[[link removed]] Weekly Digest
Weekly Digest
Letter from an Editor | November 19, 2022
Dear John,
Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) announced Thursday that she’ll be stepping down as Speaker of the House when the new Congress convenes—though she’ll continue to serve as a member of Congress.
It’s a bittersweet moment for the nation, for feminists, and for me personally. I’ve had the privilege of knowing Congresswoman Pelosi for more than 35 years. I’ve been in her home, and with her at too many events and meetings and marches and rallies and press conferences to count.
Pelosi is a staunch feminist, a tireless advocate for women’s equality and the rights and freedoms of all Americans. Her fierce determination and her ability to find a way forward when every path seemed blocked, will be hard to match. “Organize, don’t agonize” was her mantra. She will be remembered for many things, including her role in securing passage of the Affordable Care Act which expanded healthcare to millions, but looking back, I believe it was her powerful and principled leadership of the country through the nightmare of the Trump years that may prove most consequential. She never gave faltered.
The historic nature of her achievement as first woman Speaker was all but ignored by the so-called mainstream press — neither TIME nor Newsweek put her on their covers as had been their practice with each new Speaker. But not Ms. We were the first national magazine to put Pelosi on our cover when she became Speaker the first time under the headline “This is what a Speaker looks like.” She always made herself available to Ms . whenever we sought an interview.
Speaking on the floor of the House, Pelosi reflected upon her time in Congress, emphasizing the importance of preserving democracy in the face of recent threats. “Indeed, American democracy is majestic. But it is fragile,” she said. “Many of us here have witnessed its fragility firsthand, tragically in this chamber. And so democracy must be forever defended from forces that wish it harm.”
Wearing white in an homage to the suffragists and early fighters for women’s equality, Pelosi noted how far Congress has come over the course of her 35 years in office. “When I came to the Congress in 1987, there were 12 Democratic women. Now there are over 90. And we want more.” It was Pelosi’s determination and hard work — her focus on recruiting women to run and increasing the diversity of the Democrats in Congress to better reflect the nation.
Quite simply, Pelosi was the Best. Speaker. Ever.
Onward!
[[link removed]]
Kathy Spillar
Executive Editor
This Week's Must-Reads from Ms.
[link removed] [[link removed]] [link removed] [[link removed]]
‘We Told You So’: The Abortion Issue Drove the Midterms [[link removed]] Don’t Mess With Nancy Pelosi [[link removed]]
[link removed] [[link removed]] [link removed] [[link removed]]
‘We Condemn the Public Shaming of Amber Heard’: 130 Women’s Rights Signatories Sign Open Letter [[link removed]] COP27’s Newest Headliner: Environmental Justice [[link removed]]
[link removed] [[link removed]] Tune in for a new episode of Ms. magazine's podcast, On the Issues with Michele Goodwin on
Apple Podcasts [[link removed]] + Spotify [[link removed]] .
Dr. Goodwin is joined by experts Danielle Citron and Jackie Rotman to tackle the issues women face in online spaces — from privacy to misogyny to censorship of women who use their voices to speak out, and more. How are women taking on the tech platforms and fighting back in the face of online harassment, discrimination and censorship?
We hope you'll listen, subscribe, rate and review today!
READ THE REST [[link removed]] | GET THE MAGAZINE [[link removed]] | SUPPORT MS. [[link removed]]
[[link removed]]
[link removed] [[link removed]] [link removed] [[link removed]] [link removed] [[link removed]]
Enjoy this newsletter? Forward to a friend!
Was this email forwarded to you by a friend? Subscribe [[link removed]] .

Ms. Magazine
1600 Wilson Boulevard
Suite 801
Arlington, VA 22209
United States
Manage your email subscriptions here [[link removed]]
If you believe you received this message in error or wish to no longer receive email from us, please
unsubscribe: [link removed] .