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October 20, 2017 | Deeds Digest No. 74
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Hello, #ChangeMakers!
Have you ever had one of those experiences where a message you were meant to hear smacks you right upside the head? That happened for me this week. I think it was the universe telling me to pull myself out of a well of despair and instead to focus on all that we can achieve together.
The message bearers? Two amazing women who reminded me of the power of two essential components in the work we strive to achieve. The first came from former First Lady, Michelle Obama. The second from the original architect of the “Me, Too” campaign, Tarana Burke.
Ms. Obama was here, speaking at an event in my hometown of Austin, Texas in which she encouraged all of us to do two things.
The first, to draw upon our power of empathy and to use that to motivate and drive our actions. I actually talk about this quite a lot as I travel and speak around the country. I believe strongly in the power of empathy to drive our passion and our work to lift each other up. But somehow, though I say this out loud all the time, hearing Ms. Obama’s belief in that power made me believe in it even more. It was a validation of sorts, a reminder that if we don’t take the time to consider each other’s paths, to step into each other’s shoes in order to more deeply understand each other and work to support each other, then we are failing in our role as human beings in community with responsibility each to the other.
The second thing Ms. Obama asked us each of us to do was to hold on to the power of Hope. I purposefully capitalized that word because I believe so strongly both in the lyrical magic of what Hope can do to lift us from days of despair, but also because I believe that Hope is a necessary component in our fight to drive change. If we can’t Hope, then we can’t dream of a better world and we lose our motivation to fight for each other.
Put simply, Hope defines our Vision. And Vision defines our Purpose, our Meaning and, ultimately, our Impact.
And then there was this great Mic video (highlighted in the Digest, below) where Tarana Burke, the originator of the “Me, Too” campaign spoke of her own belief in the power of empathy. As a survivor of sexual assault, Ms. Burke has worked hard to create a system of support for other survivors. As she says so beautifully, “[t]here’s no story that is unimportant, there’s no person whose experience shouldn’t be validated… and that everybody’s important.”
She reminds of the power of sharing our stories and the motivating force of empathy that is created from our hearing the stories of others. The support that Ms. Burke provides to other survivors gives me so much Hope for what we can achieve together.
So, my dear #ChangeMakers, let’s all recommit ourselves to the power of Empathy and Hope. They are a magical elixir against despair. I believe in those concepts to my core. Just as I believe in each and every one of you.
Much love,
-wendy
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This week’s #ChangeMaker: Nydia Velazquez
In the wake of Hurricane Maria, the devastation across Puerto Rico has been catastrophic. The reaction by the White House have done little to repair (contrary to what the President says) the broken hearts and broken homes of the American citizens who live there. We stand in solidarity with New York Congresswoman Nydia Velazquez the first Puerto Rican woman to be elected to the U.S. House of Representatives, who is this week’s brave #ChangeMaker. Congresswoman Velazquez made a passionate speech regarding President Trump’s offensive tweets and unsympathetic actions toward Puerto Rico this week.
“To kick fellow citizens when they are down is shameful!” Velazquez asserted while imploring Ben Carson to deliver a message to the President. “Those tweets are unpresidential. The most basic fundamental responsibility of the President of the United States, the President of the most powerful country in the world, is to show up, and make, and provide the assistance and relief that American citizens need. They don’t need this type of insult.” We stand with you Nydia and applaud you for saying what needs to be said to the person who needs to hear it the most. #SpeakTruthtoPower
Know a hero making a difference in their community? Send us a picture of someone you’d like to see as #ChangeMaker of the week and share their story. You might just see it in the next Deeds Digest.
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We've included in past Digests how Reese Witherspoon is smashing the patriarchy in Hollywood by starting her own production company and challenging women to take up leadership rolls. But Reese's recent heart-wrenching announcement makes us love and respect her even more. She came forward about her own experiences with sexual assault by powerful men in Hollywood. Her bravery to come forward, along with the dozens of other Hollywood women who have recently come forward with similar stories, is a true testament to the importance of the #MeToo movement. We agree with Reese that change is on the horizon: "For the young women sitting in this room, life is going to be different for you because we have you, we have your back. And that makes me feel better because, gosh, it's about time." It makes us feel better, too, Reese.
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Our very own founder Wendy Davis shares her story of filibustering on the Texas Senate floor in 2013 on Rewire's podcast Choice/Less. She also shares her own personal abortion story, and how she found the strength to fight on the Senate floor for the thousands of women who would have been effected by that bad bill. "When we come together and we fight for our values, even if we lose... the importance of fighting cannot be overstated." Thank you for your commitment to being a #ChangeMaker, Wendy, and leading our cause with courage and grace!
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The friend zone. We've all put someone there, and we all wish guys would just stop complaining about it. Since when does someone being a good friend mean that you owe them sex in return? Not only is this degrading, but it promotes the culture that allows sexual assault and harassment to continue. We just don't get it. These 17 tweets compiled by Buzzfeed will at least help you laugh about it (while crying on the inside). 😅 😅 😅
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Vice President Joe Biden is still standing up for women in big ways. While speaking on behalf of his campaign to end sexual assault on college campuses, It's On Us, V.P Biden doesn't leave Harvey Weinstein unscathed. His effort to inspire the next generation of #ChangeMakers to stop sexual assault doesn't go unnoticed, and we hope other strong and influential men will join the charge!
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Meet the woman behind the movement: Tarana Burke is the woman who coined the phrase #MeToo. Her campaign began more than 10 years ago as a way to bring validation and empathy to survivors of sexual assault. A survivor herself, Tarana strove to create a space where women could share their stories, heal, and support one another. Change is made because of women like Tarana. "I get the question a lot about, "what next?" and what's next is to keep going." We couldn't agree more.
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Domestic violence is one of many manifestations of gender based violence, including sexual harassment and sexual assault. While we post our #MeToo's, we can't forget about victims of violence who might not be able to do so!
History of Domestic Violence Awareness Month (DVAM)
- The first annual DVAM was in 1987, making 2017 the 30th annual DVAM.
- That means, 30 years later, the problem still hasn't been solved...
- DVAM began as a single Day of Unity in 1981, which was designed to connect advocates to survivors.
- The Day of Unity turned into a week, which eventually evolved into the federally recognized month we know and recognize today!
Domestic violence by the numbers
Resources
- Share this page that provides resources on how to listen, empathize, and help someone you know in an abusive relationship.
- And this page has more information on shelters and resources for those in your life who might be experiencing abuse.
- The National Domestic Violence Hotline is 1-800-799-SAFE
When we raise awareness, we are raising our voices. And raising our voices means that one more #MeToo participant can feel that their story is validated, and that one more abusive man can be stopped.
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This week, our actions stand in solidarity with Domestic Violence Awareness Month, but the effect reaches much further than just DV. Domestic violence is part of a culture and system of abuse that includes harassment, assault, stalking, and more. Our actions this week stand with everyone who's shared a #MeToo post, (and those who may want to, but aren't able). And our actions stand with the survivors of all forms of sexual violence, and with the women and men who've been abused by Harvey Weinstein and others like him.
Share 📢
- Share how you #SeeDV and it's widespread effects on our society.
- Post on social media about DVAM with these hastags:
- #SupportSurvivors.
- #DVAM.
- #DVAMTurns30.
Learn 📲
Join ✊
Let's band together, #ChangeMakers, to make DV a thing of the past!
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