Our Shared Shelf discussion

Hello, everyone!

I woke up today with this question on my mind.
Who do you consider, in the past and future, the greatest minds that are trying/tried to work on the problem of gender inequality?
If you could join two people together, from the past or present, to work on this problem, who would you choose?
And how would they do it?

I believe this will be a very interesting topic to discuss, looking forward to hearing your ideas :)

I would choose Simone de beauvoir and Derrick Bell.

I would chose myself and Emma and advise everyone to choose themselves and Emma also. What we are doing at least on OSS

Ross wrote: "I would chose myself and Emma and advise everyone to choose themselves and Emma also. What we are doing at least on OSS "
But how would you fight the problem, exactly?

Non-specific to gender, but I would be interested to see how MLK and JFK would deal with today's climate, especially if they had a better pulse on what the American people wanted.

Kennedy was always tempered in his support of the Civil Rights movement even if the Civil Rights Act was actually his design. But many sources cite that lukewarm support was due to political optics more than personal belief. I also think his "Camelot" ideals might give some hope and civility back to discourse. Also, being Roman Catholic and white would help bring that religious sect of Middle America more to the table. Both of those skills combined might make strong legal process in equality, without disenfranchising or spooking the right.

MLK obvi needs no introduction but I think with technology at his back, he could have spread his message further and with more support. Also as a great role model, I think the non-violence message would be even more relevant today, given the press coverage given to even small amounts of rioting.

Two additional things, I think as forward thinking men, they would have great respect for other necessary agenda items, like the environment and abroad issues.

Also, I hope that in today's world, neither of them would have gotten shot and killed. or in MLK's case, have his house firebombed or shot at.

While both men, I don't think that their gender should be a qualification to determine how much they could help. But I digress.

Well that is the question Mafalda. We all work on our own areas of influence to effect change however we can.

Teddy Roosevelt put it best;
"Do what you can, with what you have, where you are"

So protests when you can vote for the equality candidate. Find a way to make a stand and if it works for you declare yourself a feminist.

I think this question is a little bit strange because as you can't join different people into one person the answer is already there. Of course there are many people working for equality who I think are inspiring. Not just "famous" people like I would name Laurie Penny, Anne Wizorek and Anita Sarkeesian here. But also many people who exchange opinions and discuss here on OSS. I for my case have learned a lot from reading and discussing here in the OSS-forum. So I want to take the chance and especially say Thank you to you here, Laure and MeerderWörter! So sorry for being rude but I guess it's quite useless to speculate who would be the "perfect" person to fight against inequality. Because everyone who shares the opinion that inequality is wrong and should be overcome has taken the first step on the right path. We could now discuss the question how we can go that path together and what strategies make sense.

Hey Meelie! Oh I see! I completely misunderstood something here. I guess it's because of the word "joining" in the original post (sorry, I'm no native speaker..). The idea is like two people meeting each other in a bar and talking about the issue of equality! Okay, in that case I have to take back what I have said earlier. And yes, you are right, it's a funny scenario! :)

Well.. I would suggest Karl Marx and Emma Goldman then. Because Karl Marx was a great thinker who analyzed, critiziced and discussed our society in his books. And he exchanged a lot of his ideas in letters with other people, too. Emma Goldman at the same time was a great activist fighting for worker's and women's rights. So you have a cool combination of theory and practise here. I think the two of them would have a lot to talk about but also a lot to act in practise together. That might bring us much closer to equality.

Meelie wrote: "Not a problem ;) that's how I thought it was worded, so I could still be wrong? Hahah!!

But yes, Marx! I like the idea of a theorist joining someone else - someone who is more of a practical pers..."

I love Marx, his "Kapital" is seen as the best analysis of the industrial society of the 19th century, that's saying something!:)
It took me some time to understand him, but now I really do, and see what a great thinker he was! And revolutionist, he was the publisher of a revolutionist news paper ( I knew I'd need this some time, apart from my studies), and had to live in exile in London after the revolution failed.

Sascha wrote: "I think this question is a little bit strange because as you can't join different people into one person the answer is already there. Of course there are many people working for equality who I thin..."

What an honour to be able to help you broadening your mind, Sascha! I have to thank you to, everyone here, because all of you have also broadened my mind:)

Now, if I were to join two people together, dead or alive, I would choose Wilma Mankiller and Emily Quinn. The former needs no introduction, but I'd choose her for her Native American heritage and her Cherokee mind (I LOVE her quote: “An Indian is an Indian regardless of the degree of Indian blood or which little government card they do or do not possess.”). I plan on reading her books and from what Gloria wrote in MLOTR, she seemed to be such an iconic and charismatic person.
Now, Emily Quinn is an intersex activist, and from what I've read about her, seems to have quite the right attitude for general change. She has the balls (pun totally intended) and comforts those who struggle with their intersex-related issues. Check her out, she's great!

Thank you everyone for your answers!

Indeed, my question was about: if you could take two people, dead or alive, and put them working together to solve this problem. And now joining two brains to make one super-feminist-brain, although that's also fun :P

This speculation is not, in fact, as useless as it might seem at first. The true question is: how does one, specifically, fight gender inequality? How does it happen? Because good intentions alone are not enough.

Of course, we can all help, I try to do as much as I can inside my small circles of people. But certainly the President of the United States, for example, is in a much better position to make a bigger change!

So, let's imagine two people with that amount of power, with these good ideas we all have: what would they do, which steps would they take? And who are these two people with power?

Also, these two people would be fighting together against this problem and taking specific measures, but they would need support from all of us, of course. When I say I wouldn't choose myself, I'm not saying I would be sitting still while these two do their job. I'm just saying there are people whose words reach millions of people, while mine may reach dozens, or maybe hundreds.

I hope it's clearer now :)

Sascha wrote: "Hey Meelie! Oh I see! I completely misunderstood something here. I guess it's because of the word "joining" in the original post (sorry, I'm no native speaker..). The idea is like two people meetin..."

Hi! Very interesting idea. I wonder what would happen if Marx and Luther King were joined together.
What would they do? Spread their message through books, make lectures? If they could change laws, what could be done?

This way we know what we can aim to!

MeerderWörter wrote: "Meelie wrote: "Not a problem ;) that's how I thought it was worded, so I could still be wrong? Hahah!!

But yes, Marx! I like the idea of a theorist joining someone else - someone who is more of a..."

Hi! Could you tell me where to find information about Emily Quinn?

Mafalda wrote: "MeerderWörter wrote: "Meelie wrote: "Not a problem ;) that's how I thought it was worded, so I could still be wrong? Hahah!!

But yes, Marx! I like the idea of a theorist joining someone else - so..."

https://twitter.com/emilord?lang=de
https://www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/comment...
https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/im... (that's also available in German)
http://aisdsd.org/im-emily-quinn-im-i...

And she's a member of InterAct - Youth:)
http://interactadvocates.org/

Well, well... very interesting question (:

I'd choose George Orwell, not only because of 1984 ( even though it IS a masterpiece) or Animal Farm, but also because of his other maybe less known works like Burmese Days for instance in which he fiercely criticizes British Colonialism; and I'd also choose a contemporary actor, Cate Blanchett, because not only she is very very sharp and clever and ironic, but she is also very committed in her fight as UNHCR Ambassador for refugees' rights and for women's rights.

Ross wrote: "I would chose myself and Emma and advise everyone to choose themselves and Emma also. What we are doing at least on OSS "

I take your advice! But if I am to choose someone other than me, I would think Mr Obama and miss Watson would be a great team.

I absolutely love this thread! I'm still thinking about who I would choose but I've so enjoyed reading all your pairings and explanations of why those people. Some are ones I never would have thought of and have really made me think!

Ashwin wrote: "Ross wrote: "I would chose myself and Emma and advise everyone to choose themselves and Emma also. What we are doing at least on OSS "

I take your advice! But if I am to choose someone other than ..."

Obama and the Boss Lady would definitely make up a great pair! I totally share your opinion!

I am not sure past, but in present Miley Cyrus has done a lot for gender equality.

Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz and Virginia Woolf.

Lucy Burns and Elizabeth Cady Stanton.

I think I could not really choose any two particular people. Because feminism has to be intersectional, and often we lack first-hand knowledge of the struggles and life experiences that we have not gone through, I find that so many perspectives would risk not being fully represented if we only had two people to sit down and talk.

That being said, I would love if Pope Johanna could come back from the Middle Ages for a little while. :) Perhaps Anne Frank. And/or Simone de Beauvoir.

Great question, enjoying the responses!