Gloria Steinem is an icon of the movement for equality.
She galvanizes women toward the effort to save ourselves,
but her reach takes in the peoples of the planet. Her awareness
of the effect of centuries of put-downs on minorities and women
has to help bring the world together in mutual understanding
and respect.
Further, she understands that being the dominating,
tyrannical force over every other element of society wreaks
terrible damage upon the dominator. Keeping your balance with
one foot on someone's neck is no picnic.
A chance for their relief came to Salisbury State
University on March 14: Gloria Steinem spoke.
I just assumed that Holloway Hall would be so crowded
that I wouldn't have a chance to get in. I reckoned without a
kind, generous and feminist Kelley Rouse. She had two tickets
to the reception and offered to share. "YES!" I said.
Like many women my age, I relate to Gloria Steinem
from 'way back.
I still have the New York magazine issue of MS and
almost every one since then. I subscribe to the ad-less
publication, and still enjoy it although it plays a lot of
old songs.
The prospect of getting Gloria Steinem's autograph
was a special thrill for me. I had not seen her in person
since interviewing her at the founding conference of the
Coalition of Labor Union Women in Chicago in the early
1970s. That tape was supposed to go in my "collection"
along with Margaret Mead, Gwendolyn Brooks and Dorothy
Height. Sadly, it was invaded by the first CLUW president,
Olga Madar, in the nearby meeting hall proving that she
did not need a microphone.
I barely got my story out of the tape, but I never
forgot the experience. I remember a number of things Gloria
Steinem told me. She saw that the blue-collar man was a
strong believer in equal pay for his wife/partner. He
understood and appreciated that her skills should be
valued, Ms. Steinem said. The family needed her earnings.
Kelley and I arrived early at the hall, and a good
thing. We were among the first to be led down the aisle,
and the seats soon filled behind us. Then Carruthers
and its satellite TV screens filled beyond capacity. The
Daily Times' estimate was at least 1,000 people.
There were some men, but the gathering was mostly
women, spread over the age ranges, talking until the
lights went down, happy as Dr. Carolyn Stegman introduced
the speaker and silent as Gloria Steinem began to speak.
As Dr. Stegman said to the waiting throng, "When
Gloria Steinem set foot on the Eastern Shore, a statement
had been made!" a roar went up.
The speaker took the podium amid welcoming shouts,
handclapping -- a wave of energy. Gloria Steinem said that,
in effect, she was not necessary. "You have all the creativity,
energy needed right here."
This was modest. We did not have it in any cohesion
until we saw her in the spotlight.
So, we were a thousand. But for each woman present there
were others who did not attend because "...my husband wouldn't
like it..." or because they had heard about and believed in
"...that feminazi..."
The event was in part a celebration of the new
Women's Studies/Gender Studies minor at Salisbury State,
and in another portion a rejoicing in Women's History Month.
Gloria Steinem called the special history added to
what we have had in class all these years, "...remedial history..."
for women and minorities. Today, she said, we may be
"...looking at the world as if everyone mattered, for a change."
The magic of this remedial history is finding out that
we are not alone, she said, adding that there is a saying
about this: "...the truth will set you free, but first it
will piss you off!"
She mentioned a number of women and minority notables
we don't hear about in our history classes, including the
women-in-space issue of MS magazine years ago. A group of
women pilots actually got permission to go through the tests
for the space program and made the men look so bad that
the male authorities finally made them stop. They yanked
Jerry Cobb out of the isolation tank and told the women
all bets were off. Jerry had outlasted the males by such
a margin that they looked ridiculous.
This topic resonates with me because of my
great-great-great-great grandmother, Caty Greene
(wife of General Nathanael). She invented the cotton gin,
but women were not allowed to register patents in the
1700s, so the credit in our history books goes to old
whatsisname, a family friend who was good in shop.
Discrimination is an equal-opportunity burden.
Racism and sexism are interdependent, Ms. Steinem said.
"One could not exist without the other. They are discussed
separately, because the white males want to keep us women
and minorities separate and contesting one against the other.
Working in the civil rights movement, women will find
that this is not always recognized by men of color. But the
women know about it, even though they may not speak up very
often. I remember responding in the 60s to a woman's opinion
piece in Ebony. I said the white male establishment needed
to divide us. The editor responded; "Thanks, but we've done
our piece on women's liberation." I think this would not
happen today.
Much of the dependence of racism on sexism is the
paradox of breeding dominance, Ms. Steinem explained. It's
okay for a white man to have children with a woman of color.
The other way around? Anathema! The head dominator is the
one who dominates ALL the women. Get the picture?
Despite the uses of sex in domination, humans are
the only "animal" which takes pleasure in it even when we
are not ready to conceive. Sex is not only procreation for
us; it is communication.
Population and its impact on the environment was
questioned. Ms. Steinem said that wherever women have choices,
population levels off. It doesn't stop or reverse, it just
levels off. Freedom works, she said.
In addition to making choices available to women,
she said further, society must make sure that for men
as well as women there must be other ways of proving one's
worth in the world than having a baby or getting
someone pregnant!
Someone asked about political activities for people
not yet of voting age..
She suggested they badger their parents to vote.
About the upcoming political struggle: "This is the most
crucial election of my lifetime."
A young questioner asked about the future of
affirmative action.
Gloria Steinem said that affirmative action is an
effort to enlarge the pool of excellence, not to narrow it.
The concept of affirmative action still has the majority
support at the polls, Ms. Steinem continued, that's why
the right wing has started calling it preferential treatment.
A student asked about the importance of women's
groups and their part in personal empowerment.
We are a communal people, was the reply; "Women don't
have a community in which we are equal. Some of us don't even
have a bar!"
She asked for reports from us about organizing plans.
Audience members spoke up for the area's Business and Professional
Women which has pulled together a directory of women's businesses.
The Wicomico Commission for Women described projects and plans.
The just-formed Worcester County Commission for Women,
noting that of all the 20-plus Maryland Counties, Worcester
pays women the least, added, "We hope to do something about that."
In retrospect, said Kelley Rouse, "I think it was
important that she called for organizing; to hear that
people understood that people get together and talk more.
It takes work to get done what must be done for the future.
"People tend to think the work has already been done...
but this is not true... especially here."
Copyright © 1996 Jo Campbell / Ecotopics News Service
All Rights Reserved.
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