Dangerous times call for dangerous women
-
0:01 - 0:03Recently,
-
0:03 - 0:07I've been declaring
to anyone who would listen -
0:07 - 0:10that I am a dangerous woman.
-
0:10 - 0:14(Applause)
-
0:14 - 0:17Now, declaring that boldly like this
-
0:17 - 0:20still feels a bit dangerous,
-
0:20 - 0:23but it also feels right.
-
0:23 - 0:25At this time in my life,
-
0:25 - 0:28about to be 77,
-
0:28 - 0:29I have --
-
0:29 - 0:30(Applause)
-
0:30 - 0:32I love when you're applauded
for your age -- -
0:32 - 0:33(Laughter)
-
0:33 - 0:34but I'll take it.
-
0:34 - 0:37(Applause)
-
0:39 - 0:44About to be 77, I realize
that I have nothing left to prove, -
0:44 - 0:46less to lose,
-
0:46 - 0:49and I'm more impatient about everything.
-
0:50 - 0:54The true, slow pace towards equality,
-
0:54 - 0:57the rise in sexism, racism,
-
0:57 - 0:59violence against women and girls ...
-
1:00 - 1:02And I'm angry, too,
-
1:02 - 1:05at the climate deniers
who are stealing the future -
1:05 - 1:08from our children and grandchildren.
-
1:09 - 1:13Friends, we are living in dangerous times.
-
1:14 - 1:19And such times call for all of us
to be more dangerous. -
1:19 - 1:21Now, what do I mean by this?
-
1:21 - 1:23I don't mean being feared.
-
1:23 - 1:26It's not that kind of dangerous.
-
1:26 - 1:30But I do mean being more fearless.
-
1:30 - 1:33I mean speaking the truth
-
1:33 - 1:36when silence is a lot safer.
-
1:36 - 1:40I mean speaking up in rooms
for those who aren't present, -
1:40 - 1:42especially those rooms
where decisions are made -
1:42 - 1:45about our lives and our bodies.
-
1:45 - 1:49We need to be in those rooms,
-
1:49 - 1:53showing up for one another,
-
1:53 - 1:55challenging the cultural construct
-
1:55 - 1:59that encourages us,
especially women and girls, -
1:59 - 2:01to compete, compare,
-
2:02 - 2:04criticize.
-
2:04 - 2:07We have to end this.
-
2:08 - 2:09And speaking out
-
2:09 - 2:11against the policies and the politics
-
2:11 - 2:15that divide us and diminish
our collective power -
2:15 - 2:19as a global community of women,
-
2:19 - 2:21and the men and the allies
-
2:21 - 2:23who stand with us.
-
2:24 - 2:29Becoming dangerous also means
embracing whatever risks are necessary -
2:29 - 2:33to create a world
where women and girls are safe -
2:33 - 2:35in their homes and at work,
-
2:35 - 2:38where all voices are represented
-
2:38 - 2:40and respected,
-
2:40 - 2:42all votes counted,
-
2:42 - 2:44the planet protected.
-
2:45 - 2:47And this is all possible.
-
2:48 - 2:50Because we're ready for this.
-
2:51 - 2:55We're better prepared
than any generation ever before us, -
2:55 - 2:57better resourced, better connected.
-
2:57 - 3:00In many parts of the world,
we're living longer than ever. -
3:01 - 3:07Women over 65 are among
the fastest-growing populations on earth, -
3:07 - 3:11with the potential for becoming
the most powerful, too. -
3:12 - 3:13Now --
-
3:13 - 3:16(Applause)
-
3:16 - 3:18What a change this represents.
-
3:19 - 3:24Postmenopausal women like me,
not that long ago, -
3:24 - 3:26were considered useless
-
3:26 - 3:27or crazy.
-
3:28 - 3:31We were valued for caregiving
and grandmothering -- -
3:31 - 3:34and I really love that part.
-
3:35 - 3:36But we were pushed aside
-
3:36 - 3:40and expected to retire
to our rocking chairs. -
3:41 - 3:44Women on the dangerous side of 60
-
3:44 - 3:45are not retiring.
-
3:45 - 3:48We are rewiring --
-
3:48 - 3:51(Applause)
-
3:53 - 3:57taking all that we know and have done --
and that is a lot -- -
3:57 - 4:00to redefine what age looks like,
-
4:00 - 4:03can do, can accomplish.
-
4:04 - 4:08But becoming dangerous isn't about
becoming a certain age, -
4:08 - 4:10because at each end of the age spectrum,
-
4:10 - 4:14brave women and girls are stepping up,
-
4:14 - 4:17taking the risk to create change.
-
4:19 - 4:22I became a risk-taker
early in my life's journey. -
4:22 - 4:23I had to,
-
4:23 - 4:27or have my life defined by the limitations
-
4:27 - 4:30for a girl growing up in the rural South,
-
4:30 - 4:32with no money, no connections,
-
4:32 - 4:34no influence.
-
4:35 - 4:37But what wasn't limited
-
4:37 - 4:41was my curiosity about the world
beyond my small town, -
4:41 - 4:45beyond the small minds
of a still-segregated South, -
4:45 - 4:48a world that I glimpsed in the newsreels
-
4:48 - 4:51at the one movie theater in town,
-
4:51 - 4:53and a world that got a lot closer to me
-
4:53 - 4:59when I met Miss Shirley Rountree,
my eighth-grade English teacher. -
5:00 - 5:02From the minute she walked
into the classroom, -
5:02 - 5:04her high heels clicking,
-
5:04 - 5:07she was a woman in charge,
-
5:07 - 5:10with perfect hair, signature red lips,
-
5:10 - 5:12colorfully coordinated, head to toe.
-
5:12 - 5:15I wanted to be her.
-
5:15 - 5:22Gratefully, she became my first mentor
and helped me become me. -
5:23 - 5:26With her support, I got
a scholarship to college -- -
5:26 - 5:28the first in my family --
-
5:28 - 5:30and landed at a big state university,
-
5:30 - 5:35right in the middle of two
great social justice movements: -
5:35 - 5:38civil rights for African Americans
-
5:38 - 5:40and equal rights for women.
-
5:41 - 5:44I joined both with enthusiasm,
-
5:45 - 5:48only to discover that my newfound activism
-
5:48 - 5:51and my fermenting feminism
-
5:51 - 5:58would often be in direct conflict
with my deeply embedded need to please -
5:58 - 6:00and be popular.
-
6:01 - 6:04In my first job as a college teacher,
I broke the rules, -
6:04 - 6:08and I encouraged students
to join me in the protest marches. -
6:08 - 6:11And when I found out
that my male colleague -
6:11 - 6:14with the same experience and education
-
6:14 - 6:16was being paid more than me,
-
6:16 - 6:19I mounted a personal protest.
-
6:20 - 6:22When my raise was denied,
-
6:22 - 6:26with the excuse that
he had a family to support, -
6:26 - 6:29so did I as a single mom.
-
6:30 - 6:34But I dropped my protest to keep my job.
-
6:35 - 6:38Today, millions of women
are making this compromise, -
6:38 - 6:42staying in their jobs without equal pay
-
6:42 - 6:44for equal work.
-
6:45 - 6:48And as one of the first women
on television in the '70s, -
6:48 - 6:51I was warned that focusing
on women's stories -
6:51 - 6:53would limit my career opportunities,
-
6:53 - 6:55and maybe it did.
-
6:55 - 7:01But I got to produce and host
breakthrough programming for women, -
7:01 - 7:03while at the same time,
-
7:03 - 7:05remaining silent
-
7:05 - 7:07about sexual harassment
-
7:07 - 7:11and listening to consultants
who were hired to advise me -
7:11 - 7:13about my appearance.
-
7:13 - 7:15"Become a blonde."
-
7:15 - 7:16I did.
-
7:16 - 7:18"Lower your voice."
-
7:18 - 7:19I tried.
-
7:19 - 7:21"Lower your necklines."
-
7:21 - 7:22I didn't.
-
7:22 - 7:23(Laughter)
-
7:23 - 7:27But I did wear those ugly anchor suits
-
7:27 - 7:31with those scarves that look
something like men's ties. -
7:32 - 7:34And later, in the power
positions in media, -
7:34 - 7:37often as the first or only woman,
-
7:37 - 7:41aware of being judged
through that gender lens, -
7:41 - 7:43I struggled from time to time
-
7:43 - 7:49to find the right balance between
being a leader for women -
7:49 - 7:54and not being entirely defined
as a woman leader. -
7:55 - 7:59But today, I'm proud to be known
as a woman leader. -
7:59 - 8:02(Applause)
-
8:05 - 8:10As an activist, advocate, feminist
-
8:10 - 8:15and as a newly declared dangerous woman,
-
8:15 - 8:18I'm caring less what others say
-
8:18 - 8:22and saying more clearly
what I think and feel. -
8:22 - 8:24And let me be clear:
-
8:24 - 8:29I acknowledge my privilege
in being able to do that, -
8:30 - 8:32to speak my truth.
-
8:35 - 8:37And to stand here today
-
8:37 - 8:39with this opportunity
-
8:39 - 8:43to talk to you about women and power --
-
8:43 - 8:47note I did not say "empowered."
-
8:47 - 8:50I don't think we're waiting
to be empowered. -
8:50 - 8:52I think we have power.
-
8:52 - 8:55(Applause)
-
8:56 - 9:03What we need are more opportunities
to claim it, to use it, -
9:03 - 9:04to share it.
-
9:04 - 9:06And yes, I know --
-
9:06 - 9:09there are women with power
who don't use it well or wisely -
9:09 - 9:12and who don't share it.
-
9:12 - 9:15I've heard, as I'm sure you have,
-
9:15 - 9:17those stories that begin with,
-
9:17 - 9:20"The worst boss I ever had
was a woman ... " -
9:20 - 9:25And we could all name women leaders
who have not made us proud. -
9:25 - 9:28But we can change all of that
-
9:28 - 9:32with a simple but brilliant idea
-
9:32 - 9:37that I first heard from a risk-taking,
dangerous congresswoman from New York -
9:37 - 9:39named Bella Abzug.
-
9:40 - 9:43Bella said, "In the 21st century,
-
9:43 - 9:47women will change the nature of power
-
9:47 - 9:51rather than power changing
the nature of women." -
9:52 - 9:54From the moment I heard that --
-
9:54 - 9:56(Applause)
-
9:56 - 9:59I thought, "This is our call to action.
-
9:59 - 10:02This is our biggest opportunity."
-
10:03 - 10:05And as a journalist and an activist,
-
10:05 - 10:08I've seen this idea in action,
-
10:08 - 10:13documenting the stories of women
on both sides in long-term conflicts, -
10:13 - 10:17coming together
and defying the official power -
10:17 - 10:24to form alliances and find their own ways
to ending violence in their communities. -
10:25 - 10:28And as an activist,
I've traveled to places -
10:28 - 10:31where it's dangerous to be born a woman,
-
10:32 - 10:34like eastern Congo,
-
10:34 - 10:38where a war is being waged
on the bodies of women. -
10:39 - 10:43There, at a healing and leadership
center called City of Joy, -
10:43 - 10:48brave Congolese women
are transforming pain into power -
10:48 - 10:52by training survivors of sexual assault
-
10:52 - 10:55to return to their villages as leaders.
-
10:56 - 10:58And at recent climate summits,
-
10:58 - 11:02I've observed women climate leaders
working behinds the scenes, -
11:02 - 11:04out of the public spotlight,
-
11:04 - 11:09making sure that the negotiations
toward global climate agreement -
11:09 - 11:11continue to move forward.
-
11:11 - 11:14So as we move forward
in our lives and work -
11:14 - 11:17and we have more power and influence,
-
11:17 - 11:19let's change the nature of power
-
11:19 - 11:25by dismantling some of the barriers
that remain for those who follow -
11:25 - 11:27by advocating and agitating
-
11:27 - 11:32for fairer and truer
and more equal representation -
11:32 - 11:35in every room and at every table.
-
11:36 - 11:37Now, be warned:
-
11:38 - 11:41if you advocate for a woman
-
11:41 - 11:44for an open position or promotion,
-
11:44 - 11:46you could be challenged with,
-
11:46 - 11:49"You're playing the women's card"
-
11:49 - 11:52or "the race card"
-
11:52 - 11:55if advocating for a woman of color.
-
11:55 - 11:59I've had this experience,
as I'm sure you have. -
11:59 - 12:04"Are you running an affirmative
action program here at PBS?" -
12:04 - 12:07asked one of my board members
when, as a new president, -
12:07 - 12:12I announced my first hires
as five qualified women. -
12:12 - 12:15Now, my affirmative action had been
-
12:15 - 12:18to ask that the search firm
bring me a candidate list -
12:18 - 12:21that included the names of women
and people of color -
12:21 - 12:24who just happened to be, in my judgment,
-
12:24 - 12:28the best candidates
for the position as well. -
12:30 - 12:32I say, dangerous women
-
12:32 - 12:34and our allies:
-
12:34 - 12:38it's time to play the women's card,
-
12:38 - 12:39play the race card,
-
12:39 - 12:41play all our cards.
-
12:41 - 12:44(Applause)
-
12:49 - 12:52Not to win the power game,
-
12:52 - 12:55but to lead to better outcomes
-
12:55 - 12:56for everyone.
-
12:57 - 12:58And it's time, too,
-
12:58 - 13:01to discard that scarcity theory,
-
13:01 - 13:03the one that says,
-
13:03 - 13:06there's only room
for one of us at the top, -
13:06 - 13:09so protect your turf,
-
13:09 - 13:12don't make friends or allies.
-
13:13 - 13:15Changing the nature of power
-
13:15 - 13:18transforms "protect your turf"
into "share your turf," -
13:18 - 13:20it encourages coalitions,
-
13:20 - 13:22it builds alliances,
-
13:22 - 13:25it strengthens and sustains friendships.
-
13:26 - 13:31My women friends
are my source of renewable energy. -
13:32 - 13:35(Applause)
-
13:37 - 13:40So are my mentors, my champions,
-
13:40 - 13:43my supporters, my sponsors,
-
13:43 - 13:49and all of the ways that we can
and do show up for each other. -
13:49 - 13:56We can become our sources
of renewable power -
13:56 - 13:57for each other.
-
13:58 - 14:00And along the way,
-
14:01 - 14:03we need to take better care of ourselves,
-
14:03 - 14:05and here, I am not the best role model.
-
14:06 - 14:07I don't meditate.
-
14:08 - 14:10I don't exercise regularly.
-
14:11 - 14:14But I do live aerobically.
-
14:15 - 14:18(Laughter)
-
14:18 - 14:21(Applause)
-
14:23 - 14:27Because I believe we can't be dangerous
-
14:27 - 14:28from the sidelines,
-
14:29 - 14:33and there's just too much to be done.
-
14:34 - 14:36So let's use all our power.
-
14:36 - 14:38How about the power of money?
-
14:38 - 14:42Let's allocate more
of our philanthropic dollars, -
14:42 - 14:44our campaign donations,
-
14:44 - 14:46our investment funds,
-
14:46 - 14:50to increase economic and political equity.
-
14:51 - 14:54And let's leverage the power
of media and technology -
14:54 - 14:58that we have
in our hands, quite literally, -
14:58 - 15:03to elevate each other's stories and ideas;
-
15:04 - 15:06to practice civility;
-
15:06 - 15:07to seek the truth,
-
15:08 - 15:10which is diminishing
-
15:10 - 15:14and is threatening
free and open societies. -
15:15 - 15:21Yes, we have all that we need
to move our communities forward. -
15:22 - 15:25And the best thing we have,
-
15:25 - 15:27and what we must remember,
-
15:27 - 15:29is to be there for each other.
-
15:30 - 15:33We will move forward together,
-
15:33 - 15:36willing now to take more risk,
-
15:36 - 15:39to be more fearless,
-
15:39 - 15:42to speak up, speak out
-
15:42 - 15:43and show up
-
15:43 - 15:45for one another.
-
15:46 - 15:48George Bernard Shaw once wrote
-
15:48 - 15:54that he believed in his opinion
that his life belonged to the community, -
15:54 - 15:57that the harder he worked,
the more he lived -
15:57 - 16:01and that he wanted to be
thoroughly used up when he died. -
16:02 - 16:03He went on to write,
-
16:03 - 16:07"Life is no brief candle to me
-
16:07 - 16:09but a splendid torch
-
16:09 - 16:12that I have got hold of for a moment
-
16:12 - 16:16before passing to future generations."
-
16:17 - 16:21I, too, do not view my life
as a brief candle, -
16:21 - 16:24although I am burning it at both ends.
-
16:24 - 16:25(Laughter)
-
16:25 - 16:28And I do want it, and me,
-
16:28 - 16:33to be thoroughly used up when I die.
-
16:34 - 16:37But at this point in my life's journey,
-
16:38 - 16:41I am not passing my torch.
-
16:41 - 16:46I am holding it higher than ever,
-
16:46 - 16:48boldly, brilliantly,
-
16:49 - 16:55inviting you to join me
in its dangerous light. -
16:56 - 16:57Thank you.
-
16:57 - 17:00(Applause)
- Title:
- Dangerous times call for dangerous women
- Speaker:
- Pat Mitchell
- Description:
-
Pat Mitchell has nothing left to prove and much less to lose -- she's become a "dangerous woman." Not dangerous as in feared, she says, but fearless: a force to be reckoned with. In this powerful call to action, Mitchell invites all women, men and allies to join her in embracing the risks necessary to create a world where safety, respect and truth burn brighter than the darkness of our current times.
- Video Language:
- English
- Team:
- closed TED
- Project:
- TEDTalks
- Duration:
- 17:14
Erin Gregory edited English subtitles for Dangerous times call for dangerous women | ||
Erin Gregory approved English subtitles for Dangerous times call for dangerous women | ||
Erin Gregory edited English subtitles for Dangerous times call for dangerous women | ||
Camille Martínez accepted English subtitles for Dangerous times call for dangerous women | ||
Camille Martínez edited English subtitles for Dangerous times call for dangerous women | ||
Camille Martínez edited English subtitles for Dangerous times call for dangerous women | ||
Joseph Geni edited English subtitles for Dangerous times call for dangerous women | ||
Joseph Geni edited English subtitles for Dangerous times call for dangerous women |