Hillary, Ivanka and Marilyn Katz on feminism
August 14th, 2016
Women’s activist Marilyn Katz speaks to teen girls Monday about what it means to be a feminist.
The president of MK Communications has been fighting that good fight for decades–long before Hillary Clinton dipped her toe into politics or Ivanka Trump started running the Trump Organization.
“There is nothing more rewarding than to work to change (for the better) the world, for in that you discover not only what can be done but your lasting friendships and the full measure of who you are and who you can be,” she said in an email when I asked about her participating in the feminist conference.
Katz has been a founder and leader of the Chicago Women’s Union, Reproductive Rights National Network and Chicago Women Organized for Reproductive Choice in the 1960s and 1970s, and Chicagoans Against War in Iraq in 2002.
She’s a public-relations maven with deep political ties, too–to previous City Hall administrations especially.
Monday’s event was the inspiration of Cook County Commissioner Bridget Gainer, who last year spoke to a group of teen girls from Whitney Young High School.
“The conversation turned to politics. They were more excited about Bernie (Sanders) than Hillary or that a woman was running for president. I was surprised, but they were so passionate, we kept talking.”
That meeting and others with students from Lindbloom and other high schools evolved into Monday’s feminist conference for teens. Nearly 250 girls from neighborhoods across the City are expected to attend.