E. Faye Williams, head of the National Congress of Black Women, was "pleasantly surprised" not by what Obama said but by the reception he got and the nuts-and-bolts interaction with feminist leaders on issues. "There was not even a hint of confrontation," she said. "The tone was how can we help you and how can you help us in working with our members." 

Williams had been an early Obama supporter, which led to alienation with many feminist colleagues backing Clinton. "We suspended friendships. We were so passionate about this race." She had been apprehensive about how the meeting would go with Obama but, afterward, said, "it was all I had been hoping for. . . .I breathed a big sigh of relief."

Alice Cohan of the Feminist Majority said the challenge is to dramatize the stark differences between McCain and Obama on women's rights issues. "It is very clear how terrible McCain is on women's rights. Compare that to Obama who is strong on almost the whole range of women's issues. But that has to become visible, salient." Obama has to get at least 60 percent of the votes of women to win, she predicted. Ellie Smeal, the head of Feminist Majority, strongly recommended mounting a vigorous grass roots campaign for women, with women present on the ground in every key contested district, not just at campaign headquarters or even a regional level. Obama, who began his professional life as a grass roots organizer, nodded and listened and took more notes. [Suzanne Brooks has held this position since Day 1 of Obama's campaign. But, she contends, women of color, who are ignored by NOW, traditionally, are being omitted from this dialogue in many aspects, so much so that she started an egroup on Obama's site - Justice4Allincludeswomenofcolor@yahoo.com]

Barbara Kennelly, a former Connecticut congresswoman who now presides over the National Committee to Preserve Social Security, cautioned Obama to keep to a broad-strokes commitment to save Social Security rather than "get down in the weeds" with a discussion of payroll tax caps or other specifics that can easily be distorted or misstated.

Cecile Richards of Planned Parenthood praised Obama's record on reproductive rights, as did Nancy Keenan of NARAL, whose endorsement of Obama before the primaries ended caused grass roots consternation in some NARAL chapters.

One health care advisor, not at the meeting, said Obama should follow the advice Kennelly gave regarding Social Security on abortion issues as well. He should stay with the broad commitment to protect Roe and provide broad access to reproductive services and not tackle the intricacies of abortion, including the medical necessity in isolated cases for a third-trimester abortion, which tripped him up earlier this summer.

Delores Huerta, the venerable farm workers activist who now heads her own California-based foundation, was the only person to broach the painful subject of Clinton supporters and the hurt many of them feel. She suggested one way to ease that could be to put Clinton on his ticket as vice president. He nodded, took notes-and there was no follow-up question from other leaders.

"And she asked it in the nicest way. She said it not as an accusation but said that, speaking for her people, 'we are terribly heartbroken' and putting Clinton on the ticket would help with the healing," recalled Susan Scanlon, head of the National Council of Women's Organizations.

Scanlon told Obama that, after a running mate has been chosen, NCWO hoped the Obama campaign would participate in a campaign forum on women's issues. "We've been turned down flat by McCain," Scanlon said, and the Obama campaign had equivocated. NCWO is working with Lifetime TV on jointly sponsoring a forum where the candidates-or surrogates-would answer questions from heads of women's groups on key issues.

Overall, Scanlon said she thought that "people came away impressed and ready to go to work." Cohan agreed: "His presentation was very strong, the issues he talked about were very important and he really wanted to listen to what people said."

###

About the Author:  Peggy Simpson worked 17 years for the Associated Press, in Texas and Washington, D.C.; covered economics and politics for the Hearst Newspapers, served as Washington bureau chief for Ms. magazine and reported on Eastern Europe's transition from communism to a democratic market economy, as a freelancer during the 1990s. She has taught at Indiana University, George Washington University and at the American Studies Center at Warsaw University. She currently is a freelance writer in Washington.

WMC Reprint & Credit Requirements: The Women's Media Center grants permission to reprint free-of-charge with the understanding that media outlets credit the author of the piece and the Women's Media Center, as in: "by [author's name] for the Women's Media Center (www.womensmediacenter.com)." If the format allows it, please note at the end: "This article was originally posted by The Women's Media Center at www.womensmediacenter.com. The WMC is a non-profit organization founded by Jane Fonda, Gloria Steinem, and Robin Morgan, dedicated to making the female half of the world visible and powerful in the media."

About us:
The Women's Media Center strives to make women visible and powerful in the media. From our founding in 2005, by Jane Fonda, Robin Morgan, and Gloria Steinem to our advocacy and media relations work, today, we are part of a strong feminist tradition that seeks to hold the media accountable for presenting the world as we know it. 

Our mission is to ensure that:

1. women and women's experiences are reflected in the media, just as women are present everywhere in the real world;

2. women are represented as local, national, and global sources for and subjects of the media; 

3. women media professionals have equal opportunities for employment and advancement. 

In addition to the WMC founders, current board members include Loreen Arbus, Cristina Azocar, Jodie Evans, Gloria Feldt, Carol Jenkins, Teresa McBride, Pat Mitchell, Jessica Neuwirth, Rossana Rosado, and Helen Zia. For more information, please visit www.womensmediacenter.com.

In addition to the WMC founders, current board members include Loreen Arbus, Cristina Azocar, Jodie Evans, Gloria Feldt, Carol Jenkins, Teresa McBride, Pat Mitchell, Jessica Neuwirth, Rossana Rosado, and Helen Zia. For more information, please visit www.womensmediacenter.com.

###

JC's Note #1 - Making laws that regulate "contraception as abortion" is the primary indicator of WOMAN POWER. 

Men understand, completely, the power women hold over life, death and continuance of the human race. It is women who must awaken, collectively, to this aspect of their power. If they decide, en masse, to stop producing children the race will die out, rapidly, or scientifically cloning people will increase. The proof of this is the over-population of China by males, in the aftermath of centuries of homicide, when the first born was female.

Contraceptives threaten to give women more power over life and death. The Bush Camp understands this  fully and recognizes the power of women. These men are clear that they need to institute laws to avert the possibility and probability that younger women will use contraceptives to enjoy sexual activity without becoming pregnant. Heretofore, Sex Education asserted that males should use prophylactics to prevent impregnation. However, this premise is nullified by a pharmaceutical industry that provides women with a means of avoiding  pregnancy. This is unacceptable, since it is women's will and procreation urge that propagates the human race. Men cannot take the chance of leaving this decision in the hands of women, particularly, without their knowledge. It doesn't matter that a huge percentage of the male population is bi-sexual and have infected thousands, if not hundreds of thousand of women with HIV as a result of their sexual appetites and lack of concern for women and others they mate with. [Back to article]

JC's Note #2 - In her book, Power and Wisdom, New Paths For Women, Dr. Priscilla Marotta states that:

Women are 'having it all' with careers, children, and marriage. A recent poll reported 82% of women and 83% of men are enjoying their lives. The myth needs to be dispelled that women are increasing their involvement in the work force, divorces are decreasing, and fathers are increasing their role in sharing parental responsibilities and joys. Working women keep families together -- not pull them apart. The working woman in 1994, contributed 56% of family income among black couples and 47% of income among white couples. . . .Not only are women welcome and necessary participants in their own economic welfare and that of their families, but the majority of women of all ages work.  [Back to article]

NOW ABOUT THAT "ONE LITTLE THING"

The conference went without a hitch, today, until I began packing up and realized that someone had taken one of the sample bags bearing the WOMEN IN JAZZ SOUTH FLORIDA, INC. logo. This person assumed that the bag was a give-away and just walked away with it. Also, six CDs were missing. 

Most of the attendees were corporate representatives (Macy's, Citibank, Smith Barney, Cisco, Sirrus, etc.), municipal reps (Commissioner, Mayor, etc.) or consultants who started their own business because they'd be released from a corporation. 

On the other hand, I represent two firms, a for-profit corporation, FYI COMMUNICATIONS, INC. and WOMEN IN JAZZ SOUTH FLORIDA, INC.  I am sole proprietor of the first and founder and executive director of the second. I have several clients for whom I build websites and provide musical entertainment through FYICOMMINC. There are 20 paid members that support WIJSF, INC. The products taken from my table cost money and were samples of what they could get at our websites. There was a price list on the back of the table, for anyone curious about the products. That people who took the products didn't think about the value of the items reinforces the "one little thing" that happened immediately following my discovery of the missing products. 

A female DJ from a local radio station passed by and I offered her my card and postcard about my book, IN PURSUIT OF A MELODY. I asked her when her station was going to offer some jazz to their listening audience and she explained that that would not be happening unless the station adopted an HD format, which she assumed I knew nothing about. I asked her to explain what HD was and she did. Then, she told me that she was the sister-in-law of a young woman who tours with a well-known Latin singer and they are planning a panel to educate young people about the music business. I showed her the portion of my book, So, You Want To Be A Singer? A Manual for Up and Coming Divas. 

She said she would consult with her sister-in-law about putting me on the panel. I explained that my book contains 40 original songs and two lectures about the business of music and the history of Women in Jazz. She went on to name two other singers whom they were approaching about being on the panel. I indicated that I knew all three young ladies and that each of them followed in MY footsteps at each and every club they performed in South Florida, since I am a veteran of 33 years in the music business, that I am a composer, publisher and author of a music book. I said that the three young women she mentioned actually followed in my footsteps in the music scene here in Fort Lauderdale. She became defensive and said, "Well, we're not trying to take anything away from you." I told her that couldn't happen, anyway. Then, I opened the book to show her my composition, Sweet Return, telling her that it was recorded by Freddie Hubbard on Atlantic Record. The record company name struck a note with her and she said, "Ohhhh!" I turned and walked away, throwing up my hands, shaking my head.

I am clear that most women of color hold to the majority belief that women of color should be seen and not heard, even if they purport to be a Powerful Woman, themselves, they are intimidated by women like me who speak who they are! The idea that a woman of color has power really disturbs most people, around the world. It sounds strange, but it is true.

I have been accused of being brash, over-assertive, aggressive, harsh, loud, over-bearing, unfriendly, angry, mad, upset, argumentative, self-centered, and a whole lot of other adjectives that people use to try to define me.

The organizer of the Women's Conference actually asked me to "be sweet." In Dr. Marotta's book [pp. 64-77] that I got at the same conference, a year ago, it states five messages that women get from society:

1. It is important to be a nice girl and not upset anybody.

2. Remember good girls are always pleasant.

3. Put your best face forward, don't let anyone know you are upset.

4. If you can't say anything nice, keep quiet.

5. You get more with honey than vinegar.

6. Be quiet and sweet and you will be rewarded.

7. Good girls obey at all times.

Marotta believes that these counter thoughts should be engaged in:

1. I am not responsible for the feelings of others.

2. Someone liking me is not a life or death matter.

3. There is more than one way of looking at things and I am entitles to my opinion.

4. I have the right to express annoyance and do not have to escalate into anger.

5. I recognize that conflict is an inevitable part of life.

6. I can engage in constructive conflict and not damage my relationships.

7. I need to give feedback on problem behaviors so adjustments can be made.

8. I want to be considerate and effective.

9. I can be courteous without being deferentially polite.

10. Efficiency requires initiative.

11. Rules need to be bent to fit the situation.

ALL HEAR THIS! JOAN CARTWRIGHT DEFINES HERSELF. She doesn't allow anyone else to define her. Not her family, children, husbands, friends, critics, co-musicians, clients, employers, club owners, journalists, etc., etc., etc.

Too many women have been left out of History for lack of stepping up to the plate to write their own stories and tell their own stories, allowing others to do it for them.

And because I've taken the time (60 years of experience and 13 months of writing) to write a book about myself, my career, my loves, my life and my music, I am held at bay, at every turn by people that I assumed would be in my corner or at least consider taking an interest in what I do. Not the case, among women of color, who are so depraved socially that a woman with the magnitude of Power that I know I possess is a threat to them and their search for fame, glory and recognition.

My book also contains brief historical points on more than 25 other women in music. It's not just about me. But the scope is so wide in this book that few take the time to get to know the material in it. They just say, "Oh, you're so talented," and walk away.

Women of Color, particularly, women of African descent, in the United States have a serious problem. Their ingrained sense of self-hate runs so deep that it spills over into the blood of the next woman of color, making it all but impossible for most women of color to collaborate. They must seek confirmation from white women and Latinas in order to be validated. I have this experience over and over and over, again, particularly, since I published my book. 

If my experience is true of the status quo among women of color, particularly, women of African descent, it may explain why white women, Asian women and Hispanic women find it difficult to converse with them, let alone do business with them, unless they are proactively acting like white women, themselves, which is the case with too many women of color.

This is only a thought on my part, resulting from my personal experience, today.

Another problem is that, wherein, older women were revered for their wisdom, today, the opinions of younger women is held higher, even when they don't havethe years of experience needed to formulate concrete ideas about life's elementals.

WHAT DO YOU THINK?

Email me at musicwoman08@yahoo.com or the email you already have for me.

Love and Music,

Diva JC