The next time you feel the urge to hold back, bite your tongue, settle for less than you deserve, feel "they" must know better, or think no one will listen or care, remember their commitment.
1848 Seneca Falls, New York: On July 14, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Lucretia Mott, Martha C. Wright, Mary Ann McClintock, and Jane Hunt, gathered for a social visit. All were active in the abolition (slavery) and temperance (alcohol) movements. And all were disappointed in the unjust restrictions placed on women simply because they were women. By the end of their visit they decided to do something women were often not allowed to do — speak in public. They would hold "a Convention to discuss the social, civil, and religious condition and rights of Woman." They set the dates for a 2-day convention July 19-20 — 5 days later!
Of note: no cell phones for calls or texts (US Patent for AG Bell telephone issued in 1876), no social media (first site created in 1997) or email (released for civilian use in 1992).
They placed a small notice in a local newspaper and shared the news of the upcoming event through their words — person to person, face to face. In 3 days they set the agenda and prepared a document ‘for the inauguration of a rebellion.' 300 people attended that Women's Rights Convention and 100 of them signed their document, the Declaration of Sentiments. Inspired, compelled, determined!
The next time you feel the urge to hold back, bite your tongue, settle for less than you deserve, feel "they" must know better, or think no one will listen or care, remember their commitment. Remember the odds they faced and remember the support they found in each other.
Today and going forward, celebrate their spirit and honor their courage by using your voice.
Imagine a world where we truly feel heard and understood, expressing our unique and authentic selves, and honoring that spirit in everyone. That world is here, now. We simply have to reach for it.
Reading: https://www.historynet.com/seneca-falls-convention https://www.nps.gov/wori/learn/historyculture/report-of-the-womans-rights-convention.htm
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