lookback at the the Women’s Strike for Equality on August 26, 1970; What will it take for a woman to become president of the United States?; women’s voting rights around the world; the need for gender balanced cabinets; the exclusion of women from history (Sally Roesch Wagner notes, “History is not what happened. History is who tells the story.”); and more.