Power of a circle…
Last week, I spent the week Exploring Feminism, particularly the Women’s Right to Vote and the Salem Witch Trials. I gained so much last week, but I wanted to start with the one thing that stood out most.
The women’s suffrage movement started with a tiny group of women in a small town in upstate New York. They had the courage and love for equity to step out into the world and push back against society’s norms. It was not easy, and it often came with ridicule and danger. But this group of women and a few men decided they wanted better for everyone. They didn’t care if the other women would vote the same way they would. They didn’t care about race or background. They wanted all women to be able to vote. They wanted all women to have a voice. To have a choice and say so in the society in which they lived.
As they reached out to other women and leaders, the suffragettes faced numerous obstacles. Yet, their unity and support for one another only strengthened their cause. There was no room for competition or exclusion in their movement. Their vision was clear: they fought for the right to vote for all women, an act of kindness and love that embraced everyone.
The most profound part of this was that by the time women gained the right to vote in 1920, all but one of the women who started the quest had passed away. The one remaining woman of the initial group was too ill to get out to vote.
These women, with their unwavering determination, overcame immense oppression to secure my right to vote. They didn’t falter when they realized the change wouldn’t benefit them directly. Their love for the future generations of women propelled them forward. Their legacy is a testament to their resilience and has empowered countless others to use their voices for a better world.
About 150 years prior, another group of young women lived not far from the start of the Women’s Suffrage Movement. These young women, out of fear and who knows what else, started pointing fingers and creating fear and hatred toward other women. The accusers were often from a higher class in Salem, Massachusetts, while the accused were often from a lower class or enslaved individuals simply living for survival. Their religion, personal beliefs, and practices also usually differed from those of the accusers.
In 1692, Salem, Massachusetts, became infamous for their witch trials. Many of the accusers were women, and most of the accused were women. Fear, hatred, and competition fueled the persecution of women and girls as young as four. Overall, 300 people were charged with witchcraft and subject to inhumane jail conditions. Thirty of those were found guilty, and 20 were executed.
Those who were accused often would provide testimony against another simply to avoid death. Fear swelled and spread from all sides. Sides were chosen, and hate grew. This hatred-infused year left a lasting mark in American history and was also a turning point in the reform of the American Judicial system.
A close-knit group of women initiated both points of history. There is no more accurate example of the dichotomy of power welded when women come together. Women have the power to shape society, but we have to choose what tools we will use to carve it.
Me…I choose for good, always for the inclusion of everyone. I want to shape society to allow everyone a seat at the table to thrive and live with joy and love. I genuinely believe we were meant to experience this life for nothing more than to spread love and kindness. If you are stuck with a choice to make, always choose the one that creates ripples of love. There is so much power in leading with kindness. There is no more significant way to truly impact the world than acting out of love.
And it can all begin or end with a circle of women.
