Again, no readings this week, so today's post is going to be a continuation of my thoughts I shared back on March 1st. In my blog post that day, I reflected on the role of women in the Midwest, especially in my home-state of Nebraska. I couldn't (and still can't) quite figure out why the region of this nation that pioneered women's rights in terms of suffrage and education is now a stronghold of regressive politics that oppress women and suppress their voices.
This week, however, I was alerted of a new development regarding progressive politics in my usually regressive state. Right now, Lincoln, Nebraska is holding its City Council elections, and Meg Mikolajczyk (Mike-o-lie-check) is a candidate. Mikolajczyk is a 27 year-old attorney who has her own firm and primarily does pro-bono work advocating for the LGBT community and low-income individuals and families.
As the woman who comes home and is immediately labelled as the "raging liberal" (not entirely falsely), this woman's successful campaign came as a huge surprise. I have almost never heard mention of LGBT issues in a Nebraskan political conversation, and absolutely never in a positive manner. When asked for an article in the Lincoln Journal Star to summarize her campaign message in a Tweet, she wrote: "New leadership for a growing, vibrant Lincoln," and, boy is it ever!
Besides the fact that we will soon (23 days) share a degree in anthropology, we also take a similar stance on many issues - especially housing policy, LGBT rights, and the importance of evaluating what is best for all members of a community (not just the powerful ones). I often feel stifled and alone in my home community unless I am on the University of Nebraska - Lincoln campus, but listening to Mikolajczyk talk about issues facing Lincoln and the kind of inclusive growth she wants to see happen in it gives me hope. Maybe with more women like Mikolajczyk taking leadership roles in our communities we can start to "reassert the independence, strength, and innovation of Midwestern women." And maybe, just maybe, I won't feel so alone.
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