Document 57: "Commissioner Liz Carpenter: Faces and Voices, First Plenary Session," in National Commission on the Observance of International Women's Year, The Spirit of Houston: The First National Women's Conference (Washington, D.C.: U.S. Government Printing Office, 1978), pp. 221-22.
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COMMISSIONER LIZ CARPENTER: FACES AND VOICES
FIRST PLENARY SESSION
NOVEMBER 19, 1977
The eyes of Nation are on Texas today. As a native-born daughter, I assure you we like it that way!
Let the good news ring out! There is no energy shortage here in Houston—the Philadelphia of 1977. Here is a supply of America's greatest untapped energy resource—set aside for 201 years—misused and unused (a fuel that comes with brains)—the women of America.
This year something quite wonderful happened. Every women living under the American flag had a chance to attend a meeting, vote her mind, and send a delegation here to this national summit of women.
So here we are, the faces and voices ignored and silenced too often by the decisionmakers….
We are the map of America. Some of us think the country's moving too slowly. Some fear it will move too fast. Our roots are privileged and they are humble. So here we are inside this hall and out—women of many faces and voices. We are not all as passionate as Bella, as perceptive and photogenic as Gloria, as judicious as Judge Shirley Hufstedler, as futuristic as Betty Friedan, as impish as Amy or mellow as Miss Lillian, as caring as Rosalynn, dedicated as Lady Bird, gentle as Pat Nixon, or courageous as Betty Ford.
But something of all of them is in all of us. We are not look-alikes, and think-alikes, and God forbid that we ever will be.
Look at us. Who are we today? Some homemakers—some breadwinners—some both. How many homemakers are here? All homemakers, holdup your hands.
Any breadwinners out there? All you people who earn a salary, big or small, hold up your hands.
We come from all ages. Let's see how many are under 30? How many are somewhere between 40 and death?
Who else are we? We are voters, since 1920, and there was a lot of "brouhaha" about that! We are volunteers and rising new voices at city hall and the State capitals.
We are in public office by election and appointment! Republicans, Democrats, Independents, nothing.
Let's see how many public office holders out there. Hold up your hands. Who are we, delegates? We are young and old: Sixteen-year-old Dorothy Arceneaux of Houma, Louisiana. Honor student, Girl Scout leader, member of the school band. Would you deny this young girl the right to equality of education and opportunity? Not me.
Eighty-five-year-old Clara M. Beyer of Washington, D.C. Retired government worker of 60 years, protege of Justice Frankfurter, teacher at Bryn Mawr College, one of the handful of valiant women who with Eleanor Roosevelt and Florence Kelley pushed reform of child labor. Mother of three sons and 12 grandchildren. Would you deny this senior citizen mother the social security rights due her—or deny women like her their inheritance rights? Not me!
Twenty-four-year-old Mariko Tse, delegate from California. Actress, leader in Chinese Women in Action. At the age of eight, she was a world traveler, standing before a judge to get her citizenship, now a leader in upwardbound programs with blacks, Chicanas, Indians, and the American Chinese. She came to meet the Asian women in all the delegations. "That gives me a terrific thrill—to see them moving ahead," she said. Would you deny this ethnic American, or any other ethnic American women, the rights of equality under the law? Not me!
Politically active wives of governors like delegate Helen Millikin of Michigan and Sharon Percy Rockefeller of West Virginia, who do their volunteerism in environment and the crafts of Appalachia. Would you deny these women and many like them, housewives and mothers, the right to do magnificent things for their communities and survive without their volunteer time?
Vida Haukass, trial judge from Wind River Reservation in Fort Washaske, Wyoming. Her Indian name is Sinopahki. "I have come to hear what everybody else thinks." Would you deny this Native American any right from the country which was her land long before it was ours? Not me!
The delegate from Kansas, Sister Mary Agnes Drees, director of continuing education at Marymount College, a member of the Sisters of St. Joseph and the network lobby of Catholic sisters working for social justice. "The Sisters of St. Joseph were always in the vanguard of change on the frontier. We are still there working in our precincts, active politically in city hall." She returns 60 percent of her salary to support Marymount Collect, where she teachers. Would you deny this religious woman, or any religious woman of any creed, a voice or the right to move ahead in their religious group? Not me!
The delegate from Illinois—Marge Jindrich—14
years with the United Auto Workers, Local No. 954 of Region 4. She helps
support her semi-invalid husband and five children on a paycheck of $8,500. "My
husband and my children believe like I do—that things aren't moving fast
enough for women in the legislature at Springfield or in the unions. There's too
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Delegate-at-large from Georgia—Mrs. Jack Carter—Judy, young homemaker, and mother of a two-year-old son, and babysitter for his five friends quite frequently, as you can detect over the phone.
We are Margie Flores, of El Paso, Texas, chair of the Chicana Women's Caucus, mother of four and now back in school herself studying elementary education so she can teach. "I want women to learn they can work together with the commonality that binds us together." Would you deny this woman and the thousands like her their full rights as citizens of this great nation? Not me!
The delegate from Minnesota, farm woman Mary Ann Bruesehoffe, who runs her own poultry farm on route 2 near Watkins. She was butchering ducks when I called. While her husband raises pigs, cattle, and sheep, she just fell into raising 3,000 broilers, ducks, and geese each year because "we like good old-fashioned food that's uncontaminated. Everyone else did, too, and it helps pay the college tuition of three of four children." Why did she want to come? "I demand of our society that attitudes be the same toward the sexes and the races. It is inconceivable to me in a democracy that we cause anyone pain because of preconceived notions about the way people should feel toward one another." Would you keep this woman out of business because she couldn't get equal credit to run a business—or unfair taxes that prevent her from deductions that are allowable to her counterparts? Not me!
The delegate from New York, Georgia McMurray, longtime leader in movements for civil rights and the disabled, brings head and heart to New York's community services, would you deny this and any of the millions of black women the right to go as far as their dreams and magnificent talents can take them. Not me!
That's who we are—this great women's movement. Progress always begins with a movement. But all movements of people become movements of individuals, and that is where we are today, establishing a belief in ourselves, gaining the courage to walk in the sunshine of our own souls.
That is the final greatness a nation derives from the movements of its times: the gift of individual courage in people to be their own selves and speak their own thoughts.
America, look at us! Listen to us. Have faith in us. Help us. Love us as we loved you.
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