05/28/2024
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Introducing Taylor Swift, Marian Anderson, & other great Pennsylvanian Women and I
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Introducing Taylor Swift, Marian Anderson, & other great Pennsylvanian Women and I
WomenWorldCulture.com
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May 27, 2024
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To the reader: This essay was inspired by some things, in addition to music, which have received worthy recognition in news about Taylor Swift. Across the nation and around the world there are so many women of every generation and culture who have done equally great actions. Unfortunately, not enough applause has been given to the extent of contributions of women, whether in all of the arts, sciences, education, civics or in any category that exists. None of that is the result of lack of intelligence or talent.
Much of the deficiencies are the lack of resources, capital, opportunities, support, and encouragement which limits how much we -- women--can share with each other. Men who have higher salaries, more resources, etc. could fill in the gaps if they chose and some do, but not enough. So if the effort to take some of us back to the past limited to child bearing, child care, wet nursing, house keeping, nursing, low paid or unpaid tasks like mending/making family clothes, laundry, and "help" on family farms many women and men must do more. Women's work is generally unpaid or paid less than "men's work" and is not as highly valued as "men's work"
Much of women's work is not included in official statistics on labor, making much of the work that women typically do virtually invisible. During wars, like World War II, because soldiers were men away from home and country, there was not enough labor available for factories and farms. So women were put to work as welders and in other functions previously considered male. But when the war ended, so did those jobs for women who were expected to go back to house work. Consideration that many women would have had husbands, fathers or other men in their families wounded or dead and thus would need greater incomes were not addressed.
Some degree of independence and advancement in fields of work had been achieved for women during the war. But many were expected to go back to the "old" ways and days with men mostly in power and control. To acquiesce to such conditions rendered women to increasing, unresolvable poverty, along with tenacious s*x discrimination and domestic violence. The issues of abortion and birth control became sources of social controversy which appeared resolved for a time, but today has become a major effort of a small percent of the entire population to get permanent control of women, beginning with their bodies and health. The old traditions of women's work, such as tapestry, quilting, sewing, and weaving, guides in galleries or museums and the tasks referenced above do not meet the needs of women and their primary responsibility for children on low salaries. This has led to much homelessness for women and children, as well as for men. It has also generated much human trafficking.
All of these circumstances have deteriorated families during times of low income, reduced access to healthy food and the complete medical care needed. Parents need to rely on grandparents for child care or foster care resulting in the need of ageing caregivers facing having to work more years of their lives, being unable to find suitable residences or senior medical care and being robbed of their paid for homes.
It is in the midst of so much chaos that in the past, many women struggled to work in every available labor sector, including in the arts where they were still underpaid and often violently abused, including many famous women artists who suffered greatly despite appearances of wealthy celebrity. Such suffering and exploitation led to addictions as well. Many women, including women of color, have contributed to services, programs, housing and other facilities, to remedy these social problems themselves. The need is great to identify all who reach out to save others and to praise their much-needed efforts. Many such women, like Taylor Swift, Marian Anderson, Hannah Freeman, Anna Bustill Smith, Nilda Iris Ruiz, Nina Ahmad, Billie Holiday, Pink, Christina Aguilera, Patti LaBelle, Tina Fey, Martha Graham, Dawn Staley and thousands, if not millions more have been born and raised in Pennsylvania where vehicles like the Underground Railroad and Cheyney State College, the first institution of higher learning for African Americans were established. Also in Pennsylvania: the first public library in the US was founded by Benjamin Franklin;.
Women like Taylor Swift are not only outstanding in music and other arts and in business, but in philanthropy and advocacy--human and civil rights. Ms. Smith helped give over 125,000 meals to people in the Tampa Food Bank in 2023. She does more than write checks. Rather she works to improve conditions and encourages participation in positive activities and working together for each other. This is leadership. Thus, it is not surprising that she has recently worked to have 34,000 people register to vote or that she substantially increased the income of her employees in keeping with the demands in time and effort their positions require and which support her. Marian Anderson is known for her historic concert at the Lincoln Memorial before an integrated crowd of 75,000 people in pre-Civil Rights America. She also provided the funds to establish a singing competition to help support young singers and the Marian Anderson Recreation Center with playground, equipment, baseball field, basketball courts and a swimming pool.
I have listed only a few people here, hoping the readers will look them up and share information about their many achievements. In a time when so many people are discouraged, the leadership of these women needs to be known and shared and their examples followed. We can make daily phone calls to the sick. We can write letters to elected officials with our ideas of how things can be made better. Money alone will not bring satisfaction or joy or respect--for others and ourselves. Be a leader and a teacher. Learn about, instead of complaining about others who worked to improve our country and the lives of all. Give credit to those who have earned it. Look up their records. Don't just listen to gossip. Read things for yourself and recognize facts from lies.
I was once a policewoman, at a time when Police Athletic Leagues were funded and only for boys and men--for over 100 years. A small group of 20 Black women--half in the community; half in the Philadelphia Police Department organized both the first Police Athletic League for Girls which was not funded in anything. The vacation time of the policewomen had to be used for us to participate. We had to borrow space in school gyms on Wednesday nights and Saturday mornings and raise funds for supplies, dance tights and shoes, refreshments and awards to be given out. We picked up and drove all the girls there and took them home. We got some support from male police officers too, as photographers, artists and security. Since then, I have been co-founder of Girls, Inc., Board Member of the National Institute for Women of Color; now the founder/CEO of International Association for Women of Color Day; Singer, songwriter, bandleader of The Jazz Generation; editor of multiple publications and publisher of books, plays, director/producer of "Great Women of Jazz" stage shows and more. Help is still needed with those things that already exist and new ideas and creations for the future. Millions of girls have since been members of Police Athletic Leagues for Girls, around the nation and outside. Those of us who were there at the beginning feel great joy at the participation of women and girls in sports. When we began, there were 8,000 men and 100 women in Philadelphia's Police Department. A few people can change the world.
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