For me, it was also personal.  When my mom was first diagnosed with cancer, she picked up Steinem’s book, My Life on the Road.  We decided to read it together.  Then we got the idea to invite her sister, my sisters, and my daughters to read the book and participate in a discussion representing our experiences in the 60s, 80s, and 2000s.  We could see the momentum, the setbacks, the persistence, and the mutual support that is necessary to ensure a place for women to participate equally in our world.  And we could tell that the work of the feminist movement was not finished.   

Gloria Steinem was known (and reviled) for her feminist advocacy. Ms. Steinem once said, “Men should think twice before making widowhood women’s only path to power.” However, on her itinerant journey through life, she got to know people advocating for other identity groups including race, immigrants, and the LGBTQ+ community.  When other feminists recommended a full focus on the rights of women, she saw the rights of all humans as the ultimate objective.  Her writing, speaking, and actions in concert with other advocates aligned with the goal of equality for all. 

In a world that is particularly divided by who benefits and who is left behind, it is hard sometimes to find the stamina, the community, and the expansiveness of all.  It is messy.  Just as life on the road is messy.  But to me, it is the only way.