June 2021 WPLN Newsletter

Dear friend, 

Perhaps more than any other, this time of the year reminds us how far our country has come towards fulfilling our founding ideals and that living up to those founding ideals is not a one-time action but a constant process.

Not only do we celebrate #PrideMonth during June to recognize the impact and achievements of the LGBTQ+ community, we also honor Juneteenth. And this year is the first time that our country celebrated Juneteenth as a federal holiday.

No other country in human history was founded on the belief that every human has dignity, worth, and inalienable rights, so this day celebrates our country coming one step closer to fulfilling its founding ideals of liberty and justice for all. And in just another week or so, we'll celebrate the beginning of the American experiment and the idea that we the people should have a voice in our government.

I'd like to reiterate what I wrote in our June newsletter last year: WPLN is built on a mission of inspiring and supporting diverse voices, including marginalized and underrepresented ones, and we steadfastly believe in the importance of representation and equality under the law. We remain committed to empowering women from all backgrounds to be involved at every level of government across the country, because we know that America will prosper with a truly reflective democracy.

Onward,

Larissa

WPLN President and Co-Founder

WPLN hosted our first-ever State Partner Retreat in Austin, TX on June 10 and 11, and it was incredible to gather in person and learn from each other. Thank to you to all of our state partners, panelists, and special guests for such a wonderful, thought-provoking time together, and thank you to our event sponsors: Texas Woman's University, UPS, and Cornerstone.

We at WPLN want to celebrate fathers and father figures all year long, so check out our newest merchandise at our online store! These father/daughter shirts are perfect for the girl dads (or moms!) in your life who empower their daughters to be leaders. And in addition to sending a powerful message about the important role fathers play in lifting up their daughters, every purchase supports WPLN's programming and training for women. Buy yours here.

Amazon Prime Day may have ended on June 22, but you can shop using WPLN's AmazonSmile link any time! Doing so helps support WPLN's efforts to increase the number of women in office, because when you make a purchase using our AmazonSmile link (or with AmazonSmile turned ON in the Amazon Shopping app and Women's Public Leadership Network as your selected charity), Amazon will donate a portion of your purchase to WPLN at no cost to you. It's an easy way to make a difference!

Tonight, join WPLN's Director of Development Maureen McInerney and ReflectUS coalition members APAICS, IGNITE National, and Vote Run Lead for a panel on women's training programs and their role in preparing women for political leadership. Register for the event here.

In case you haven't checked out WPLN's new training curriculum and platform, it's available at training.womenspublicleadership.net. 

WPLN was saddened to hear about the passing of Candy Straight, who was a trailblazer, leader, and mentor for so many women. She worked tirelessly to ensure women were represented and their voices were heard. We will miss her immeasurably. Read this lovely tribute to her.

PITTSBURGH TRIBUNE-REVIEW | "For women in Pa. politics, a steady rise": "The need for greater presence of women is not just to check boxes or to make quotas. It is not about identity politics. It is because women understand how issues — all issues, not 'women's' issues — affect women. That matters when making laws, when making policies, when judging impacts. There is another reason, too. Parents tell their daughters that they can be anything when they grow up, but when they see fewer women in areas of leadership and authority, that can seem like a lie." Read more.

NPR | "One woman's decades-long fight to make Juneteenth a U.S. holiday: "At the age of 89, [Opal] Lee decided her new life mission was much like that of [Maj. Gen. Gordon] Granger: 'I knew I just had to spread the word about Juneteenth to everybody.' The best way to do that, she figured, was to help get Juneteenth accepted as a national holiday. She decided to start with a walking campaign in cities along a route from her home in Fort Worth, Texas, to Washington, D.C." Read more.

FORBES | "Introducing The 50 Over 50: Women proving success has no age limit": "In a moment when a global pandemic has pushed a disproportionate number of women out of the workforce — and forced hundreds of thousands into too-early retirements — it is our hope that the stories of the women on this list resonate, inform, and inspire." Read more.

SMITHSONIAN | "LGBTQ+ women who made history": "In celebration of Pride Month, we honor LGBTQ+ women who have made remarkable contributions to the nation and helped advance equality in fields as diverse as medicine and the dramatic arts. Here are a few of their stories." Read more.

HUFFINGTON POST | "How the pandemic changed these dads’ relationships with work and family": "And one silver lining of the past year is that many dads say they have been changed by the experience. ... Dads say they’ve gone deeper with their kids emotionally as they have navigated these long, strange months together — and those are foundations they hope to build on for years to come." Read more.

In November, a woman will make history in the Virginia lieutenant governor's race. "No matter which party prevails in Virginia’s elections in November, the result of the lieutenant governor’s race will be the same in one way: A woman of color will hold a statewide office in the commonwealth for the first time in history," per the Washington Post.

Kelly Dittmar, director of research at the Center for American Women and Politics, recently spoke to the Washington Post about the race and why it matters that the two candidates are women — as well as women of color.

“It does matter that individuals see women and women of color at high levels of leadership,” she said. “It may make those institutions that have been so dominated by White men to appear more inclusive and more accessible to those who want to run themselves.”

Read more.

READING | Unwell Women: A Journey Through Medicine And Myth in a Man-Made World Book by Elinor Cleghorn: Unwell Women's publisher describes the book as "a trailblazing, conversation-starting history of women’s health — from the earliest medical ideas about women’s illnesses to hormones and autoimmune diseases — brought together in a fascinating sweeping narrative." Learn more.

WATCHING | For All Mankind on Apple TV+: This show is set in an alternate reality in which the Soviet Union beat the United States to the moon and the space race never ended. Because the competition to have more "firsts" results in increased diversity than existed in reality, women feature prominently in this show as NASA leaders and astronauts, as well as astronaut spouses and partners, and the character building and story-telling is excellent. The show just finished its second season, and it's a perfect show to binge-watch ahead of Independence Day! Learn more.

LISTENING TO | Second Life, a podcast hosted by Who What Wear co-founder Hillary Kerr: Listen to women from all industries and of all ages discuss the professional pivots they made to transition into new careers and industries, and learn more details about their experiences doing so. Podcasts guests have included, among others, entrepreneurs, experts, actors, and authors. Learn more.

EXCITED FOR | Independence Day: After more than a year of a pandemic, months of social distancing, and a challenging election season, we're looking forward to celebrating the birth of our country and its founding ideals and the opportunity to reflect on our nation's history. And even if the United States doesn't meet the Biden administration's goal of 70% of U.S. adults receiving at least one vaccination shot by the Fourth of July, COVID cases and deaths are decreasing across the country, and it seems that the end of the pandemic is finally in sight for the United States.

JUNE 24 | ReflectUS series "Reflections: The Role of Women's Training Programs in Preparing for Political Leadership": The "Reflections" series discusses the most critical concerns in the women's representation movement. TONIGHT at 7pm ET, join WPLN for this ReflectUS panel to discuss the importance of women's candidate training programs, which have prepared hundreds of thousands of women to serve in political leadership roles. Learn more.

JUNE 26 | Virginia Conservative Women Coalition Connections: Join our Virginia training partner Virginia Conservative Women Coalition at their in-person event on June 26. Today is the last day to register! Email info@vaconservativewomen.com for more information and register here.

JULY 14 | Colorado Women's Alliance's "A Woman's Life in Public Office" Panel: Join our Colorado training partner Colorado Women's Alliance for this panel on how female elected officials balance work, family, and everything else. This event is free to attend but registration is required! Learn more.

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Women’s Public Leadership Network (WPLN) is a non-profit organization organized under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. Donations are tax-deductible to the full extent provided by law.