Dear John,

Earlier this week, supporters across the National Women’s Law Center community came together in D.C. for our annual gala. Each year, this celebration gives us the chance to reflect on the past year and recharge for the fights to come. Throughout the evening, so many inspiring women took the stage, sharing their hopes and joys, as well as their outrage, and together with our supporters and allies, we rallied and renewed our commitment to the fight for gender justice.

Our own President & CEO, Fatima Goss Graves, gave a truly remarkable speech. I could quote the whole thing (or you can watch it here), but I’ll share just this for now:

At the gala, the National Women’s Law Center honored Dr. Christine Blasey Ford with the inaugural Center of Change award. The event also featured Senator Kirsten Gillibrand and CNN Political Commentator Aisha Moodie-Mills discussing the infuriatingly long list of barriers women and people of color face across the nation — and the important responsibility of people in positions power to lift of the voices and experiences of those least heard.

Our passionate and committed co-chairs, Lucy Fato, Executive Vice President and General Counsel, AIG, Jess Jacobs, Actor, Advocate, and Co-Founder, Invisible Pictures, and Heather Russell, Executive Vice President and Chief Legal Officer, TransUnion, kicked off the evening thanking our generous sponsors and donors who collectively contributed critical resources to fuel our work ahead.

And Representative Ayanna Pressley and Representative Pramila Jayapal reminded us of the strength and resiliency of women — of people whose courageous voices have reignited national conversation about the injustices many of us face daily and the ripple effect that sharing our stories can have on pressing for institutional accountability.

A panel of advocates, including Nasirah Fair, Student Advocate & Co-Author of NWLC’s Dress Coded: Black Girls, Bodies, and Bias in D.C. Schools, Mary Ignatius, Statewide Organizer, Parent Voices CA, and Kwajelyn Jackson, Executive Director, Feminist Women’s Health Center GA, reflected on the sources from which they find inspiration and hope — including the brave, strong women that have come before them and fight with them now — as they press for change in communities across the country demanding bodily autonomy, equal access to education, and high-quality, affordable child care.

You can see more highlights and photos from the event here.

I am never more inspired than when I’m among those who join the National Women’s Law Center in fighting for gender justice.

Thank you for being a valuable member of our community.

Sincerely,
Mary-Frances Wain
Senior Vice President for External Affairs
National Women’s Law Center