Hi John,

Finally, it’s the time of year to justify denim-on-denim outfits, cinnamony coffees, and spending as much time as you can outdoors before the slight breeze turns into a bitter snap. 🍂🍁

September is my favorite month to experience in D.C., (with May being a close second.) The weather makes all of the beautiful things like walking through the farmer’s market, going to annual neighborhood festivals, and taking a lunch break in the park so much better. In this chaotic time of year (I say in every newsletter), I am embracing coziness and warmth, and I encourage y’all to join me. So grab something fleecy, pour yourself some apple cider, and stroll with me through this month’s foliage of news and updates.

“We must be authentic.” ✊🚛

Desiree Wood, founder of REAL Women in Trucking, stressed the importance of storytelling and authenticity at a Salute to Women Truckers event, which marked the end of the cross-country tour of the “Sisters of the Road” photo exhibition, hosted by U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA.) “Trucking has always been diverse, but not inclusive,” she said. “Exhibits like this (...) are crucial for recognizing the contribution of remarkable individuals who embody the spirit of what it means to truly be a professional driver.”  

The event was bittersweet, highlighting the challenges that women truckers face in the industry including rampant sex harassment, assault, and other forms of sex discrimination, which NWLC is fighting on many fronts. NWLC filed a class action hiring discrimination charge on behalf of four women truck drivers and REAL Women in Trucking, and also crafted comments, alongside Peter Romer-Friedman Law PLLC and REAL Women in Trucking, that were submitted to the FMCSA Women of Trucking Advisory Board with recommendations to protect all drivers, including women, from discrimination, harassment, assault, and violence. As we continue to honor these women, we must also ensure all women truck drivers have safe, stable, and equitable working conditions. Watch a recording of the event here.

Federal pandemic child care funding expires tomorrow, and we’re already feeling the effects. 😵‍💫🚸

As kids go back to school and families navigate new routines, our country’s child care crisis has continued to worsen. September’s job report highlighted the severity of the child care crisis, according to NBC, as the amount of people in the United States that missed work due to child care complications matched August’s all-time high. At the same time, private equity groups continue to infiltrate child care sectors across the country to the detriment of children and families, and the remaining federal child care pandemic relief funding expires tomorrow, September 30, deepening the severity of the care crisis for families and early educators. This all goes to show that child care is the backbone of this country, and without it everyone and everything can fall apart. I took the opportunity to let Congress know that we must invest in child care, and I hope you take it, too.

Must-Dos, Must-Reads, and Must-Listens ✅📖🎙️

• It's banned book week! Tell Congress to support the Books Save Lives Act to fight against book bans.
• Listen to NPR’s Code Switch episode about how book bans impact teachers, students, and local libraries.
• Read the Tarana Burke interview published by the Associated Press about the indictment of Sean “Diddy” Combs and the lasting impact of #MeToo, and read Fatima Goss Graves’ statement about the indictment.

Person that lived rent free in my head in September: Audre Lorde 📚🤎

I don’t know if y’all have noticed a theme in this section each month, but I have really gone deep into the world of Black femme writers. Audre Lorde was a poet, writer, and one of the greatest feminist minds of her generation. One of her most popular quotes, as it should be, is “Caring for myself is not self-indulgence, it is self-preservation and that is an act of political warfare.” I find myself rereading that quote during these tumultuous times as I try to push myself to do one more thing, stay up a little bit longer, but try not to pour out even more of myself without also pouring into myself.

I’ve been toting Sister Outsider in my bag over the last few weeks, immersing myself fully in every essay and speech. As I read, I find myself nodding emphatically, underlining most of her words, and taking time to pause and let Lorde’s words wash over me. Take this one from her essay about the transformation of silence:

“We can learn to work and speak when we are afraid in the same way we have learned to work and speak when we are tired. For we have been socialized to respect fear more than our own needs for language and definition, and while we wait in silence for that final luxury of fearlessness, the weight of that silence will choke us.”

It can be so easy to grow jaded, to wait for the right time to do or say the right thing, but working at NWLC and reading Lorde’s quote have both shown me the importance of making sure my values are true to me and shared. Speaking the truth even when it’s uncomfortable is something that my colleagues and I are more than familiar with, as silence saves no one and allows injustices to prevail.

Feminist Moment of Joy: Spending Time in Community and With Myself ✨🧘🏾‍♀️

Desiree Wood’s quote about authenticity struck a chord with me as I was writing this month’s newsletter. I was reflecting on how I have decided this year that there is no point leading a disingenuous life. A life rooted in fear and isolation, or a life of staying silent like Lorde mentioned, is not something that I’m interested in, as true work, growth, and happiness are rooted in vulnerability and authenticity.

I spent September listening to my intuition and connecting with my community, even when it wasn’t necessarily easy or comfortable, and I felt even more grounded and grateful. Doing yoga in a community garden, basking in the grass at a birthday picnic, celebrating Black women congressional chiefs of staff, and supporting small businesses as they transition to their fall menus have brought me so much closer to myself and my community. I hope that you can reflect on the things that make you you, bring you peace, and connect you with others.

Stay cozy and keep being you,

Jessica Baskerville
she/her/hers
Media Relations Manager
National Women’s Law Center