Personal hero Gloria Feldt--who is also on the Board of the Women's Media Center, where I'm part of that first class of Progressive Women's Voices--is about to hit #11 on the New York Times Bestseller list with her new book with Kathleen Turner, called Send Yourself Roses. I met Kathleen at their book party earlier this week and was appropriately star struck.
But what I want to share via Gloria this morning is something she shared with us at PVW a few weeks ago. She was asked about the lessons she learned leading a social movement where she worked a great deal with the media and messages as vehicles of social change. And she told us about the importance of embracing controversy--something I'm still learning. I seem to keep playing it safe when reporters contact me to talk about intergenerational divide among women around the election. I'm working on how to respond without fueling a notion of "catfight." Still working on it. Meanwhile, Gloria's general comments to us are now posted on her blog, here.
In a nutshell, the 6 C's of Embracing Controversy:
Controversy is the Courage to risk putting your Convictions out there to the world, using the controversy strategically, because controversy is a Clarifier—it gets people’s attention so you can use your platform to present your Case at a time when people are paying attention, and therefore controversy is a Change agent—because to make change you have to make people think differently, learn new things, and clarify their values.
May we all learn to follow Gloria's example, I say. The woman knows from whence she speaks.
1 comment:
Deborah, thanks for this post. I really had to stop and re-read this: "I keep seem to keep playing it safe when reporters contact me to talk about intergenerational divide among women around the election. I'm working on how to respond without fueling a notion of "catfight."
YES -- not to the specifics, but I so recognize my deep desire to be both fabulous and courageous, while at the same time "playing it safe!" Its hard to be both!!
For me, I really don't think its because I'm a woman or a consensus-builder - I think it comes from graduate school -- where I learned critical facility without responsibility, and where I first met people who did "research" that wasn't grounded in their passion or lived experience. I've spent the last 7 years trying to remember how to go with my gut and follow my passion -- sending my guest post to you was one of my first endeavors in doing so - it seems that those are the ways to find courage and commitment (and all the other C's).
Its nice to find others supportive of the endeavor!
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