1 00:00:01,428 --> 00:00:03,260 Recently, 2 00:00:03,284 --> 00:00:07,083 I've been declaring to anyone who would listen 3 00:00:07,107 --> 00:00:10,467 that I am a dangerous woman. 4 00:00:10,491 --> 00:00:14,196 (Applause) 5 00:00:14,220 --> 00:00:16,864 Now, declaring that boldly like this 6 00:00:16,888 --> 00:00:20,245 still feels a bit dangerous, 7 00:00:20,269 --> 00:00:22,945 but it also feels right. 8 00:00:23,352 --> 00:00:25,173 At this time in my life, 9 00:00:25,197 --> 00:00:27,818 about to be 77, 10 00:00:27,842 --> 00:00:29,003 I have -- 11 00:00:29,027 --> 00:00:30,036 (Applause) 12 00:00:30,060 --> 00:00:32,111 I love when you're applauded for your age -- 13 00:00:32,135 --> 00:00:33,160 (Laughter) 14 00:00:33,184 --> 00:00:34,342 but I'll take it. 15 00:00:34,366 --> 00:00:36,812 (Applause) 16 00:00:38,931 --> 00:00:44,040 About to be 77, I realize that I have nothing left to prove, 17 00:00:44,064 --> 00:00:45,584 less to lose, 18 00:00:45,608 --> 00:00:49,405 and I'm more impatient about everything. 19 00:00:49,992 --> 00:00:53,948 The true, slow pace towards equality, 20 00:00:53,972 --> 00:00:56,654 the rise in sexism, racism, 21 00:00:56,678 --> 00:00:59,099 violence against women and girls ... 22 00:00:59,623 --> 00:01:01,926 And I'm angry, too, 23 00:01:01,950 --> 00:01:05,401 at the climate deniers who are stealing the future 24 00:01:05,425 --> 00:01:08,118 from our children and grandchildren. 25 00:01:09,035 --> 00:01:12,835 Friends, we are living in dangerous times. 26 00:01:13,553 --> 00:01:18,685 And such times call for all of us to be more dangerous. 27 00:01:19,202 --> 00:01:21,408 Now, what do I mean by this? 28 00:01:21,432 --> 00:01:23,209 I don't mean being feared. 29 00:01:23,233 --> 00:01:25,654 It's not that kind of dangerous. 30 00:01:25,678 --> 00:01:29,802 But I do mean being more fearless. 31 00:01:30,397 --> 00:01:32,736 I mean speaking the truth 32 00:01:32,760 --> 00:01:35,593 when silence is a lot safer. 33 00:01:35,617 --> 00:01:39,747 I mean speaking up in rooms for those who aren't present, 34 00:01:39,771 --> 00:01:42,361 especially those rooms where decisions are made 35 00:01:42,385 --> 00:01:44,903 about our lives and our bodies. 36 00:01:45,359 --> 00:01:48,502 We need to be in those rooms, 37 00:01:49,288 --> 00:01:52,547 showing up for one another, 38 00:01:52,571 --> 00:01:55,299 challenging the cultural construct 39 00:01:55,323 --> 00:01:58,860 that encourages us, especially women and girls, 40 00:01:58,884 --> 00:02:01,270 to compete, compare, 41 00:02:02,214 --> 00:02:03,560 criticize. 42 00:02:04,365 --> 00:02:06,582 We have to end this. 43 00:02:07,547 --> 00:02:08,977 And speaking out 44 00:02:09,001 --> 00:02:11,144 against the policies and the politics 45 00:02:11,168 --> 00:02:15,358 that divide us and diminish our collective power 46 00:02:15,382 --> 00:02:19,174 as a global community of women, 47 00:02:19,198 --> 00:02:21,264 and the men and the allies 48 00:02:21,288 --> 00:02:22,828 who stand with us. 49 00:02:23,637 --> 00:02:28,679 Becoming dangerous also means embracing whatever risks are necessary 50 00:02:28,703 --> 00:02:32,647 to create a world where women and girls are safe 51 00:02:32,671 --> 00:02:35,147 in their homes and at work, 52 00:02:35,171 --> 00:02:37,855 where all voices are represented 53 00:02:37,879 --> 00:02:39,580 and respected, 54 00:02:39,604 --> 00:02:42,362 all votes counted, 55 00:02:42,386 --> 00:02:44,490 the planet protected. 56 00:02:45,363 --> 00:02:47,273 And this is all possible. 57 00:02:47,969 --> 00:02:50,032 Because we're ready for this. 58 00:02:50,525 --> 00:02:54,787 We're better prepared than any generation ever before us, 59 00:02:54,811 --> 00:02:56,908 better resourced, better connected. 60 00:02:56,932 --> 00:03:00,351 In many parts of the world, we're living longer than ever. 61 00:03:00,930 --> 00:03:07,422 Women over 65 are among the fastest-growing populations on earth, 62 00:03:07,446 --> 00:03:11,227 with the potential for becoming the most powerful, too. 63 00:03:12,021 --> 00:03:13,214 Now -- 64 00:03:13,238 --> 00:03:15,982 (Applause) 65 00:03:16,006 --> 00:03:18,481 What a change this represents. 66 00:03:19,030 --> 00:03:23,735 Postmenopausal women like me, not that long ago, 67 00:03:23,759 --> 00:03:25,540 were considered useless 68 00:03:25,564 --> 00:03:26,912 or crazy. 69 00:03:27,872 --> 00:03:31,169 We were valued for caregiving and grandmothering -- 70 00:03:31,193 --> 00:03:33,749 and I really love that part. 71 00:03:34,662 --> 00:03:36,066 But we were pushed aside 72 00:03:36,090 --> 00:03:40,048 and expected to retire to our rocking chairs. 73 00:03:40,590 --> 00:03:43,543 Women on the dangerous side of 60 74 00:03:43,567 --> 00:03:45,394 are not retiring. 75 00:03:45,418 --> 00:03:48,082 We are rewiring -- 76 00:03:48,106 --> 00:03:51,063 (Applause) 77 00:03:52,595 --> 00:03:57,274 taking all that we know and have done -- and that is a lot -- 78 00:03:57,298 --> 00:04:00,151 to redefine what age looks like, 79 00:04:00,175 --> 00:04:03,146 can do, can accomplish. 80 00:04:03,756 --> 00:04:07,803 But becoming dangerous isn't about becoming a certain age, 81 00:04:07,827 --> 00:04:10,271 because at each end of the age spectrum, 82 00:04:10,295 --> 00:04:13,614 brave women and girls are stepping up, 83 00:04:13,638 --> 00:04:17,377 taking the risk to create change. 84 00:04:18,584 --> 00:04:22,121 I became a risk-taker early in my life's journey. 85 00:04:22,145 --> 00:04:23,447 I had to, 86 00:04:23,471 --> 00:04:26,696 or have my life defined by the limitations 87 00:04:26,720 --> 00:04:29,568 for a girl growing up in the rural South, 88 00:04:29,592 --> 00:04:32,048 with no money, no connections, 89 00:04:32,072 --> 00:04:34,199 no influence. 90 00:04:34,748 --> 00:04:36,897 But what wasn't limited 91 00:04:36,921 --> 00:04:40,931 was my curiosity about the world beyond my small town, 92 00:04:40,955 --> 00:04:45,205 beyond the small minds of a still-segregated South, 93 00:04:45,229 --> 00:04:47,843 a world that I glimpsed in the newsreels 94 00:04:47,867 --> 00:04:50,821 at the one movie theater in town, 95 00:04:50,845 --> 00:04:53,299 and a world that got a lot closer to me 96 00:04:53,323 --> 00:04:59,187 when I met Miss Shirley Rountree, my eighth-grade English teacher. 97 00:05:00,171 --> 00:05:02,382 From the minute she walked into the classroom, 98 00:05:02,406 --> 00:05:04,350 her high heels clicking, 99 00:05:04,374 --> 00:05:06,936 she was a woman in charge, 100 00:05:06,960 --> 00:05:09,621 with perfect hair, signature red lips, 101 00:05:09,645 --> 00:05:11,803 colorfully coordinated, head to toe. 102 00:05:11,827 --> 00:05:14,503 I wanted to be her. 103 00:05:15,381 --> 00:05:21,929 Gratefully, she became my first mentor and helped me become me. 104 00:05:22,811 --> 00:05:26,034 With her support, I got a scholarship to college -- 105 00:05:26,058 --> 00:05:27,918 the first in my family -- 106 00:05:27,942 --> 00:05:30,401 and landed at a big state university, 107 00:05:30,425 --> 00:05:35,274 right in the middle of two great social justice movements: 108 00:05:35,298 --> 00:05:37,949 civil rights for African Americans 109 00:05:37,973 --> 00:05:40,304 and equal rights for women. 110 00:05:40,858 --> 00:05:44,481 I joined both with enthusiasm, 111 00:05:44,505 --> 00:05:48,358 only to discover that my newfound activism 112 00:05:48,382 --> 00:05:51,370 and my fermenting feminism 113 00:05:51,394 --> 00:05:57,541 would often be in direct conflict with my deeply embedded need to please 114 00:05:58,467 --> 00:05:59,850 and be popular. 115 00:06:00,617 --> 00:06:04,418 In my first job as a college teacher, I broke the rules, 116 00:06:04,442 --> 00:06:08,217 and I encouraged students to join me in the protest marches. 117 00:06:08,241 --> 00:06:10,640 And when I found out that my male colleague 118 00:06:10,664 --> 00:06:13,822 with the same experience and education 119 00:06:13,846 --> 00:06:16,334 was being paid more than me, 120 00:06:16,358 --> 00:06:18,559 I mounted a personal protest. 121 00:06:19,688 --> 00:06:22,021 When my raise was denied, 122 00:06:22,045 --> 00:06:26,072 with the excuse that he had a family to support, 123 00:06:26,096 --> 00:06:29,235 so did I as a single mom. 124 00:06:29,861 --> 00:06:33,793 But I dropped my protest to keep my job. 125 00:06:34,508 --> 00:06:37,959 Today, millions of women are making this compromise, 126 00:06:37,983 --> 00:06:41,811 staying in their jobs without equal pay 127 00:06:41,835 --> 00:06:43,558 for equal work. 128 00:06:44,709 --> 00:06:48,419 And as one of the first women on television in the '70s, 129 00:06:48,443 --> 00:06:51,221 I was warned that focusing on women's stories 130 00:06:51,245 --> 00:06:53,204 would limit my career opportunities, 131 00:06:53,228 --> 00:06:55,031 and maybe it did. 132 00:06:55,055 --> 00:07:00,574 But I got to produce and host breakthrough programming for women, 133 00:07:00,598 --> 00:07:02,541 while at the same time, 134 00:07:02,565 --> 00:07:04,509 remaining silent 135 00:07:04,533 --> 00:07:07,379 about sexual harassment 136 00:07:07,403 --> 00:07:11,290 and listening to consultants who were hired to advise me 137 00:07:11,314 --> 00:07:13,046 about my appearance. 138 00:07:13,070 --> 00:07:14,883 "Become a blonde." 139 00:07:14,907 --> 00:07:16,068 I did. 140 00:07:16,092 --> 00:07:17,694 "Lower your voice." 141 00:07:17,718 --> 00:07:18,946 I tried. 142 00:07:18,970 --> 00:07:20,934 "Lower your necklines." 143 00:07:20,958 --> 00:07:22,163 I didn't. 144 00:07:22,187 --> 00:07:23,368 (Laughter) 145 00:07:23,392 --> 00:07:26,564 But I did wear those ugly anchor suits 146 00:07:26,588 --> 00:07:31,036 with those scarves that look something like men's ties. 147 00:07:31,864 --> 00:07:34,446 And later, in the power positions in media, 148 00:07:34,470 --> 00:07:36,921 often as the first or only woman, 149 00:07:36,945 --> 00:07:40,733 aware of being judged through that gender lens, 150 00:07:40,757 --> 00:07:43,297 I struggled from time to time 151 00:07:43,321 --> 00:07:48,508 to find the right balance between being a leader for women 152 00:07:48,532 --> 00:07:53,947 and not being entirely defined as a woman leader. 153 00:07:54,523 --> 00:07:59,031 But today, I'm proud to be known as a woman leader. 154 00:07:59,055 --> 00:08:02,431 (Applause) 155 00:08:05,407 --> 00:08:09,795 As an activist, advocate, feminist 156 00:08:09,819 --> 00:08:14,725 and as a newly declared dangerous woman, 157 00:08:14,749 --> 00:08:17,965 I'm caring less what others say 158 00:08:17,989 --> 00:08:22,154 and saying more clearly what I think and feel. 159 00:08:22,178 --> 00:08:23,688 And let me be clear: 160 00:08:24,355 --> 00:08:29,476 I acknowledge my privilege in being able to do that, 161 00:08:29,500 --> 00:08:32,443 to speak my truth. 162 00:08:35,379 --> 00:08:37,043 And to stand here today 163 00:08:37,067 --> 00:08:39,225 with this opportunity 164 00:08:39,249 --> 00:08:42,659 to talk to you about women and power -- 165 00:08:42,683 --> 00:08:46,808 note I did not say "empowered." 166 00:08:46,832 --> 00:08:49,949 I don't think we're waiting to be empowered. 167 00:08:49,973 --> 00:08:52,187 I think we have power. 168 00:08:52,211 --> 00:08:54,946 (Applause) 169 00:08:56,317 --> 00:09:02,798 What we need are more opportunities to claim it, to use it, 170 00:09:02,822 --> 00:09:04,099 to share it. 171 00:09:04,123 --> 00:09:05,733 And yes, I know -- 172 00:09:05,757 --> 00:09:09,285 there are women with power who don't use it well or wisely 173 00:09:09,309 --> 00:09:11,555 and who don't share it. 174 00:09:12,372 --> 00:09:14,780 I've heard, as I'm sure you have, 175 00:09:14,804 --> 00:09:16,667 those stories that begin with, 176 00:09:16,691 --> 00:09:20,254 "The worst boss I ever had was a woman ... " 177 00:09:20,278 --> 00:09:24,904 And we could all name women leaders who have not made us proud. 178 00:09:24,928 --> 00:09:28,168 But we can change all of that 179 00:09:28,192 --> 00:09:31,787 with a simple but brilliant idea 180 00:09:31,811 --> 00:09:37,075 that I first heard from a risk-taking, dangerous congresswoman from New York 181 00:09:37,099 --> 00:09:38,813 named Bella Abzug. 182 00:09:39,700 --> 00:09:42,993 Bella said, "In the 21st century, 183 00:09:43,017 --> 00:09:46,844 women will change the nature of power 184 00:09:46,868 --> 00:09:51,289 rather than power changing the nature of women." 185 00:09:52,175 --> 00:09:54,094 From the moment I heard that -- 186 00:09:54,118 --> 00:09:55,874 (Applause) 187 00:09:55,898 --> 00:09:58,949 I thought, "This is our call to action. 188 00:09:58,973 --> 00:10:01,890 This is our biggest opportunity." 189 00:10:02,871 --> 00:10:04,792 And as a journalist and an activist, 190 00:10:04,816 --> 00:10:08,027 I've seen this idea in action, 191 00:10:08,051 --> 00:10:13,287 documenting the stories of women on both sides in long-term conflicts, 192 00:10:13,311 --> 00:10:17,287 coming together and defying the official power 193 00:10:17,311 --> 00:10:24,244 to form alliances and find their own ways to ending violence in their communities. 194 00:10:24,921 --> 00:10:27,785 And as an activist, I've traveled to places 195 00:10:27,809 --> 00:10:31,488 where it's dangerous to be born a woman, 196 00:10:31,512 --> 00:10:33,565 like eastern Congo, 197 00:10:33,589 --> 00:10:37,803 where a war is being waged on the bodies of women. 198 00:10:38,528 --> 00:10:42,764 There, at a healing and leadership center called City of Joy, 199 00:10:42,788 --> 00:10:48,185 brave Congolese women are transforming pain into power 200 00:10:48,209 --> 00:10:51,849 by training survivors of sexual assault 201 00:10:51,873 --> 00:10:55,037 to return to their villages as leaders. 202 00:10:55,868 --> 00:10:58,004 And at recent climate summits, 203 00:10:58,028 --> 00:11:02,151 I've observed women climate leaders working behinds the scenes, 204 00:11:02,175 --> 00:11:04,307 out of the public spotlight, 205 00:11:04,331 --> 00:11:09,228 making sure that the negotiations toward global climate agreement 206 00:11:09,252 --> 00:11:11,450 continue to move forward. 207 00:11:11,474 --> 00:11:14,407 So as we move forward in our lives and work 208 00:11:14,431 --> 00:11:16,854 and we have more power and influence, 209 00:11:16,878 --> 00:11:19,375 let's change the nature of power 210 00:11:19,399 --> 00:11:24,911 by dismantling some of the barriers that remain for those who follow 211 00:11:24,935 --> 00:11:27,275 by advocating and agitating 212 00:11:27,299 --> 00:11:31,754 for fairer and truer and more equal representation 213 00:11:31,778 --> 00:11:35,156 in every room and at every table. 214 00:11:36,220 --> 00:11:37,463 Now, be warned: 215 00:11:38,447 --> 00:11:40,891 if you advocate for a woman 216 00:11:40,915 --> 00:11:43,942 for an open position or promotion, 217 00:11:43,966 --> 00:11:46,439 you could be challenged with, 218 00:11:46,463 --> 00:11:49,455 "You're playing the women's card" 219 00:11:49,479 --> 00:11:51,919 or "the race card" 220 00:11:51,943 --> 00:11:54,728 if advocating for a woman of color. 221 00:11:55,419 --> 00:11:58,565 I've had this experience, as I'm sure you have. 222 00:11:59,200 --> 00:12:03,730 "Are you running an affirmative action program here at PBS?" 223 00:12:03,754 --> 00:12:07,316 asked one of my board members when, as a new president, 224 00:12:07,340 --> 00:12:11,951 I announced my first hires as five qualified women. 225 00:12:11,975 --> 00:12:14,503 Now, my affirmative action had been 226 00:12:14,527 --> 00:12:18,398 to ask that the search firm bring me a candidate list 227 00:12:18,422 --> 00:12:21,431 that included the names of women and people of color 228 00:12:21,455 --> 00:12:24,155 who just happened to be, in my judgment, 229 00:12:24,179 --> 00:12:28,231 the best candidates for the position as well. 230 00:12:29,632 --> 00:12:32,194 I say, dangerous women 231 00:12:32,218 --> 00:12:34,250 and our allies: 232 00:12:34,274 --> 00:12:37,758 it's time to play the women's card, 233 00:12:37,782 --> 00:12:38,941 play the race card, 234 00:12:38,965 --> 00:12:40,782 play all our cards. 235 00:12:40,806 --> 00:12:44,148 (Applause) 236 00:12:48,552 --> 00:12:51,902 Not to win the power game, 237 00:12:51,926 --> 00:12:54,601 but to lead to better outcomes 238 00:12:54,625 --> 00:12:55,951 for everyone. 239 00:12:56,596 --> 00:12:58,194 And it's time, too, 240 00:12:58,218 --> 00:13:01,443 to discard that scarcity theory, 241 00:13:01,467 --> 00:13:02,867 the one that says, 242 00:13:02,891 --> 00:13:06,189 there's only room for one of us at the top, 243 00:13:06,213 --> 00:13:08,949 so protect your turf, 244 00:13:08,973 --> 00:13:11,600 don't make friends or allies. 245 00:13:12,519 --> 00:13:14,512 Changing the nature of power 246 00:13:14,536 --> 00:13:18,245 transforms "protect your turf" into "share your turf," 247 00:13:18,269 --> 00:13:19,937 it encourages coalitions, 248 00:13:19,961 --> 00:13:21,539 it builds alliances, 249 00:13:21,563 --> 00:13:24,952 it strengthens and sustains friendships. 250 00:13:25,948 --> 00:13:31,411 My women friends are my source of renewable energy. 251 00:13:31,982 --> 00:13:35,223 (Applause) 252 00:13:37,064 --> 00:13:40,340 So are my mentors, my champions, 253 00:13:40,364 --> 00:13:43,020 my supporters, my sponsors, 254 00:13:43,044 --> 00:13:48,511 and all of the ways that we can and do show up for each other. 255 00:13:49,400 --> 00:13:55,994 We can become our sources of renewable power 256 00:13:56,018 --> 00:13:57,311 for each other. 257 00:13:58,168 --> 00:13:59,589 And along the way, 258 00:14:00,660 --> 00:14:02,760 we need to take better care of ourselves, 259 00:14:02,784 --> 00:14:05,456 and here, I am not the best role model. 260 00:14:06,019 --> 00:14:07,379 I don't meditate. 261 00:14:07,837 --> 00:14:10,155 I don't exercise regularly. 262 00:14:10,996 --> 00:14:14,368 But I do live aerobically. 263 00:14:14,715 --> 00:14:17,553 (Laughter) 264 00:14:18,225 --> 00:14:21,032 (Applause) 265 00:14:22,776 --> 00:14:26,993 Because I believe we can't be dangerous 266 00:14:27,017 --> 00:14:28,374 from the sidelines, 267 00:14:29,239 --> 00:14:32,899 and there's just too much to be done. 268 00:14:34,121 --> 00:14:35,937 So let's use all our power. 269 00:14:35,961 --> 00:14:37,715 How about the power of money? 270 00:14:38,334 --> 00:14:42,318 Let's allocate more of our philanthropic dollars, 271 00:14:42,342 --> 00:14:44,147 our campaign donations, 272 00:14:44,171 --> 00:14:46,233 our investment funds, 273 00:14:46,257 --> 00:14:50,159 to increase economic and political equity. 274 00:14:50,872 --> 00:14:54,359 And let's leverage the power of media and technology 275 00:14:54,383 --> 00:14:58,013 that we have in our hands, quite literally, 276 00:14:58,037 --> 00:15:02,751 to elevate each other's stories and ideas; 277 00:15:03,504 --> 00:15:05,617 to practice civility; 278 00:15:05,641 --> 00:15:07,187 to seek the truth, 279 00:15:07,988 --> 00:15:09,781 which is diminishing 280 00:15:09,805 --> 00:15:13,734 and is threatening free and open societies. 281 00:15:14,535 --> 00:15:21,155 Yes, we have all that we need to move our communities forward. 282 00:15:22,257 --> 00:15:24,824 And the best thing we have, 283 00:15:24,848 --> 00:15:27,140 and what we must remember, 284 00:15:27,164 --> 00:15:29,321 is to be there for each other. 285 00:15:30,196 --> 00:15:33,040 We will move forward together, 286 00:15:33,064 --> 00:15:36,092 willing now to take more risk, 287 00:15:36,116 --> 00:15:38,665 to be more fearless, 288 00:15:38,689 --> 00:15:41,655 to speak up, speak out 289 00:15:41,679 --> 00:15:43,449 and show up 290 00:15:43,473 --> 00:15:44,841 for one another. 291 00:15:45,782 --> 00:15:48,225 George Bernard Shaw once wrote 292 00:15:48,249 --> 00:15:53,734 that he believed in his opinion that his life belonged to the community, 293 00:15:53,758 --> 00:15:56,856 that the harder he worked, the more he lived 294 00:15:56,880 --> 00:16:00,803 and that he wanted to be thoroughly used up when he died. 295 00:16:01,509 --> 00:16:03,200 He went on to write, 296 00:16:03,224 --> 00:16:06,804 "Life is no brief candle to me 297 00:16:06,828 --> 00:16:09,022 but a splendid torch 298 00:16:09,046 --> 00:16:11,831 that I have got hold of for a moment 299 00:16:11,855 --> 00:16:15,668 before passing to future generations." 300 00:16:16,532 --> 00:16:21,002 I, too, do not view my life as a brief candle, 301 00:16:21,026 --> 00:16:23,781 although I am burning it at both ends. 302 00:16:23,805 --> 00:16:25,130 (Laughter) 303 00:16:25,154 --> 00:16:28,469 And I do want it, and me, 304 00:16:28,493 --> 00:16:33,192 to be thoroughly used up when I die. 305 00:16:34,231 --> 00:16:37,166 But at this point in my life's journey, 306 00:16:37,967 --> 00:16:40,543 I am not passing my torch. 307 00:16:41,247 --> 00:16:45,532 I am holding it higher than ever, 308 00:16:45,556 --> 00:16:48,090 boldly, brilliantly, 309 00:16:48,981 --> 00:16:54,916 inviting you to join me in its dangerous light. 310 00:16:55,710 --> 00:16:56,876 Thank you. 311 00:16:56,900 --> 00:16:59,534 (Applause)