Links We Love: Are You Prepared for Election Night?
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You've either been hard at work this week, or you're overcome with anxiety leading up to Election Night on Tuesday. We're there with you, 100%.
To catch you up on some of the highlights from this week, along with some election news, we've rounded them all up for you on this week's Links We Love.
Why are C.E.O's getting fired now more than ever?
Did you hate Classpass' price hike last year? Then you're gonna hate this.
Snapchat is looking to take over the media world.
Say hello to Nura Afia, CoverGirl's first beauty ambassador to wear a hijab.
Not sure what you need to get ready for Tuesday? Here's the 411.
If you don't like Hillary, but you empathize with her, this one's for you.
Election Meditation? SIGN US UP.
If you're in these states, you're going to define this election.
As if we didn't have enough to deal with, we're being terrorized by turkeys. THIS IS REAL.
Rock the Vote President Says Young Female Voters Are Louder Than Ever
From equal pay to reproductive rights.
This November marks one of the most historic elections. Ever. Not only did Hillary Clinton make history when she secured the win as the first female nominated by a major political party for President, but Millennials, the biggest and most diverse generation the United States has ever seen are primed to be a driving force at the polls. In 2008 and 2012, voters under 30 were a crucial piece of winning the presidential election. They stand to make the same impact this election year.
It's something that Rock the Vote, the non-profit, nonpartisan organization committed to galvanizing youth to vote has been encouraging since 1990.
It was 26 years ago when a bikini-clad Madonna motivated generation MTV to vote. Wrapped in an American flag and rapping about former Presidents Thomas Jefferson and Abraham Lincoln, she delivered the first PSA for Rock the Vote.
Today, according to Rock the Vote, the diversity of Millennials is not simply reflected in age, background, ability or race, but in the way Gen M approached problems, finds opportunities and envisions the future. 80 million strong, it is a generation that wants a better, more just future for all. Young women are a driving force behind that vision. According to RtV "anyone who ignores the importance of young women in this election, does so at their own peril."
"Anyone who ignores the importance of young women in this election, does so at their own peril."
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In a poll released earlier this month with Rock the Vote's partner USA Today, they found that 73% of women between 18 and 34 strongly disagree with banning an entire religious group from entering to the United States. They've also found young women across the country who are engaged in issues that matter to them, like defending access to reproductive rights, reforming the criminal justice system, and securing equal pay.
Young women are poised to make a big difference in the world by voting for candidates who will elevate the issues they care about across every office, not just President. It's why Create & Cultivate has teamed up with Rock the Vote. From encouraging young women to register to talking about issues that matter most, we asked Rock the Vote President, Carolyn DeWitt about the importance of this election, the power of the vote, and a generation that's only getting stronger.
Why is it important for Rock the Vote to be at Create & Cultivate?
It’s so important for us because we know that young women are some of the most passionate and engaged people in this country. Young women are playing a more vocal role than ever before in their families, communities, politics, business and across every facet of American life. Create & Cultivate is a place for young women to come together and learn how to carve out a life for ourselves that makes us proud. At Rock the Vote, we know that participating in elections is also a way, one of the most important ways, that women can shape our futures.
What kind of galvanization have you seen from young women this election cycle?
Young women are getting louder about the issues we know affect our lives. From demanding equal pay for equal work, pushing back against sexism and defending our access to reproductive rights, this election cycle has been one where women are speaking truth to the powers that be. We may want different things, we may have different visions of where we want to be in life, but we are empowered to fight for it and we are only getting stronger.
What do you think a female POTUS would do for the future of our country?
This is a really big milestone for our country—one that has been long overdue. Across the globe, we currently have a record number of female world leaders. This is important because women often approach challenges differently and are often more likely to consider the direct impact of policies on women. But more than that, we are seeing that issues are the driving force behind engagement in elections. Young women are becoming more independent. We want to go to college and not experience crushing debt. We want to get paid what we’re worth in the workplace. We want to turn the tide on climate change and leave for our kids and grandkids an environment that is healthy. No matter who is president come November, we are going to keep fighting for these issues.
"Young women are becoming more independent. We want to get paid what we’re worth in the workplace."
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Do you remember the first time you voted and what that feeling was like?
The first time I was eligible to vote in an election, I was living in Kenya. It was a midterm election. I wasn’t particularly interested in politics; in fact, I would say I was completely turned off by politics. But, I had seen the impact of democracy and the power those in office had over their country and its people. I witnessed that the right to vote, especially free from intimidation was something I had that those around me didn’t. I had visited countries and knew people who had died fighting for a democratic system. I couldn’t take that right for granted. I went to the U.S. Embassy in Nairobi and completed an absentee ballot.
Why is this election so important for young women?
There is a lot at stake this election. It’s easy to forget how far women have come in the last few decades and that it wasn’t that long ago that women didn’t have rights over their bodies, protection against domestic violence or harassment in the workplace or equality in places of education, including school athletics. This election, we’re not only fighting for progress, but we’re also fighting against regression. We are more independent and stronger than ever, but there is still work to be done from access to reproductive rights to equal pay. We are also more likely to play active roles as advocates for our families, our friends, and our communities and will fight for the issues that impact the lives closest to us. We know that when we work together we can change the course of our country and build an inclusive system that works for all of us.
"When we work together we can change the course of our country and build an inclusive system that works for all of us."
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What have you seen and learned as a business woman that you can share with our audience?
I’m so grateful that I have had the experiences that have shaped me into who I am today, leading Rock the Vote during this critical time in our nation’s history. I have experienced the democratic process here at home and abroad, in an effort to build more just and equitable institutions. When I was in South Africa, I met with various leaders who helped end apartheid and set up a democratic state and the victims who were imprisoned under apartheid. In Kenya, I was part of the Constitution of Kenya Review Commission to build a more democratic state. As an adult, I’ve been the primary advocate and caretaker to a family member with disabilities. Whether as a mother, daughter, sister, neighbor, or employer we often play the role of caretaker and advocate for those in our lives. To me, that means it’s even more critical that we use our voice to express our values in the democratic process. I will always be working to build and protect democracies and fighting for a political system that welcomes everyone’s perspective.
To register and Rock the Vote click here.
Share why you're voting this election in the comments below!
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What a Female POTUS Win Really Means to Women
Hear the unedited voices of fellow Americans watching history in the making.
On Tuesday, June 8th when Hillary Clinton took the podium at Brooklyn Navy Shipyard she told the raptured crowd, “We’ve reached a milestone in our history.” Clinton was, of course, referring to securing the nomination as the first female nominated by a major party for the presidency. It was a speech that one Tweeter described as, “fiercely fuck you feminist.” Other women were quick to share about the “tears in their eyes.”
This election cycle it is impossible to ignore the gender politics, or what Trump calls the “woman card,” arguing that Clinton would receive less than 5 percent of the votes if she “were a man.” But what would a win really mean, both symbolically and otherwise? And does the win mean something different to different generations of women?
Hillary is divisive. She is currently under FBI investigation. Her campaign has accepted contributions from NRA lobbyists and Wall Street. There are many who believe all of her decisions and flip-flopping on issues are simply manipulations to achieve political gain. Opponents call her crooked, corrupt, and out for herself. Then there are others who believe her track record of defending women’s health and reproductive rights, ensuring equal pay, and fighting for paid family leave and affordable child care is progressive, unwavering, and tireless. During her time as a Senator she championed gender equality legislation, including introducing the Paycheck Fairness Act, designed to give women the tools they need to fight workplace discrimination. More are split on what one of her aides referred to as a "muscular brand of American foreign policy." Her activist approach backed Gen. Stanley McChrystal to send 40,000 more troops to Afghanistan. She supported the Pentagon’s plan to leave behind residual force of 10,000 to 20,000 troops in Iraq. She pressed for the United States to funnel arms to the rebels in Syria’s civil war. Nor does she shy from military entanglements but rather has an “appetite for military engagement abroad.” It’s what many liberals cite as their main source of distrust-- her “textbook view of American exceptionalism.”
For every #ImWithHer, there is an equally loud and resounding #NeverHillary.
Over the next few months as we wind closer to Election Day 2016, we will be sharing the thoughts and hopes from women of various generations and backgrounds on what a Hillary win-- and more generally, a female POTUS- means to them.
Name: Antoinette Nolan
Born: Seattle, WA
Year: 1947
I was born right after World War II so am among the first of the baby-boom generation. My parents always expected me to excel and go to college but there their expectations diverged dramatically. My dear, wonderful dad told me to have a good time and get a good education but not to worry about grades because I would find a husband.
Fortunately, he didn't say that was the only reason I was going to college. My much-more-forward-thinking dear, wonderful mother told me to work hard and graduate with the ability to support myself. She wanted me to be a doctor or lawyer. I didn't do exactly what either one wanted or expected. I did get married. I raised three daughters. And almost my entire adult life, I have held jobs that I thoroughly enjoyed and would have allowed me to support myself, but I never felt the need to get a professional label. In their own way, both of my parents positioned me to embrace the women's movement whole-heartedly. I was never told that a woman's abilities were limited or that a woman could not think for herself or that a woman was a second-class citizen. My parents' gift to me was belief in myself as a whole person with the freedom and skills to create a life of my own choosing.
"I was never told that a woman's abilities were limited or that a woman could not think for herself."
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I am thrilled with the thought that we might have a woman president. To me, this has always been in the same not-in-my-lifetime category of miracles as the Catholic Church accepting birth control or women priests. I wish I could say I think the election of a woman will unite the country or stop back-biting and hate mongering or foster cooperation or bring progress on the issues facing our county and the world. Hillary Clinton is brilliant, pragmatic, skillful, authoritative and uniquely positioned to be an outstanding President so I hope she can be a catalyst for change and progress. She's decisive and confident and isn't afraid of being tough, so I wouldn't worry about her getting pushed around by aggressive behavior of other leaders. I think her own heartbreaks give her empathy with the suffering of others. She's a great model for women but all those qualities make people hate her. I think if we elect a woman President, the feeling of exhilaration for women will be like when we got the right to vote. Finally women will have living proof that we can achieve anything. It's ironic that it's taken almost 100 years after women got the vote for us to finally have a chance to vote for a woman. The misogyny in this country is discouraging and frightening. There's already "news" that Hillary was somehow connected to the Orlando murderer.
My fear is that all the people who hate her will try to stop everything she does and it will be even worse than with Obama. I can't imagine people saying the same things about a man as they say about Hillary or a man being bullied and excoriated as Hillary has been. Not even Trump has been treated so badly. Hillary is a target for everyone's rage, dissatisfaction, and despair. Her decisions on foreign or domestic policy are likely to be wildly criticized simply because she's a woman. I'm fortunate that the men I work with want to work with competent people, be they women or men. That's not the case for many, many women in either their work or private lives.
I hope Hillary's domestic policy will include equal pay for the same job, living wages, and child care, issues that disproportionately affect women. Men will really hate her for it and she will be accused of trying to ruin families, take jobs away from men, bring wages down overall, etc. It might make things worse for women. I hope in foreign policy she will be wise. Obama has been careful and taken calculated risks, plus he's acknowledged US wrong-doing. That's angered people who believe one should never apologize. Hillary is unlikely to apologize and be more hawkish so she should proceed more deliberately. Sadly, the world is more dangerous than it was at least during Obama's first term. She would probably do well to schmooze with foreign leaders more than he did. Thoughtful people will appreciate a wise leader.
Internationally, I hope Hillary will work for peace through diplomacy and non-violence, but most Americans don't believe in a Gandhiesque approach. Domestically, I hope she will be able to build consensus and tackle substantive issues, focus on justice for Americans of all colors, creeds, classes and abilities, and be the point person for women and men to embrace our interconnected world.
"I hope she will be the point person for women and men to embrace our interconnected world."
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I hope Hillary Clinton's legacy will be belief in ourselves as a united nation made stronger through collaboration and for women in particular, recognition and acceptance that each of us is a whole being worthy of the freedom to make her own choices and reach for her own stars.
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