Civil rights leaders, including my husband [Martin Luther King] and Albert Turner, have fought long and hard to achieve free and unfettered access to the ballot box. Mr. SESSIONS has used the awesome power of his office to chill the free exercise of the vote by Black citizens in the district he now seeks to serve as a federal judge. This simply cannot be allowed to happen. Mr. SESSIONS’ conduct as U.S. Attorney, from his politically-motivated voting fraud prosecutions to his indifference toward criminal violations of civil rights laws, indicates that he lacks the temperament, fairness and judgment to be a federal judge. While Senator Warren was reading the words of Coretta Scott King, Presiding Senate Chair Steve Daines of Montana interrupted her, reminding her of Senate Rule XIX, which prohibits ascribing “to another senator or to other senators any conduct or motive unworthy or unbecoming a senator”. Senator Warren asserted that she had simply quoted former Senator Kennedy, and she asked whether reading King’s letter, which had been admitted into the Senate Record in 1986, was a violation of Senate Rules. Presiding Senate Chair Daines again quoted Rule XIX. Senator Warren asked to continue reading the letter, and Presiding Senate Chair Daines agreed. While Senator Warren continued reading the letter, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky interrupted, saying, “The senator has impugned the motives and conduct of our colleague from Alabama, as warned by the chair.” Senator McConnell objected to a line from King’s letter, “Mr. Sessions has used the awesome power of his office to chill the free exercise of the vote by black citizens”, which Senator Warren had quoted prior to the warning Senator Warren said she was “surprised that the words of Coretta Scott King are not suitable for debate in the United States Senate” and requested to continue. Senator Daines asked whether there was an objection. Senator McConnell objected, and Senator Daines called for a vote, saying, “The senator will take her seat”, preventing Senator Warren from continuing. The Senate voted to sustain McConnell’s objection along party lines, 49–43, silencing Warren for the duration of the Sessions confirmation hearings. Thirty hours remained in the hearings, where Democrats objected to Senator Warren’s silencing. Senator Jeff Merkley of Oregon subsequently read the letter from Coretta Scott King without objection. Following the Senate ruling to silence Senator Warren, Senator McConnell said on the Senate floor “She was warned. She was given an explanation. Nevertheless, she persisted” Feminists and supporters of Senator Warren immediately adopted the three-word sentence, “Nevertheless, she persisted” which went viral with the hashtags #Shepersisted and #LetLizspeak on social media along with pictures of strong women from history, or HERstory, who refused to be silenced. CNN reported, “For Warren’s supporters, it was a textbook case of mansplaining followed by males silencing a woman”. Megan Garber of The Atlantic wrote that “Nevertheless, she persisted” appeared on the internet next to “images not just of Warren and King, but also of Harriet Tubman, Malala Yousafzai, Beyoncé, Emmeline Pankhurst, Gabby Giffords, Michelle Obama, Hillary Clinton, and Princess Leia. It accompanied tags that celebrated #TheResistance”. It also appeared on merchandise with proceeds to the Women’s March. In 2018, the Women’s History Month theme in the United States was “Nevertheless, She Persisted: Honoring Women Who Fight All Forms of Discrimination against Women”. Commentators highlighted that the meme’s proliferation went beyond party-politics. Daniel Victor of The New York Times wrote, “A broader theme—that women are too commonly shushed or ignored—emerged on social media” and that “a man silencing a woman struck some as all too common”, and “rang familiar with many women who had their own stories of being silenced.” The Atlantic’s Megan Garber wrote, “[our] culture tells women to be quiet—many ways they are reminded that they would really be so much more pleasing if they would just smile a little more, or talk a little less, or work a little harder to be pliant and agreeable.” Further, she wrote, when Senator Warren was silenced, “many women, regardless of their politics or place ... felt that silencing, viscerally ... Because, regardless of their politics or place, those women have heard the same thing, or a version of it, many times before.” Valerie Schultz wrote “It is a phrase we women embrace because persistence is what we do” she added “Throughout history, we have persisted in our quest for respect, for justice, for equal rights, for suffrage, for education, for enfranchisement, for recognition, for making our voices heard. In the face of violence, of opposition, of ridicule, of belittlement, even of jail time, nevertheless, we have persisted”. Heidi Stevens of the Chicago Tribune commented, “Three little words that women can draw on for decades to come, when something needs to be said and, darn it, we plan to say it. When we’re being talked over in meetings. When we’re fighting to be heard in male-dominated fields. When we’re standing up for our values. When we’re doing valuable work and people reduce us to our appearance.” We draw strength and inspiration from #ShePersisted to speak up and change the world.
Your Voices - Articles We put out our annual call for IWD magazine submissions and you answered with stories shared, powerful poems and courageous causes thank you!
Tomar Beh
My name is Tomar and I was born in Berlin, Germany to Liberian parents. I love music, the arts, culture and new technologies. I also get involved in many things around me and take up learning opportunities. I try to be a positive role model - online, in person and through volunteering. I live in Derby and lead a not for profit organisation called M-prez Enterprise Ltd. I also volunteer for Derby Sound Community Radio and a youth group called Unity Works. I am an introvert and I honestly do not like putting myself out there. However, there are other ways to influence change that I can feel comfortable with. Through the not for profit organisation M-prez
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