Dear Neighbor,
By now you know this isn't a "news" letter. Even though we don't have the local news sources we used to have and need now, you probably follow major state house bills in the Globe - or on social media. Many of you write to us about bills and amendments, and we try really hard to get back to people if they live in our district. If you want to keep up day to day, my staff posts things on Facebook.
It's the end of session, and things are happening really quickly. I'm working hard to pass my top priorities, and will write about them. Today I wanted to share some thoughts about history, based on my opening remarks at the Winchester League of Women Voters annual meeting. The photos with Ruth Trimarchi and Gloria Legvold are from that event.
I've been thinking a lot about history. It's partly because I watched Suffs, both onstage and on PBS (streaming free through July 31). It's a really fun musical about suffragettes, and I learned a lot. It makes you think about lessons we can learn from that struggle about strategy, tactics, and manners in making change. It reminded me that when my parents were born, their mothers couldn’t vote. And when my grandfathers died, their wives had to get their first social security cards.
I wanted to make this newsletter in time for people to watch Suffs free if they want to.
I was also thinking about women in history after hearing Melissa Ludtke speak at a Women's Caucus event about her book "Locker Room Talk: A Woman's Struggle to Get Inside." Melissa shared the story of her landmark court victory in 1978. As a 26-year-old reporter for Sports Illustrated, she successfully sued Major League Baseball and overturned their ban on women reporters in locker rooms. Her stories of sexist reactions and fears surprised the young women staff who were listening and learned to appreciate even more the women who fought for rights they take for granted.
I started thinking about all the changes in my lifetime and my political lifetime, both of which are quite long.
I was elected to the Somerville School Committee in 1976. It was a time when girls took home ec in junior high and boys took carpentry. I thought everyone should learn both. Actually there were separate entrances at Southern Jr. High for boys and girls.
I joined the legislature in 1991, as one of 36 women out of 160 legislators. Now there are 60.
But the number of women in the legislature isn't all the progress. Then, there was a men's room off the House lobby but women reps had to use the public women's room. Now there's not only a women's room there: the Senate has unisex legislator restrooms, a mother's room for nursing, and a dispenser of free menstrual products.
I remember women legislators meeting with the speaker and pointing out that women were disproportionately underrepresented as committee chairs. I had testified on paid family and medical leave, and noticed no women were on the Labor Committee. The speaker responded that he didn't see gender.
Now, the Senate has its second woman president; the majority leader and some of the most influential senators are women. We have women as governor, lieutenant governor, treasurer, US senator and three congresswomen.
Other groups are gaining more representation too: besides the Caucus of Women Legislators, there's the Black and Latino Caucus, the Asian Caucus, and the LGBTQ.
The changes are certainly not just in representation or politics. Alain and I are thinking of making a new kind of time capsule. We might bury a box with our predictions of changes that will happen in the next 50 years.
We don't just observe history. By our actions and our inactions, we make history. The arc of history certainlly doesn't bend toward justice by itself.
Persisting in a discouraging and frightening world: that’s one of the lessons of Suffs! It took 72 years, from Seneca Falls to the 19th amendment. The founders didn’t live to see the promised land, but their daughters and granddaughters persisted.
How many years did it take to pass equal pay? 20. How many for paid family and medical leave? 28. How many for immigrant driver licenses. 20. In Suffs, the characters sing: "Is it worth it? Is it worth it?" In the end, in those struggles, I’d say it was worth it.
Want to learn more about women's history?
Visit the Massachusetts Women's History Center, with online exhibits, resources and hall of fame!
Or this exhibit by the Somerville Museum on the second floor of Somerville City Hall:
Trivia Winners
Two alert readers correctly answered that Vice President J. D. Vance said, ""You can't just kill your way out of solving every single national security problem that you have." He was speaking about Israeli leaders, apparently not noticing any relevance to the American president.
Trivia Question
Do you have a prediction of what will change in the next 50 years?
Persisting Plants
We bought our house almost fifty years ago. An old pear tree had been hollowed out by ants. We thought it was on its last legs and almost cut it down. It's still alive, and making pears!
I planted petunias in front of our house. After almost fifty years, their descendents continue to re-seed themselves in the driveway.
Persist! And stay in touch,
Pat Jehlen