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As we entered the last month of 2020 —December, and the ninth month of the COVID-19 pandemic, for each of us the world has changed in ways that we did not imagine before March 2020. Terms like socially distanced, six feet apart, face masks, quarantine, immediate family, Zoom, Microsoft Teams, what tier are we in, vaccine, Dr. Fauci, have become part of our daily vernacular. We long for the day when we can convene and enjoy each other’s company without the fear of COVID-19. Most of us in the legal community are privileged to be able to pivot to the new normal without despair and hope.
When we look at the wage gap in 2020, women overall made 77 cents for every dollar men earn. (Equal Pay Today.) On October 29, Latinas, the last demographic census group of women, earned the same dollar a white non-Latinx male earned in December 2019, some 23 months prior, while Black women worked 20 months; Native American women, 21 months; Asian women, 14 months, to earn that dollar. (Ibid.)
On November 7, 2020 history was made when a woman was elected vice president of the United States. This historic moment comes on the heels of the appointment of the fifth woman to the U.S. Supreme Court, Justice Amy Coney Barrett. In 1789, the first Vice President was a man, followed by 47 more men. That homogenous representation has now ended. The 48th will be a woman: U.S. Senator and Vice President-elect Kamala D. Harris.
Feminism the theory of the political, economic, and social equality of the sexes and organized activity on behalf of women’s rights and interests (Merriam-Webster Dictionary).
While Lawyers Club’s International Women’s Day luncheon was postponed, we can still acknowledge the importance of International Women’s Day by recognizing the struggles of women outside our country. Women in Mexico marked International Women’s Day by joining in a nationwide protest and strike against the extraordinary level of violence perpetrated against women.
I remember January 21, 2017, like it was yesterday. It was an emotional day. The new president had been sworn in just the day before. I was in a fog of confusion. I was depressed and disappointed in the results of the election. But a part of me hung on to hope, thinking I could be wrong in my assessment of an administration that was just about to begin. I hoped that the new administration would be different from what was advertised—more respectful of women and other diverse groups in America. Maybe it was just a tactic the new president had used just to get elected? But I wasn’t sure.
Chasing the Last Wave: Reclaiming My Name
Although I have been absent from the Lawyers Club Blog (LCB) for some time, I have nevertheless been chasing my own last wave on the path to realizing my true, feminist self. My journey recently culminated with a legal name change, as reflected by my new last name. I have come to think of my recent experiences as “reclaiming my original name.”
Trashing the Guilt
Many women lawyers suffer from guilt over working too much (or not enough), shortchanging their kids and families on quality (and quantity) time, and in general, failing to be the perfect partner, mother, daughter, friend, worker, etc. Most of us have been there at one point in our lives. As we chase the last wave of feminism, isn’t it time we trashed the guilt and lived our lives on our own terms?
