The Future of Feminist Activism: Live Chat With Jessica Valenti, Anna Holmes and Aimee Thorne-Thomsen—2 PM

The Future of Feminist Activism: Live Chat With Jessica Valenti, Anna Holmes and Aimee Thorne-Thomsen—2 PM

The Future of Feminist Activism: Live Chat With Jessica Valenti, Anna Holmes and Aimee Thorne-Thomsen—2 PM

What direction (or directions) is feminist activism heading? What organizing will we see in years to come?

Facebook
Twitter
Email
Flipboard
Pocket

As the GOP’s “War on Women” has intensified and states have passed ever more onerous restrictions on abortion access, feminist activists have shown again and again that they have the energy and organizing prowess to forcefully take on any adversary—from the once-popular Susan G. Komen Foundation to Rush Limbaugh to legions of anti-choice lawmakers.

Meanwhile, when the reaction to Anne-Marie Slaughter’s recent article inThe Atlantic proved that the question "can women have it all?" still hits a nerve, the varying responses from feminist writers made one thing clear: in order to solve the problems facing working women, we need more feminism, not less.

As with any dynamic movement, the future outlets for this energy are all but certain. What direction (or directions) is feminist activism heading? What organizing will we see in years to come?

On Thursday July 5, at 2 pm EST, Nation readers are invited to participate in a live chat on the future of feminist activism with Feministing.com co-founder and Nation blogger Jessica Valenti. Jessica will be joined by writer and editor Anna Holmes, the founding editor of Jezebel.com; and reproductive justice activist Aimee Thorne-Thomsen, vice president for strategic partnership at Advocates for Youth and former executive director of the Pro-Choice Public Education Project.

Of course, the “future of feminist activism” is a broad topic that encompasses countless important questions. To narrow things down a bit, we’re asking you—our readers—to get us started with suggestions for issues and questions you’d like to see discussed. Post your thoughts in the comment section below and be sure to join us on Thursday, July 5, at 2 pm for a lively conversation!

Note: Readers can replay the chat in the box below or access an edited transcript here.

We cannot back down

We now confront a second Trump presidency.

There’s not a moment to lose. We must harness our fears, our grief, and yes, our anger, to resist the dangerous policies Donald Trump will unleash on our country. We rededicate ourselves to our role as journalists and writers of principle and conscience.

Today, we also steel ourselves for the fight ahead. It will demand a fearless spirit, an informed mind, wise analysis, and humane resistance. We face the enactment of Project 2025, a far-right supreme court, political authoritarianism, increasing inequality and record homelessness, a looming climate crisis, and conflicts abroad. The Nation will expose and propose, nurture investigative reporting, and stand together as a community to keep hope and possibility alive. The Nation’s work will continue—as it has in good and not-so-good times—to develop alternative ideas and visions, to deepen our mission of truth-telling and deep reporting, and to further solidarity in a nation divided.

Armed with a remarkable 160 years of bold, independent journalism, our mandate today remains the same as when abolitionists first founded The Nation—to uphold the principles of democracy and freedom, serve as a beacon through the darkest days of resistance, and to envision and struggle for a brighter future.

The day is dark, the forces arrayed are tenacious, but as the late Nation editorial board member Toni Morrison wrote “No! This is precisely the time when artists go to work. There is no time for despair, no place for self-pity, no need for silence, no room for fear. We speak, we write, we do language. That is how civilizations heal.”

I urge you to stand with The Nation and donate today.

Onwards,

Katrina vanden Heuvel
Editorial Director and Publisher, The Nation

Ad Policy
x