While I agree with you, my question is why? Why are women not interested in politics?
In my experience, the answer begins in childhood. In my childhood, history was a big deal in black homes, Jewish homes, Latino/Hispanic homes and immigrant homes. In these families, someone was always reminding us about some part of history. These constant reminders instilled a powerful sense of belonging. Kids in these families grew up knowing they were not alone. They knew they were not freaks. They knew that other people had shared their struggles, fought the same battles, and overcame the same odds. As one of these kids, learning how to navigate life among white families took some work.
My family insisted there was only one way to get along with white people– do NOT discuss politics, religion or money with white people (white people consider it rude). But most important of all, never discuss history with white people (absolutely never!) If white people mentioned history, we were told to keep our mouths shut. Even in school, where all our teachers were white, we were told not to discuss history. Just pass our tests and forget what we’d been told.
As you might expect, in my day, college women were overwhelmingly white and refused to discuss politics, religion, money or history. Naturally, I found myself in the company of men who loved to discuss subjects forbidden to white women. While there was nothing, even remotely romantic in these relationships, white women treated me like shit. They often told me that I was not feminine, or I needed to learn how to behave like a woman, or insisted I was sleeping with these men. In eight years of college, I did not make friends with even one white woman. Unfortunately, this pattern continued throughout my life – and now my daughter’s lives as well.
Personally speaking, I find most white women in politics disturbing - at best. Katie Porter and Elizabeth Warren are two exceptions and I follow their work as closely as I do the work of women of color. Hillary Clinton and Nancy Pelosi are still practicing women’s tactics from the 1950s (and I cannot stand either one of them).
Mr. Sabo, I’m willing to bet you a homecooked dinner, that the women who tell you they are not “into” politics are white. It’s a cultural thing, that’s how they were raised. For white women politics, religion, money and history are forbidden subjects. White girls are not allowed to discuss those subjects, never encouraged to study them and reprimanded harshly if they even try.
Just to be clear, white women are well-rewarded when they talk about Christianity, but studying theology, or learning the history of Christianity is forbidden.
I am eager for your thoughts on this.
