Dear readers,
My parents - "Philadelphia Girl" & Huntington Terrell - were married on December 30th, 1950 at the Quaker Meetinghouse in Philadelphia where my husband and I were married, as well as my grandparents, great grandparents, and great great grandparents. I've been thinking a lot about them this week and all the ways that they encouraged me to work for a more just and equitable world.
The team at RepresentWomen thought we would share a little about ourselves for this last Weekend Reading of 2022:
Katie Usalis, partnerships director:
The best book I read this year is one some of you might have been assigned to read in your high school lit class: Things Fall Apart by Nigerian author Chinua Achebe, first published in 1958. Reading this again after living and working in countries in southeast Asia still reeling from colonization, and visiting several countries throughout Africa, it cut to my core. In a world where that history that is often described as a great advancement, it gives a voice to the colonized and their experience of everything falling apart.
Favorite emoji? 🥲
What are you excited about for 2023?
My husband and I, along with some friends, are planning an epic road trip through Europe this coming summer.
Favorite inspiring women leaders?
The thousands of everyday women around the world (and in my own life) who are courageously standing up against harmful and exclusionary norms in their own thoughts, relationships, families, communities, and societal institutions. They are doing the real and hard work of breaking down generations-deep systems of marginalization and gender bias.
Favorite thing about RepresentWomen?
I love that RepresentWomen understands the importance of having an international perspective, and looking abroad to learn from our global allies about what's working and not working in terms of building women's political power.
Favorite song or album of the year?
Okay so this album is technically from 2021, but C. Tangana's album El Madrileño is A VIBE.
Nicole Bailey, interim communications & development director:
Best book read in 2022?
"Black Cake," "Amari and the Night Brothers," and "What Happened to You?"
Favorite emoji? 🤸🏽♀️
What are you excited about for 2023?
Travel plans! I'm going to Barbados and Johannesburg. Teaching my oldest son how to drive.
Favorite inspiring women leaders?
Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke, Voting Rights Activist and Former GA State Representative Stacey Abrams, Justice Kentaji Brown, and Representative Ayanna Pressley, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Vice President Kamala Harris
Favorite thing about RepresentWomen?
RepresentWomen is committed to equality and understanding the impact of structural solutions, like RCV, on women of color and communities of color.
Favorite song or album of the year?
Renaissance, Beyonce
Steph Scaglia, research associate:
Best book read in 2022?
The Ethics of Ambiguity by Simone de Beauvoir
Favorite emoji? 🌞🌷🫶🚲
What are you excited about for 2023?
Summer! I'm a big warm-weather gal. Also hopefully some travel, and of course all the plans we have for RW!
Favorite inspiring women leaders?
Ruby Bridges, Representative Teresa Leger Fernandez, Angela Merkel, Ruth Messinger, and Senator Tammy Duckworth
Favorite thing about RepresentWomen?
Our team and our endless dedication as an organization
Favorite song or album of the year?
Album: Angels and Queens by Gabriels
Alissa Bombardier Shaw - communications manager:
Best book read in 2022?
Girl, Woman, Other by Bernardine Evaristo
Favorite emoji? 🐣
What are you excited about for 2023?
I am excited for our events in 2023 like our Democracy Solutions Summit, getting to meet up with our staff in person quarterly, passing out our 2023 Planners to elected officials, and learning how to embroider!
Favorite inspiring women leaders?
One of my favorite inspiring women leaders is Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez because of her tenacity, passion, and courage to imagine a better democracy.
Favorite thing about RepresentWomen?
My favorite thing about RepresentWomen is that we are the only organization that not only researches the specific barriers women face to being elected, but also the viable solutions that are proven to help women overcome these barriers.
Favorite song or album of the year?
Midnights by Taylor Swift
Rina Shah, board member:
Best book read in 2022?
Pay Up by Reshma Saujani
Favorite emoji? 🫠
What are you excited about for 2023?
The possibilities for real, bipartisan action on paid parental leave and expanded adoption of ranked choice voting by more right-of-center leaders.
Favorite inspiring women leaders?
Liz Cheney, Lizzo, Alice Wong, and Jacinda Ardern
Favorite thing about RepresentWomen?
The data! As a self-proclaimed factoids geek, I love the scoring and other numerical data that the RW team works hard to produce over the years - it’s visually appealing, easily digestible, and best-in-class.
Favorite song or album of the year?
BEYONCÉ, “Cuff It”
Cynthia, director:
Best book read in 2022?
Cloud Cuckoo Land
Favorite emoji? 🪷
What are you excited about for 2023?
I am excited to plant the best garden ever!
Favorite inspiring women leaders?
I am inspired by RepresentWomen staff, interns, board members, and my daughters; actually, I find all women are inspiring in one way or another!
Favorite thing about RepresentWomen?
I like our color scheme, our graphics, our portraits of women leaders but mostly our goal of gender balance in politics!
Fatma Tawfik, international research manager:
Best book read in 2022?
Arabic Thought In The Liberal Age 1798-1939
Favorite emoji? 😍
What are you excited about for 2023?
Seeing more women in office all over the world
Favorite inspiring women leaders?
Jacinda Ardern, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, and Nehad Abou El Qumsan
Favorite thing about RepresentWomen?
The Team!
Favorite song or album of the year?
Dreamers and Made You Look
Marvelous Maeze, research associate:
Best book read in 2022?
‘Black Cake’ by Charmaine Wilkerson
Favorite emoji?
The Black Princess emoji ... because duh.
What are you excited about for 2023?
I look forward to learning more, reading more, and traveling more.
Favorite inspiring women leaders?
Abisoye Ajayi-Akinfolarin, Eleanor Roosevelt, Fatou Bensouda, Ketanji Brown Jackson, Sanna Marin, and single moms everywhere.
Favorite thing about RepresentWomen?
I am in awe of RepresentWomen's advocacy for innovative new methods and coalition-based capacity building to ensure gender parity in public office. I also adore my co-workers, especially the research team. I am always so inspired by everyone's integrity, intelligence, and work ethic.
Favorite song or album of the year?
Break My Soul - Beyoncé, Last Night - Burna Boy, This Hell - Rina Sawayama
Mehrnaz Teymourian, board member:
Best book read in 2022?
I’ve been reading the work of Annie Ernaux, this year’s Noble Lauréat, who has written many books and articles about life, mainly her own and through her experience she has led others into the deepest thoughts, feelings and experiences of women. One of her works is about her experience having an abortion in the sixties. She leads us through the agonies of women who had to go through it before it was legalized. Unfortunate to think that 60 years later we are back to square one in the US.
Favorite inspiring women leaders?
Favorite song or album of the year?
The song I have been listening to is called Baraye (For) by Shervin Hajipour. He is a young rap singer who in the days following the death of the young Iranian woman Mahsa Amini, pulled together all the tweets people had sent about their pains and anguish into a simple but deeply touching song; it is brilliant and beautiful. Shervin was immediately taken into custody. But before he was released several days later the song was replayed millions of times and has since been translated into several languages.
The 118th Congress will be sworn in next week and we plan to visit the offices of women members and give them a copy of our planner of women leaders. We still have a few more left so let us know if you'd like a copy.
The Paperwhite Narcissus I planted in November are in full bloom - a fragrant reminder that we must take care to sow the seeds for the change we want to see in the years to come.
That's all for this year my friends.
Here's to a productive, creative, & innovative 2023!
Cynthia
P.S. We depend on donations from supporters like you to address the barriers women face in politics. I'd be honored if you'd consider making a contribution to support our work - here is the link to donate. Many thanks.
