You're Born Worthy...Viola Davis

"There's no prerequisites to worthiness. You're born worthy, and I think that's a message a lot of women need hear."

--Viola Davis, 75th Golden Globes

#LeadershipTuesdays: What Do You See?...Virginia Satir

We must not allow other people's limited perceptions to define us.
 
--Virginia Satir (1916-1988), Author and Psychotherapist

Every other Tuesday, WOMEN AT LIBERTY provides a platform for a variety of voices and resources to develop, encourage, and strengthen women leaders. Gloria Steinem said in a New York Times article that, "it's hard to think of anything except air, food and water that is more important than the media". Given the importance of the media, what do you believe that the images of women we see on television and in film are telling us about the value and worth of women in our society?

Congresswoman Brenda Lawrence of the 14th District of Michigan recently hosted a forum at the Congressional Black Caucus' 45th Annual Leadership Conference in Washington, D.C. to discuss this topic. Entitled "Miss Representation: How Women Are Portrayed In The Media" (based on a documentary by Jennifer Siebel Newsom), panelists from the national and local media as well as women from national advocacy groups and public relations professionals led a discussion that helped the audience understand their power to change how women are currently being portrayed in the media.

Today's Leadership Tuesdays features a video commentary and a few interviews from the seminar as well as an excerpt from actress Viola Davis' acceptance speech at the 67th Emmy Awards where she made history by winning Best Actress In A Lead Role In A Drama Series. 

To see the video, click here. For more information on Leadership Tuesdays or WOMEN AT LIBERTY, click here. To view the trailer from the documentary, click Miss Representation.

How You See Yourself Matters...Viola Davis

I didn't see myself any different from my white counterparts in school. I just didn't! I thought I could do what they did. And what I didn't do well, I thought people were going to give me the opportunity to do well, because maybe they saw my talent, so they would give me a chance. I had no idea that they would see me completely different.

Viola Davis, Actress, 2015 Screen Actor's Guild (SAG) Award Winner for Outstanding Performance By A Female Actor In A Drama

Friendship and Love...Viola Davis

"...friendship and love can help us find our way."  

--Viola Davis, Award-Winning Actress

The speech you need to hear during Women’s History Month! #TBT✨ Viola Davis’s powerful “Best Actress” acceptance speech at the 2012 #CriticsChoiceAwards. @violadavis won for her performance as “Aibileen Clark” in “The Help.” #WomensHistoryMonth #CCMoments #ViolaDavis… pic.twitter.com/2igY8KdOwI

— Critics Choice Awards (@CriticsChoice) March 7, 2024