House Call Local Feminist Relishes An Invitation To The White House To Celebrate Working Women
The invitation read “The President and Mrs. Clinton request the pleasure of your company at a reception to be held at the The White House on Friday, May 19, 1995, at four-thirty o’clock.” Included in the envelope was a card asking me to respond to the social secretary of the White House with my birthdate and Social Security number.
I had already been invited to participate in the U.S. Department of Labor’s Women’s Bureau Celebration Conference in Washington, but this was beyond my expectations!
Although more than 1,500 women attended the conference, only half were invited to the White House reception. Usually sophisticated women were reduced to giggly, awestruck passengers who disembarked on the sidewalk outside the White House to be greeted by Secret Service agents (complete with earpieces and sunglasses). I presented my pass and my driver’s license and was directed to the door. I put my purse and shopping bag (surely you are not surprised that I had done some recreational shopping?) on the metal detector belt and stepped through the screening panel into the White House’s East Wing.
Handsome young women and men in military uniforms acted as hosts, smiling and welcoming us. A young Marine woman led me to the South Lawn. I saw a large silver tent that seemed the size of a football field. Inside was an incredible feast of sight and sound. Five long buffet tables were filled with magnificent dishes: caviar, smoked salmon, silver bowls of chilled shrimp, hot canapes, and dozens of different desserts including cream puffs, petit fours, strawberries dipped in chocolate. Small round tables were covered with floral cloths, each table with a white wicker basket filled with fresh flowers. There were three bars (with nine bartenders), at least two dozen waiters and eight chefs. I hasten to add that the event was underwritten by a corporation, so no tax dollars were spent on caviar!
As I looked at the magnificent view from the South Lawn - rolling slopes of perfectly trimmed grass, fountains, and in the distance the Washington Monument, I was struck by the cultural richness of the women sharing the event. Many of them have been tirelessly working on behalf of women, never dreaming that they would be attending such an event.
Most of us would characterize ourselves as working at the grassroots level, but many of our heroines were there. I saw Betty Friedan standing alone and joined her to talk about her new book, “The Fountain of Age.” And all right - I admit it - to have my picture taken with her!
Just when I thought it couldn’t get any better, a voice announced: “Robert Reich, secretary of labor, and Karen Nussbaum, director of the Women’s Bureau.” They both stepped onto a slightly raised platform. We applauded wildly because both of them have been working, with great success, to bring working women’s issues to national attention. We smiled and waved and waited for the next announcement, which was “Ladies and gentlemen, The President of the United States and Hillary Rodham Clinton.” We hollered and clapped and danced.
Hillary spoke first. She wore a navy blue Chanel-type suit with a pink silk blouse, pearl/gold buttons, and earrings (just like mine, I swear). She looked happy, waving to friends and fans alike. She began by saying how much she had learned about working women from the president’s mother, who always honored the work of others.
She said she rejected the current analogy of women “juggling” their lives, because no matter how good you might be at juggling, sooner or later you will drop something. She recommended a book by Mary Catherine Bateson, “Composing a Life,” in which the author talks about creating a life as artists do - from various themes. Sometimes one chord is dominant; the next day, the composition may be different.
She talked of her philosophy which is doing the best she can within any one day. And she wanted us to know that there is someone else who wakes up each morning, determined to do the best he can that day, and turning around, she held out her hand and said, “That person is the President of the United States!” He stepped to her side, hugged and kissed her.
The president began by acknowledging the role Hillary plays in his life and in the life of the country. He said when he ran for office, the one issue on which he needed no briefing was the problems faced by working women. He had been raised by working women - his grandmother and then his mother. He talked of the need for an increase in the minimum wage, school loan programs, and of the importance of keeping affirmative action, which is the key to women’s progress. Clinton said he had been given the privilege of selecting one working woman to honor at the reception. He chose his 11th-grade English teacher, who had opened up for him the world of great literature. He presented her with flowers and she presented him with his 11th-grade English textbook.
The president invited us to stay and enjoy ourselves as a “sea of power” that graced the White House with its presence. As we walked out of the White House, we saw the beautiful blue skies, flags flying, blooming trees and … Socks, the White House cat, being walked on a leash! The perfect ending.
I have replayed that afternoon many times in my mind and I am always caught up in the sense of pride and optimism that I feel as an American. President and Mrs. Clinton presented a picture to us that day of strength and courage and joy in doing their jobs the best they can on any given day. So may it be with all of us.
MEMO: Jan Polek is the gender equity program manager at the Community Colleges of Spokane’s Institute for Extended Learning.