Joy Comes With Justice As Bland, Mallory and Sarsour Step Down From The Women's March

The January 21, 2017 Women’s March was the largest single-day march in US history, coming the day after Trump’s inauguration.

Justice has come to The Women’s March, an organization launched with the unified, anti-Trump passions of millions of women and men worldwide on January 21, 2017, the day after Donald Trump’s Presidential Inauguration . The Women’s March was the largest single-day protest in U.S. history.

After that breathtaking launch, The Women’s March devolved into recriminations against Jewish women, in particular, and white women generally. The Women’s Marches scheduled in many cities for 2019 were either cancelled or were held after public rejections of the Women’s March National Board led by original march organizers Linda Sarsour, a Palestinian-American activist; Tamika Mallory, an African-American gun control activist; Bob Bland, a white fashion designer, and Carmen Perez-Jordan.

The pervasive attitude that The Women’s March team was focused — not on building a large network of pro-women’s rights women and men nationwide — but their own New York activists short list of priorities that prioritized racial, Palestinian and sexual minority issues over women’s issues was wide-spread. White women, in particular, had little place in The Women’s March group as it evolved.

Women's March Co-Chairs Linda Sarsour and Tamika Mallory speak during the Power to the Polls voter-registration tour last year in Las Vegas. (Ethan Miller/Getty Images)

The organizers preferred to remind Hillary supporters and Democratic women that the majority of America’s white women voted for Trump, as Tamika Mallory did during the Power to the Polls voter-registration tour last year in Las Vegas. It was staggeringly depressing in the time of Trump to listen to Mallory use her platform not to rally the Hillary supporters, but denounce white women as pro-Trump.

College-educated white women voted for Hillary, but they were shunned and charged with not being true feminists, especially as Jewish women not being willing to denounce Israel over the Palestinian conflict.

Mallory, in particular, refused to criticize Nation of Islam black nationalist Louis Farrakhan, who made incendiary remarks about Jews, at an event in which she sat in the front row. Mallory is passionate in her support for Farrakhan, calling him a GOAT. Sarsour also refused to criticize Farakhan for his virulently anti-Semitic comments.

Tamika Mallory, Linda Sarsour, Bob Bland and Carmen Perez. Perez will stay on with The Women’s March group.

On Monday, The Women’s March announced that co-Chairs Bob Bland, Tamika Mallory and Linda Sarsour stepped down from the board July 15, though the organization has been slow to announce their departures. ,reports The Washington Post.

A diverse cast of 16 new board members that includes three Jewish women, a transgender woman, a former legislator, two religious leaders and a member of the Oglala tribe of the Lakota nation will inherit an organization recovering from a failed attempt to trademark the Women’s March name and fractured relationships with local activist groups and the Jewish community.

A new operating structure will be put in place shortly, which is a good thing because in its totally destructive state, the national Women March leadership was a total threat in telling white suburban women — an important voting block in the success of Democrats in the 2018 midterms — to go to hell. After Mallory’s speech in Las Vegas, I simply can’t imagine what she would have said to white women in the presidential election campaign. .

The three members who have resigned — Bob Bland, Tamika Mallory and Linda Sarsour — are avid Bernie Sanders supporters, which is a key reason why they refused to allow Hillary Clinton to be one of about 20 women honored at the maiden Women’s March launch on January 21, 2019. Despite their protestations to the contrary, the founders never sought unity with Hillary supporters, all but accusing us of electing Trump.

Words do not express my job at seeing these three women — especially Mallory and Sarsour — step down from The Women’s March organization. Now — let us rise in unity! We’ll cover the responses to this news in a followup article. Few will be as candid as my commentary, but these women totally crushed the Trumped-down spirits of so many women all over America .~ Anne

Anne's Response to Women's March 'Founders' Response To Alyssa Milano and Theressa Shook

Anne's Response to Women's March 'Founders' Response To Alyssa Milano and Theressa Shook

This Women's March Founders battle goes on, and it's tough for me to see where it ends. My inability to buy into these words puts me on the outs with Women's March leaders, seeing no way back towards unity.

After what I've personally been through with these leaders, the words "As a Black woman, it hurts me to see the recent headlines regarding this movement. While you may think you’re helping, you are tearing a movement that was built on unity apart. This is not the time to strengthen the wedge between white women and people of color" are utter poppycock.

I'm sorry but this is Donald Trump talk #101. These four women wouldn't even allow Hillary Clinton to be one of over 20 honored at the Women's March. Do NOT talk to me about driving wedges, and this is BEFORE I share what has been privately said to me.

There is NOTHING in the quoted paragraph below that represents an olive branch. Rather, it's a reconciliation ceremony in which injured parties shares their own testimony. In particular white women are supposed to sit quietly and listen . . . indefinitely . . . for years.

I support reconciliation ceremonies and Laurene Powell Jobs is investing in the possibility of such an event in America over slavery. She is concerned it will become a horror show only, and is heavily involved with leaders in South Africa who have gone through this process to understand how to make such a reconciliation process successful in America. Her partner in this possibility is New Orleans mayor Mitch Landrieu.

My focus is saving America from Trump, cultivating a new democracy and also working for women's rights worldwide. There is not an indefinite time horizon on my life, and I am focused on both purpose and results. Decades of my life have focused on racial reconciliation in America and I've done my part. My eye is now on a larger ball -- aligning myself with hundreds/thousands of women of color worldwide who are willing to bury the ax with white women and move forward.

The leaders of the Women's March have no such goal. It's a Sartre play with no way out.

The Big Women's March On American Politics | Rebecca Traister Digs Deep Into The Women Running

The Big Women's March On American Politics | Rebecca Traister Digs Deep Into The Women Running

There's another Women's March brewing, writes Rebecca Traister for New York Magazine. As marchers all over America celebrated the one year anniversary of The Women's March, the largest activist march in American history, on Saturday and Sunday, Traister writes an in-depth look about the unprecedented number of women running for political office across America. 

To date, 390 women are planning to run for the House of Representatives, a figure that’s higher than at any point in American history. Twenty-two of them are non-incumbent black women — for scale, there are only 18 black women in the House right now. Meanwhile, 49 women are likely to be running for the Senate, about 68 percent higher than the number who’d announced at the same point in 2014. 

Of the 49 women currently planning to run for the Senate (including incumbents, challengers, and those running for open spots), 31 are Democrats. Well over half of the 79 women slated to campaign for governor are Dems, as are 80 percent of the women setting their sights on the House.

These women candidates are eying political offices at every level of local, state and national government. But make no mistake: 29-year-old Republican Lindsay Brown calls herself a "qualified millennial woman running a progressive campaign" for a US House seat in New Jersey. Democratic women would be thrilled to see more 70's style Republicans be elected to political office. In fact the very best event that could happen to Republicans is forward-looking, moderate, millennial women winning political office.

'Feminism' Ranks As Top Search Word In 2017, According To Mirriam-Webster Dictionary

It's official: leading US dictionary Merriam-Webster says that its 2017 word of the year is 'feminism'. Peter Sokolowski, Mirriam-Webster's editor-at-large said that people searching for the word was up 70 percent. "The word was in the air", said Sokolowski. 

Described as “the theory of the political, economic and social equality of the sexes” by the dictionary, the word 'feminism also means “organised activity on behalf of women’s rights and interests”.

Other contenders for 2017’s prize were “complicit” (which was widely used in the Trump/Russia scandal) and “dotard” (which is the adjective Kim Jong-un used to describe the US president).

The word 'feminism' got a huge boost with the November 21 Women's March in DC and around the world. With Women's Marches all over America, the event is considered to be the largest activism march ever.

Just when searches were perhaps slowing down, the #metoo movement began, which put 'feminism' once again on the front burner, boosted yet again by TIME magazine's person of the year award as 'The Silence Breakers'. 

Republican women do not strongly identify with the word 'feminist' and Mirriam-Webster says Trump adviser Kellyanne Conway also gave searches a boost.  The Washington Post clarifies:

“It’s difficult for me to call myself a feminist in the classic sense because it seems to be very anti-male and it certainly is very pro-abortion, and I’m neither anti-male or pro-abortion. So, there’s an individual feminism, if you will, that you make your own choices…. I look at myself as a product of my choices, not a victim of my circumstances,” Conway said during the annual Conservative Political Action Conference at National Harbor in Maryland last February.

In fact, feminism is not pro-abortion, but a core belief is the women have a right to control our own bodies and that opposition to a right to birth control, for example,  is now unconstitutional. Feminism does emphasize body autonomy within a range of sensible restrictions. 

NYT Writer Bari Weiss Challenges 'Radical' Ideology Of Women's March Quartet

NYT Writer Bari Weiss Challenges 'Radical' Ideology Of Women's March Quartet

In the midst of our Trump tears, The Women's March mobilized our anger and our anxieties on Jan. 21. Writing for The New York Times, Bari Weiss reminds us of the tremendous unity that seemed to exist among Democrats and progressives on that historic day. 

Four exceptional women — Tamika Mallory, Bob Bland, Carmen Perez and Linda Sarsour — were the faces of the march. All well-known in progressive circles, the quartet was widely praised, writes Weiss. 

Is Linda Sarsour About Women's Rights Or Are We #3 After Islam & Linda Sarsour's Ego? Call Me Concerned

Is Linda Sarsour About Women's Rights Or Are We #3 After Islam & Linda Sarsour's Ego? Call Me Concerned

I'm not a fan of Linda Sarsour because she refused to honor Hillary at the Jan. 21 Women's March, by only adding her name to a list of many women being honored that day.  However, I've generally refused to criticize Linda as a matter of feminist principles, and I've publicly defended her on Facebook on more than one occasion. 

This article sat unpublished and in draft form as I read more about Sarsour and let her personality percolate, but the Brooklyn's Muslim queen settled the issue in my mind this week, after reading her response to CNN's Jake Tapper.  The near-hysterical Twitter rant that was so all about Linda that I agree with Emily Shire writing for The Daily Beast, that Sarsour is sounding an awful lot like Donald Trump, with his massive-ego persecution complex. This is not good news for women's rights or Muslim rights in America. 

Battle Blows: Jake Tapper & Linda Sarsour

CNN's Jake Tapper notoriously questioned Donald Trump more than 20 times in a single interview about his racist comments in the presidential campaign. Tapper is one of 10 journalists to face the most anti-Semitic harassment online, concluded the Anti-Defamation League in a 2016 report. 

Celebrating Two New Malawi-Born Daughters, Madonna Releases 'Her-Story' A 12-Minute Film For International Women's Day

Celebrating Two New Malawi-Born Daughters, Madonna Releases 'Her-Story' A 12-Minute Film For International Women's Day

Madonna said her daughters will keep their birth names of Esther and Stella to preserve their identity as Malawians, and a Malawian nanny will travel with the children to the United States to ease their transition, according to the ruling. Her son David Banda and daughter Mercy James are now 11.

Judge Mwale noted that the pop star has raised $7.5 million for her latest project in Malawi, the construction of a pediatric surgery ward at Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital in Blantyre. The ward is scheduled to open early next year

London's V&A Design Museum Acquires Pussyhat While New York's A Fearless Girl Goes Pink, Too

London's Victoria & Albert Museum Pussyhat Acquisition

On International Women's Day, a simple pink fashion accessory made of yarn and knitting needles has assumed its place in the Victoria and Albert Museum in London. Home to the world's largest design and fashion collection, the V&A was called "an important acquisition" by museum curator Corinna Gardner who called it "an immensely recognizable expression of female solidarity and symbol of the power of collective action."

On International Women's Day, AOC introduced you to 'A Fearless Girl' the defiant 4 ft bronze little girl facing off against Wall Street's 'Charging Bull' in Bowling Green lower Manhattan. She is part of a campaign by State Street Global Advisers to insist that corporate boards add more women.  People are clamoring to make 'A Fearless Girl' a permanent fixture as a foil to the Wall Street'Charging Bull' sculpture, and our instincts suggest that we will all get our wish.

Pussyhats were celebrated worldwide yesterday, including in Parliaments honoring International Women's Day. Read on

Missoni Closes Milan Fashion Week With Sea of Pussyhats

The global fashion industry has moved on to Paris, but Angela Missoni's grand finale in Milan inspired cheers, tears, and a global femme-power fashion salute, as Planned Parenthood pins at over 40 of the New York shows were replaced by pink Pussyhats in Missoni's exuberant grand finale for Milan. Missoni added her family's signature zig-zagging prints and bold stripes to her must-have fashion accessory, but the pointed ears and bold pink color left no doubt that the hats were inspired by the American-bred, global Women's Marches the day after Donald Trump's inauguration, January 21, 2017. In America the marches are considered to be the biggest ever, and the momentum continues. 

Step 2 For Pussyhat Power: How About Yarnbombing America From Sea To Shining Sea?

Step 2 For Pussyhat Power: How About Yarnbombing America From Sea To Shining Sea?

Put the word 'resistance' into Google News this morning and the headlines tell a vivid story:The #Resistance and Russia; National Parks and NASA 'Resistance' Launches on Twitter; The Resistance will be Tweeted; Protesters Climb DC Crane, Call for Resistance to Trump.

In the ultimate accomplishment -- a salvo to US President Donald Trump, who insists falsely that he's had more TIME magazine covers than anyone (Nixon wins) -- pink Pussyhats are on the move, straight on to the cover of this week's TIME. 

Women of Color Deliver Staggering Turnout For The Women's March & Strong Intersectionality Message

Women of Color Deliver Staggering Turnout For The Women's March & Strong Intersectionality Message

There is no doubt that Saturday's global Women's March events were the largest one-day demonstration in political history. The stunning turnouts worldwide made it clear that women -- and in particular women of color -- will be leading the opposition to President Donald Trump.

Veteran feminist writer Rebecca Traister pegged the crowds in America: it drew somewhere north of 680,000 to Washington, D.C., 750,000 to Los Angeles, 400,000 to New York City, 250,000 to Chicago, 100,000 each to Seattle, Denver, San Francisco, the Twin Cities, and Portland Oregon; and crowds of thousands to smaller cities, including 11,000 to Ann Arbor, 5,000 to Lexington, Kentucky, 8,000 to Honolulu, and 20,000 to Houston. There were 2,000 protesters in Anchorage, Alaska, and 1,000 in Jackson, Mississippi. Demonstrations took place on all seven continents, including Antarctica.

Overwhelming Crowds Turnout For Women's Marches Across America

Massive crowds at the Washington, DC Women’s March

Overwhelming Crowds Turnout For Women's Marches Across America

March portion of Chicago Women's march canceled after 150,000 pack event; march will go on Chicago Tribune

Safety concerns have closed the march portion of the Chicago event. An original crowd estimate of 20,000 was raised to 50,000 this morning. At about 11 am this morning, 150,000 had already reached the rally and Chicago police notified organizers that they were not prepared to protect a marching crowd this size. The rally will continue.

Meanwhile, in Washington, DC at 2pm Saturday, the size of the march is estimated to be 500,000 against an original estimate of 200,000. Currently the march is still scheduled to move, but safety concerns are rising.

Record Number Of Protests Planned Around Trump Inauguration

The National Park Service has credentialed a record 28 groups coming to Washington DC over inauguration weekend, compared to a typical five or six. Primarily representing groups opposed to the presidency of Donald Trump, the protests will be led by The Women's March, an expected protest of 200,000 women and their male allies. 

The Washington Post reported on Friday that the city of DC has received requests for 200 bus parking permits for Inauguration Day. By contrast 1200 bus parking permits have been requested for The Women's March. 

Republicans have struggled to fill their blocks of hotel rooms, writes Politico. The inauguration committee is hosting only three balls, a major departure from the usual eight to 10.

Free Downloads For The Women's March In DC On Jan. 21 Available From The Amplifier Foundation

Free Downloads For The Women's March In DC On Jan. 21 Available From The Amplifier Foundation

All reports are that the goal of delivering as many as 200,000 Americans congregating to support The Women's March will be met, and AOC will track the march and related events all week. We will not cover details of the Trump inauguration or any related events unless they are pertinent to women's rights.

The Amplifier Foundation -- an art machine dedicated to social change -- is supporting the march with free wallpaper downloads available here. Eight poster designs by artists who identify as female will be printed and distributed free to march participants.