January 20, 2021

Ms. Foundation for Women Celebrates Vice President Kamala Harris

NEW YORK (January 21, 2021) – Ms. Foundation for Women President and CEO Teresa C. Younger released the following statement alongside the Founding Mothers of the organization on the Inauguration of President Joseph Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris:

“It took 100 years since women first secured a right to vote for women of color to lead the nation in electing the first woman to leadership in the White House. The founders and leaders of the Ms. Foundation for Women have long awaited this moment. We congratulate President Joseph Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris and look forward to seeing a woman of color sitting at the head of the Senate, ushering in a new era for women in politics.

“The Biden-Harris administration has already demonstrated a commitment to actual diversity by naming more women to the highest levels of national leadership than ever before and forming an independent White House Gender Policy Council. Their administration has conveyed that women are not a monolith, and that the lasting effects of American policymaking can no longer be solely in the hands of straight, white men.

“To say that this transition of power is met with urgency, is to put it lightly. Today the Biden-Harris administration swiftly answers the call to redefine and rebuild our democracy. We who have long envisioned and battled for all women’s freedom and justice, pledge to hold our nation’s leaders accountable and to be patient, so that what has been dismantled can now be rebuilt in service of this vision.

“The Ms. Foundation is proud to partner with the extraordinary feminist leadership across the diverse ranks of this new administration in taking actionable steps towards fortifying women’s rights and true equity. Together, Ms. Foundation Founding Mothers join me in recognizing this historic day:

Gloria Steinem: “In 1972, Congresswoman Shirley Chisholm took the “white male only” sign off the White House door by running for the Presidency of the United States. I celebrate her, President Barack Obama, President Joe Biden, and each one of the women and men who have led to this moment when Vice President Kamala Harris brings us a step closer to democracy.”

Patricia Carbine: “On this historic day, we must remember those who broke the path for our new Vice-President, Kamala Harris. Let us remember Shirley Chisholm, the first black woman elected to Congress and the first woman to run for President; Geraldine Ferraro, Congresswoman for six years before becoming the first female vice-presidential nominee of a major political party; and Hillary Clinton, First Lady who won a Senate seat, served as Secretary of State, and then won the popular vote in the 2016 Presidential race. They surely are cheering along with us at the Ms. Foundation as Kamala Harris becomes America’s Vice President, lifting our spirits and our sights to a just and equal future.”

Letty Cotton Pogrebin: “I never imagined it would take so long but now that we’ve actually witnessed this euphoric landmark — the first woman, who is also the first person of color, ascending to the second highest position in the nation — I’m feeling ecstatic and proud. At the same time, I’m also bowing to the memory of Shirley Chisholm, Geraldine Ferraro, and the millions of ordinary women who fought and dreamed of this breakthrough but did not live to see it. Congratulations to Vice President Kamala Harris, President Joe Biden and the entire Biden-Harris team. ”

Marlo Thomas: “Nearly 50 years ago, we imagined a world in which all of us — sisters and brothers of every gender orientation and color in the rainbow — would be Free to Be You and Me. Now a woman of Jamaican and Indian heritage has ascended to the nation’s second most powerful office. We celebrate our extraordinary Vice President Kamala Harris — and all women warriors who came before her — and wish her and our new president love, success, and God’s grace.”

Ms. Foundation spokespeople are available for interviews by phone or video from NYC. To schedule, please contact Sunshine Sachs at [email protected].

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For nearly 50 years, the Ms. Foundation for Women has worked to build women’s collective power in the U.S. to advance equity and justice for all. The Ms. Foundation invests in and strengthens the capacity of women-led movements to advance meaningful social, cultural, and economic change in women’s lives. With equity and inclusion as the cornerstones of true democracy, the Ms. Foundation works to create a world where every person’s worth and dignity are valued, and power and possibility are not limited by gender, race, class, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability or age.