MY MOMENT

Accounts of women young and old who have taken stands against gender injustice.

Witnessing Christine Blasey Ford’s 2018 testimony about Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh's sexual misconduct permanently changed and inspired this cohort of co-editors. Seeking solace in “sisterhood,” they sought firsthand accounts, and “stories began to bubble up, from inappropriate encounters and incidents normalized as a sign of the times to stories of workplace injustices, schoolyard bullying, physical and sexual abuse.” The narrative consistently reveals how disrespect for women cuts across class, color, race, and even time. Some contributors—e.g., Gloria Steinem, Cyndi Lauper, and Marlo Thomas—are celebrities whose efforts at finding success in a patriarchal society predated and/or coincided with the rise of the 1960s feminist movement. Steinem credits the cheek bite she gave a man who forced a kiss on her to “catlike [survival] instincts,” while Thomas recollects spurning her well-meaning father’s advice to give up acting after facing industry executives who told her to “marry your boyfriend and give your father some grandkids.” Many of the other contributors are ordinary young to middle-aged women. Janelle Murren, a Trinidad-born career nanny, tells a story of fully understanding male misogyny—and racism—the day a male employer complained about having to “f**ing pay her and feed her too.” Teenage athlete Miya Lao offers wisdom gained from being bullied for her small size, and transgender activist and actor Shakina Nayfack speaks proudly of “my people” and of having made a place for herself despite constantly facing misunderstanding and hate. The diversity of voices is the greatest strength of this profoundly personal book, which also contains images of each contributor shot with cameras the editors gave them. The message of hope and courage they offer to all women is a powerful tonic to contemporary anti-feminism. Other well-known contributors include Chelsea Handler, Reba McEntire, Carol Burnett, and Billie Jean King.

Uplifting reading for anyone, regardless of gender identity.