WOMEN IN POLITICS
Why The Best Way to Protect Black Women is to Center Their Voices
No one can be a better advocate for women
If they don't give you a seat at the table, bring a folding chair," Shirley Chisholm, the first Black woman elected to Congress in 1968, wisely suggested. She realized that if you want your voice to be heard and have an impact, you must ensure you're represented in leadership. Even if a table is explicitly set to exclude you, you can adapt by pulling up a seat. That is the only way your perspectives will be reflected in decisions that impact your community. Some, of course, disagree that women should have such a voice. Take, for instance, former president Donald Trump, who claimed at a Wisconsin campaign rally, "Whether the women like it or not, I'm going to protect them." Such a statement overlooks the most obvious way to protect women — elevating and centering their voices.
"Whether the women like it or not" is not the beginning of a consensual statement. On the contrary, the phrase implies that what women say doesn't matter. It declares their voices inconsequential. This would be a misstep, no matter who said it. However, Trump is claiming to know what's best for women while leading a political movement that successfully reduced women's rights throughout the country — that's nasty…
