Who's behind this?

What’s your motivation?

Let's get skeptical. (It’s good.)

Hi. I'm a white cis mom with a background in social work and social media. Since elementary school, I’ve been interested in politics and have a partner who's super plugged in. I’ve got a bunch of privileges, but sex ain’t one.

It feels like we’ve been working on equality forever, democracy for decades, and that frickin’ glass ceiling won’t smash.

What is this?

You follow the news; you know there’s a lot to wade through. This is a community where I hope you’ll help us wade through it. We can’t all follow all of it, all of the time — we have to determine a level that works for us. And that level may fluctuate, and that’s okay.

You also wonder what can you do about it. I have some ideas, and I hope you’ll share yours, too.

On Women

As Jessical Calarco says, “Other countries have social safety nets, the US has women.”

Oof.

Did you know the US had a national childcare program? 550,000 kids were enrolled, yet they decided childcare wasn’t critical infrastructure. Really.

In 1943, Congress allocated $20 million to create the nation’s first and only universal childcare program. States and private companies used the funding to set up hundreds of “war nurseries” that enrolled an estimated 550,000 children over the course of the war ($37/child) . After war’s end 1945, factories laid off women to give their jobs to returning men. Most employed women, though, fully intended to keep working—by necessity, choice, or both. Their daycare needs had not disappeared with the coming of peacetime. Many of them organized to demand that childcare programs continue. At one picket in New York City, a group of women and children held signs declaring “While We Work Our Children Must Be Safe” and “Food Prices Rise—Mothers Must Work.”

Women are holding this country together. Caring for kids, seniors, and the disadvantaged, and keeping schools, community groups, religious organizations and nonprofits afloat. Often in underpaid or unpaid positions.

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Submit corrections, please

We’re all just striving to get better, yeah? Myself included. Respectful disagreements and corrections and questions are more-than-welcomed. And please accept my limited sounding language when making a poetic choice of “mom” or “woman”; I want to be inclusive to all. And please don’t hesitate to correct my language in the comments; in fact, this cis, white, privileged mom would really appreciate it. 🥰

Participate in the comments section

Please. 🥳 And let me know about your site and if you want to write an article here!

Me oh my

For safety’s sakes, while you may know me, I’ll stay anonymous online. But you’ll see me around. 💪

Pledge to support people-friendly businesses

When I name a business or product, I promise to do my best to research it — using things like the Goods Unite Us app, for example — and only support those that are pro-people.

Apology for using Substack

And speaking of values, I get that there are some problems with Substack’s business ethics. At the same time, I am grateful for this free tool and will not be financially supporting it. May free speech always be free.

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MichiganMama

@howwesurvivethis