by guest contributor Kandy Stroud
Photo credit: Misc.
During Inauguration week as the District prepared for the Inauguration of an Administration that stands to cast doubts on the future of Women’s rights, the Woman’s National Democratic Club (WNDC) turned political disappointment into action by welcoming marchers, activists and allies to their DC headquarters.
On Wednesday, January 18th the WNDC kicked off a series of cultural programming workshops and activities to empower allies to organize and protect the rights of women. The events featured special guests including, Rev. Jesse Jackson, Sen. Chris Van Hollen, Rep. Jackie Speier, Actress Fran Drescher and Political Commentator, Symone Sanders among others.
Senator Chris van Hollen Photo courtesy of CBS News
“It’s great to be here, first of all, and I just have to say the Women’s Democratic Club is more important now than ever because we’ve got to work together, stand together to make sure we don’t allow this incoming President to turn back the clock on social progress in America,” Senator Van Hollen told Hollywood on the Potomac. “That’s why I’m going to the march on Saturday. It’s really important that we have a show of solidarity saying that we’re together, we’re going to resist any effort to drag this country backwards.”
We also asked him what are the things that you’re most worried about when it comes to women and the empowerment of women in this administration? “Well, it’s hard to know where to begin because there’s so many things. I mean, for starters they’re talking about trying to undo the Affordable Care Act, which has lots of important protections for women including the provision that says just by virtue of being a woman you can’t be treated as a ‘pre-existing condition’ by insurance companies and have to pay a lot more in premiums. That also, of course, provides access to free contraception because we want family planning. Then you’ve got a big push by Republicans on the Hill to de-fund Planned Parenthood, which of course is the first line of healthcare for so many women, men, and families. They’re coming from all directions and we’ve got to fight back. We also have to try to find a way to move forward the ball on women’s economic empowerment – equal pay for equal work. We’re going to keep fighting those issues but, you know, we have to recognize that this is a group coming in that many of whom are intent on turning back the clock. We’ve got to stop them from turning back the clock and then look for ways forward.”
Photo courtesy of MSNBC
Q: How do you see harnessing the power of this march going forward? A: “Well, I think that people will really recognize the power of the individual joined with others to take action. You know, there’s an old saying by Mahatma Gandhi that you are the change you seek in the world. It really is important that every one of us as individuals take personal responsibility for making change. That change happens when lots of individuals add up to a really big we and are united to make sure that we act together in solidarity to prevent this rolling back of the clock. I have seen the power of people turning out in big numbers and we’re going to have to do that, but it’s going to be more than just the day of the march. I mean, we’re going to have to keep marching every day in some fashion to make sure that we harness that energy for good purpose.”
Paul Cohn, former Mayor of Washington Anthony Williams and Jack Evans at a previous event. Photo credit: Janet Donovan
We asked Ward 2 Councilmember Jack Evans to tell us about the difficult situation with The Women’s March and the Inaugural back to back straddled with all the protesters. The police chief, Cathy Lanier, is gone and there’s so many warnings of drone attacks and threats on the city. Q: What’s it been like for you to plan this Inauguration? A: “You know, we’re good at this, I have to say, both the city and Metro. We’ve had a lot of experience with almost daily protests and large events, small events. We’ve been planning for a long time and losing Cathy was a big deal, but Peter Newsham, who’s our acting chief, has actually been on the force about 27 years. He’s an excellent police chief and knows how to get organized. The cooperation, after going back to 9/11 when the plane crashed into the Pentagon if you remember and things of that nature were a bit disorganized back then, the communications between the departments.”
“Fast forward to where we are today, we are much more coordinated, organized, with the region and within our own systems.” Evans added. “We have about five major police departments in the district. In addition to Metropolitan Police, we have the Capitol Hill Police, we have the Secret Service, we have the Park Service. Back then, we couldn’t even talk to each other, but now we are much more organized. I think, given a little luck, this could come off very well. Then Metro, if I can mention that a little bit, I’m hoping this will be our finest hour. When Metro works, it works. We are ready to transport, both on Friday at the inauguration and on Saturday, at the Woman’s March, everyone who needs to go. Keep in mind that on Metro, we transport 800,000 people every day. When someone says 500,000 people are going to be at this March, that’s a piece of cake, we do that every day. I am hoping that, God forbid, a train doesn’t breaks down or something like that, but putting that aside, we should be good.”
Jack Evans with at a Georgetown Event with Eleanor Holmes Norton Photo credit: Janet Donovan
Evans has been a long time supporter of the National Endowment for the Arts which may be canceled, so we asked him how that would impact his budget for the arts in the district. “First of all I intend to, if I can, talk to the President-Elect, President tomorrow Donald Trump and his daughter Ivanka. I know both from the work that we did together on the hotel and appeal to them, that they should not cut the arts. It is such a small part of the budget. If you had a $50,000 budget, this is $10. It’s peanuts, it’s nothing. You’re not going to balance the federal budget on the arts. So, to appeal to them is number one. It really is insignificant, but more importantly the arts are really what makes a country great. I always describe it like this because the city went though this whole episode where we weren’t funding the arts and then through my efforts, we started funding them at great levels. The city, the country, is a black and white canvas – the arts add the color to the canvas. That’s why they’re so important, both locally and nationally. If, to your point, they do cut it and I hope they don’t, then the city’s going to have to step up and close that gap, at least locally, with many of our art institutions that rely on the National Endowment for the Arts for some grants. That’s going to have to really fall on us to make up that difference. Our goal tomorrow is to make sure everything goes off according to plan. Regardless of what your political beliefs are, or your emotional involvement in this, we’re going to have that parade and the President’s going to get sworn in, the balls will happen and the country will move forward. That’s what our goal is.”
With Jack Evans at Amb. Ourisman’s party at Cafe Milano Photo credit: Janet Donovan
On Thursday, January 19th WNDC hosted a panel discussing the empowerment of women through the arts with DC Council member Jack Evans, Katrina Toeves, the Director of the Washington Ballet’s TheARC program, Janice Chandler world renowned lyric soprano and Linda Harper, COB of the DC Arts and Humanities Cooperative.
And on Friday, January 20th the WNDC hosted a discussion with comedienne and radio show host Stephanie Miller, Adam Hodge former DNC Communications Director, CNN Political Commentator Symone Sanders and the authors of The Indivisible Guide: A Practical Guide for Resisting The Trump Agenda. All discussed the future of grassroots activism under a Trump Administration.
Reverend Jackson talked about his concerns with the new administration and The Women’s March:
Cancer advocate Fran Drescher participated in numerous events to promote women’s health. Hollywood on the Potomac sat down with Fran Drescher earlier in the year:
