All Stirred Up: Suffrage Cookbooks, Food, and the Battle for Women’s Right to Vote book Review

We can learn a lot from what a person eats on a daily basis. Not just about the era they lived in, but the culture around them.

All Stirred Up: Suffrage Cookbooks, Food, and the Battle for Women’s Right to Vote, by Laura Kumin, was published in 2020. Part history book and part cookbook, the reader is taken through the history of American feminism from the mid-19th century until the ratification of the 19th Amendment. Using food as a common language, the activists of the era were able to speak to the common woman about the importance of the right to vote and its implications.

This is a creative and unique side of a story that has become ingrained as part of our collective past. Though my own abilities in the kitchen are very basic, I was inspired by the simple, yet effective approach that my foremothers took to achieve their goals. Change sometimes occurs when we get off our soapboxes and meet people where they are. By doing so, we can understand their needs and encourage them to at least consider what we are proposing

Do I recommend it? Yes.

All Stirred Up: Suffrage Cookbooks, Food, and the Battle for Women’s Right to Vote is available wherever books are sold.

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Domestic Supply of Infants is Not That Hard to Understand

The difference between being seen as breeding stock and a fully-fledged human being with responsibilities, dreams, ambitions, etc comes down to one word: rights.

Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito made a very damning and unnerving statement in the body of the leaked draft of the opinion that could potentially overturn Roe V. Wade. Buried in the footnotes is a quote from a 2002 CDC report about adoption within the United States.

“Whereas the domestic supply of infants relinquished at birth or within the first month of life and available to be adopted has become virtually nonexistent.”

I’m going to let NY Senator Kirsten Gillibrand and the late George Carlin take it from here.

What bothers me are two things. The first thing is that it opens the door to a slippery slope. Abortion is low-hanging fruit to these people. What’s next? Losing access to birth control? Taking away the ability to marry for LGBTQ couples and biracial couples? Undoing the 19th amendment and the 14th amendment?

The second thing is that this opinion is based on rulings that are centuries old. I’m not a lawyer, but it seems to me that they are grasping at straws, finding any legal theory (even the archaic ones) that they believe will support their cause.

Unfortunately, there is nothing we can do about SCOTUS judges. Their appointments are for life. But we can vote for Democrats at every level. They are the only ones who are both working for the people of this nation and fighting for the freedoms that we all hold dear.

It’s Been 100 Years Since the First Bat Mitzvah

Every culture and society has its own ceremony or experience to mark the point in life in which a young person starts on the road to adulthood.

In Judaism, this commemoration is called Bar Mitzvah (for a boy) or Bat Mizvah (for a girl). Usually held around the child’s 13th birthday, it is both a religious experience and a time for family and friends to celebrate the new phase in this person’s life. While Bar Mitzvahs have been held for centuries, a Bat Mitzvah is a relatively new addition to the Jewish life cycle.

Last Friday was the 100th birthday of the first Bat Mitzvah. On March 18th of 1922, Judith Kaplan (daughter of Rabbi Mordecai Kaplan, founder of Reconstructionist Judaism) became the first girl to officially celebrate her entrance into the world as a Jewish adult.

Coming only two years after the ratification of the 19th Amendment, it was just reading from the Torah. It was a revolutionary act, opening the door for future generations of Jewish women to move beyond the traditional spheres of marriage, housework, and motherhood. Since then, it has become standard practice within most streams of Judaism that both girls and boys will have their turn on the bimah.

In honor of this anniversary, an Instagram account has been created to tell Kaplan’s story in a way to speaks to this generation of kids. It’s cute, charming, and reminds me of my own excitement of becoming a Bat Mitzvah almost 30 years ago.

If I am reminded of one thing, is that feminism, like all social movements, cannot exist in a bubble. Without allies, it is nearly impossible to turn slogans and ideas into reality. Rabbi Kaplan, in our modern vernacular, was a feminist ally. It is through him and his daughter, we would still be stuck in the dark ages and the outdated idea of what women can and cannot do.

Suffrage: Women’s Long Battle for the Vote Book Review

The road to justice is rarely short and never easy.

Suffrage: Women’s Long Battle for the Vote, by Ellen Carol DuBois, was published last year. The book tells the story of the first leg of the American feminist movement in the mid to late 19th century and early 20th century. It starts around the time of the Civil War. Though women in the United States are legally disenfranchised, they are vocal members of the Abolitionist Movement. When black men get the vote and women are still barred from the ballet box, the fire is lit. Led by foremothers such as Lucretia Mott and Sojourner Truth, the reader is taken through the difficult journey that led to the 19th Amendment.

I loved this book. It was one of those history books that has an appeal beyond the expected academic and feminist audience. It was readable and accessible without resorting to a list of dry facts. I also appreciated the spotlight on the African-American women who were just as important to the movement, but were ignored by their white peers.

I recommend it.

P.S. Today is Equal Pay Day, a timely reminder that the battle for real equality is far from over.

Today is the Anniversary of the 19th Amendment

This image is not mine, merely borrowed.

The core of any legitimate democracy is the right to vote. On the surface, voting is a simple act. But if one were to dig a little deeper, they would see that voting is much more than simply casting your ballot on election day.

Today is the 100 anniversary of the 19th Amendment. In the span of history, 100 years is not a long time. But in the history of the fight for female equality in the United States and around the world, 100 years means the difference between being chattel and beating treated as a full human being.

The women of that generation saw voting as only the first step. They understood then, as we do now, that gaining the vote was only the first step in a long path ahead of them.

Iron Jawed Angels (2004)

Given our breathtaking progress in the past century, there is a part of me that is bursting with pride. But another part of me knows that legislation cannot wash away centuries of sexism and double standards. That requires education and changing of hearts and minds.

Though there are many issues that must be dealt with (including the fact that women of color are still fighting for their rights), the fact that we have come as far as we have is nothing to sneeze at.

Mrs. America (2020)

Ladies, we know that today is a celebration. But we also know that there much more work to be done. Today, we take a breath and a moment to enjoy the progress that has been made. But tomorrow, the work begins anew.

She Proclaims: Our Declaration of Independence from a Man’s World Book Review

American women have a lot to celebrate. In the nearly 100 years since the 19th Amendment was added to the Constitution, we have made leaps and bounds towards equality. But for every step we take forward, there are two steps back.

Feminist and political advisor Jennifer Palmieri published her new book last month. Entitled She Proclaims: Our Declaration of Independence from a Man’s World, the book states unequivocally that women can only go so far by playing the rules of men. In order to break the glass ceiling once and for all, we have to blaze a new trail of our own making.

I really loved this book. It is short, sweet, to the point and frankly inspiring. For those of us afraid to step out of the tried and true, Ms. Palmieri gives the reader the kick in the proverbial behind needed to get out there and change the world.

I recommend it.

The Seneca Falls Convention Was Only The Beginning

Social movements, especially those whose focus is civil or social rights are rarely, if ever, declared victorious in a short amount of time. Recent American history tell us that that it takes years, if not decades or centuries for these movements to achieve their goals.

Earlier this week was the anniversary of the Seneca Falls Convention. Held in Seneca Falls in 1848, it is the seminal event the Feminist movement in the the United States.

Next month, we celebrate the centennial of the 19th Amendment.

Looking back through history, I am amazed and awe inspired on the progress that not just American women, but women in general have made. I am from a generation in which a woman working outside of the home in jobs that are not traditionally “female” is completely normal. Women of my generation, if they marry, are marrying later in life. Our careers and our education is just as important as having a husband and children.

However, there are still battles to be fought. Women still earn less than male colleagues with the same experience and job title. Our ability to access safe and legal abortions is tenuous at best and depends on a number of factors. The chance of being sexually assaulted and/or harassed is still too high for my comfort. In my home state of New York, rape intoxication loophole has yet to be filled.

This generation of feminists stands on the shoulders of brave women who understood that the future is female. We honor and remember the gains they made, but that does not mean that our job is done. Until we have true equality, we must continue on the path that they paved for us starting in 1848.

It Would Have Been Nice to Say “Madam President” in 2020

If nothing else, America is an idealistic nation. We are dreamers and fighters, we do not give up because we are told no.

We are also a nation that can be hypocritical.

August 18th is the 100th anniversary of the 19th amendment. In the nearly 100 years since the ratification of the 19th amendment, American women (and women across the world) have achieved what our grandmothers and great-grandmothers could have only dreamed of.

But with every battle that we have won, there is still much more work that is required of us if there is to be true equality between the sexes.

I would have liked very much to use the term “Madam President” this year. But there will be no women in either party on the ticket come this fall.

In 2016, Hillary Clinton’s loss to you know who was heartbreaking. This year, we had brilliant and capable women who might have done a bang up job as President. Senators Kamala Harris, Kirsten Gillibrand and Amy Klobuchar had all of the qualities one would want in a President.

Of all of the female nominees, Senator Elizabeth Warren came the closest. Some in the press are arguing that it was sexism that ultimately doomed her campaign. I can’t disagree with their arguments, even if she was not my first choice for President.

Though it is indisputable that these women will forever have a place in American history, it still does not dull the frustration of not being able to say “Madam President” in 2020.

If it Comes Down to Bernie vs. Biden, I Vote for Biden

Today is Super Tuesday. Voters in fourteen states and American Samoa will have their say as to which Democratic nominee they want going against you know who in the fall.

As of earlier this week, both former Mayor Pete Buttigieg and Senator Amy Klobuchar dropped out of the race and endorsed former Vice President Joe Biden. After the Vice President won by a large margin in South Carolina over the weekend, it seems that we are headed for a showdown between him and Senator Bernie Sanders.

As much as I cringe that no matter how the vote goes, we will still have another old white man sitting in the highest office in the land, Biden is our best choice. It would have been nice to refer to Senator Klobuchar as Madam President (especially that this year is the centenary of the 19th amendment). But some things are not meant to be, as much as we would wish it to go our way.

The reason I stand behind Vice President Biden is that he has the best chance of getting you know who out of office. My fear is that if Senator Sanders wins the nomination, it will be the impetus that the right needs to give you know who another four years in office.

It’s only 8:50 on the East Coast. We still have a few hours to go before the final numbers are revealed. But I have a feeling (and perhaps a little hope) that it will be Vice President Biden representing the Democrats in the fall.

Will the Equal Rights Amendment Be Ratified in My Time?

In 1923, the Equal Rights Amendment was introduced to Congress. It is designed to level to playing field for all Americans, regardless of sex. For nearly 100 years, this amendment has been bouncing around the halls of power and throughout the public consciousness.

This year is the 100th anniversary of the 19th Amendment. In the century since American women were given the right to vote, our achievements are nothing short of mind blowing. But those achievements only came by way of the hard work of generations of women.

As of this week, it appears that the ERA is one step closer to becoming the law of the land.

We live in a country and a world in which women are still second class citizens. For all of our achievements, there is still a long way to go until we are truly equal. Ratifying the ERA and writing it into the Constitution would go a long way to ensure that American women are truly and completely equal in the eyes of the law.

The question is, will our lawmakers have the balls to finally stand up and do what is right? Or will they put their put their heads in the sand and pretend that its still 1950?