Reclaiming Our Time - The Women's Convention

Students from OS 490 Advanced Research Team attend The Women's Convention in Detroit, Michigan

OS Students (L-R) Elizabeth Marics and Gabrielle Roth

OS Students (L-R) Brenda Vasconcelos-Ramirez, Madeline Martin, and Genevieve Harner

The weekend of October 27, OS professor Michael Heaney sent five students from his Advanced Reseach Team to the Women's Convention in Detroit. The students conducted surveys of the participants for a study of women's activism and had a chance to participate in the workshops, strategy sessions, inspiring forums and intersectional movement building at the convention.

It was really interesting to observe and participate in the Women’s Convention in Detroit this past Saturday. People from all over the country came to attend workshops and listen to speakers present on a multitude of issues affecting women and those that are marginalized. Although, we attended to survey people at the convention about their experience we still had time to partake in some of the activities.

One especially striking moment came during lunch on Saturday when there was a panel of speakers including organizers of the Women’s March and congresswomen Debbie Dingell and Maxine Waters. Many of the speakers were able to get the crowd involved and passionate about their speeches. Throughout the lunch there were moments when the whole room of women and a few men would erupt in applause and stand on their feet cheering and pumping their fists. It was exciting to witness so many people openly demonstrate how passionate they felt about the women’s movement and their drive to further issues affecting women. Whenever someone said something that particularly resonated with the room it was hard to hear the speaker because of the noise level.

Another aspect that I enjoyed about the lunch was how the organizers centered the voices of minorities and those usually left out of the conversation. Michaela Angela Davis moderated the lunch and spoke of the fight women of color had been fighting for centuries and the need for broad support from people that were just beginning to partake in activism. More than anything though the lunch exemplified the fire people felt about furthering the women’s movement and their will to be heard.

- Genevieve Harner

The Women’s Convention is a premiere example of a rising wave of collective-action feminism in the United States. The intersectional conference sought to unite women in workshops, team-building, and panels that harnessed the political, interdisciplinary, and creative energy. For me, that creative energy was one of the most striking examples of women’s power and pride. The art birthed from the intersectional nature of the movement and at the convention was as potent and powerful as it was beautiful.

The pussy-hat project was the first example of this vivacious creative energy – a sea of pink hats that visibly united participants at the Women’s March in Washington D.C. and the sister marches across the nation. Then, Shepard Fairley released his Obama-style We the People posters of intersectional female identities that reinforced female citizenship, which in turn could be harnessed to underscore gendered inequalities in American citizenship. Then, at the Women’s Convention: posters and posters and posters of art that proclaimed, “viva la vagina” and “let equality bloom” and “soñamos con un futuro feminista” alongside “no DAPL” and “migration is a natural phenomenon” and “protect trans lives.” The posters were a visual representation of the diversity of issues that affect women, and a true testament to the importance of women’s voices in these political and social battles.

For me, the art was impactful because it was colorful and expressive and distinctly political – and embodiment that women, too, can be both beautiful and have a voice. We, as women, do not have to be pretty objects, mindless and without agency, we can be bold and vibrant and emotion-filled because we have a political purpose – the posters reflected us.

- Elizabeth Marics

I attended the Women’s Convention in Detroit this weekend, and witnessed first hand how it contributed to the current women’s movement in America. It was a powerful space where social justice activists and well-known leaders shared their expertise and created a call for action. Through workshops, panels, and speeches, the Women’s convention gave momentum to the new intersectional wave of feminism during the Trump era.

Maxine Waters, one of the most well-known and outspoken Democratic U.S. representatives, headlined the convention and inspired the event’s slogan ‘Reclaiming our Time.’ During her speech, she fired up the crowd and touched on issues like violence against women, sexual assault and harassment, Trump and Russia, and racism in America. Before she finished, she got the crowd on their feet chanting “Impeach 45” referring to Donald Trump. This outrage and passion she was able to spark in attendees furthered the inspiration to create change.

Much of the convention focused on the idea that women should work on gaining more seats in office. Emily’s List, a national organization dedicated to advancing Democratic women in politics, held workshops and panels to give women resources to run effective campaigns. After the 2016 election, over 20,000 women signed up on their website stating their interest in running for office. Before the election, their numbers barely reached 100. Running for office is a concrete way women can fight to have their voices heard.

A panel I attended was titled “Confronting White Womanhood” that focused on how white women consciously or unconsciously contribute to the oppression of people of color, and how we can change our mindsets and actions to make a difference. The room was overflowing. One action a panelist urged us to think about was to not call the police in situations where we feel a little ‘unsafe.’ She said, “When white women say we’re frightened of scary black men, really bad things happen.” Police brutality and racial profiling is unfortunately ever-present in our society, and if white women can refrain from calling the police for non-serious incidents, we can likely help avoid putting others in unsafe situations as well.

Overall, the Women’s Convention inspired intersectional discussion, change, and call to action for the Women’s movement during the Trump era.

- Madeline Martin

I really enjoyed my experience at the Women’s Convention in Detroit. Through my OS 490 class, I attended the convention to administer surveys to the attendants in order to gather data for the class’s research project. Beyond gathering the data, this experience was very meaningful and I learned a lot about the organization of the convention.

One of the highlights for me was the Non-Denominational Ecumenical Service, at which attendees listened to various religious leaders spoke about the importance of being at the convention and turning words into action. Hearing leaders of numerous religions not only combine their political and religious beliefs, but also speak across various religions and denominations surrounding a common cause of empowering women, was inspiring for me to hear.

After this service, as I gave out surveys, I walked around the convention and spoke to people of different backgrounds about their experiences and motivations for attending the convention. It was amazing to see the wide range of people who are feeling motivated to make a difference and take action against certain norms that currently exist in our society. One of the major takeaways for me was that there are many issues that different people feel compelled to take action against, and this convention allowed space for all of those issues to come together. I am excited to analyze the results of the surveys and gain a broader understanding or why people participate in activism surrounding this given issue.

- Gabrielle Roth

The Women’s Convention was an overall wonderful experience. It was powerful to be surrounded by so many diverse and inspiring women. I thoroughly enjoyed connecting with women from different backgrounds and different parts of the United States. I was able to have lunch with a group of women who simply asked to join not knowing anyone at the table and sharing concerns and hopes as if we were all childhood friends. I definitely walked away from the Convention with connections as women exchanged numbers and social media handles to keep up with each other after the convention ended.

I personally connected with my roommate Daisy, a success coordinator and college mentor at a high school in Oregon, whom I was able to ask for advice about navigating life post graduation and how to continue activism in the workplace. Her work at the high school has allowed her to not only ensure the success of students but also the community. She focuses on engaging with parents, most of which have not completed a high school degree, and bridging relationships between parents, schools, and students. Her story is only one example of the wonderful women at convention.

On Sunday afternoon women would hug their fellow workshop members and ask about future plans. What are you doing with the tools from ___ workshop? The convention gave women tools and it by the end of the weekend it became of question on how those tools would be used in our everyday lives.

- Brenda Vasconcelos-Ramirez