“It appears audacious, even at this time, that one might begin a revolution by telling tales usually ignored within the mainstream, written by voices which were solid apart. And but, that’s the very mannequin that has allowed Ms. to function a catalyst for social change.”
On Tuesday, Sept. 19—the identical day the Ms. e book, 50 Years of Ms.: The Better of the Pathfinding Journal That Ignited a Revolution, was launched—Ms. journal was awarded PEN America’s Impression Award, in honor of the publication’s 5 a long time of feminist journalism.
“By its artwork, literature and journalism, Ms. journal turned a platform that educated, impressed and mobilized generations of feminists in assist of equality,” stated PEN America CEO Suzanne Nossel. “I’m deeply honored to current the PEN America Impression Award … in recognition of Ms. journal’s contributions to journalism, feminism and social change.”
Since its earliest days, Ms. has demonstrated the untapped potential for reporting that facilities information and evaluation on girls and their lives. Our new e book, 50 YEARS OF Ms., showcases all of it, decade by decade, in addition to behind-the-scenes pictures that reveal and replicate the modifications set in movement by Ms., and the long-lasting covers that galvanized readers. Curated by Ms. editors, 50 YEARS OF Ms. features a foreword by Gloria Steinem, co-founder of Ms. journal, and commentary from Ms. government editor Katherine Spillar and Ms. writer Eleanor Smeal.
Spillar and Steinem accepted the award Tuesday on behalf of Ms.
Beneath are Nossel’s ready remarks (frivolously edited for readability):
It’s an honor to be right here in celebration of fifty years of Ms. journal’s pioneering work—and a privilege to have fun alongside so most of the trailblazing girls who based, led and proceed to pave the best way for its extraordinary legacy.
The PEN America Impression award is conferred in honor of a publication that has left an indelible mark on the panorama of journalism, activism and girls’s rights. After all, no publication higher embodies this mantle than Ms. journal.
For over half a century, Ms. journal, whose iconic founder Gloria Steinem is on this room tonight, has been on the forefront of social change, pushing for gender equality and championing the rights of girls of colour, LGBTQ+ people, and different underrepresented teams. By its artwork, literature and journalism, Ms. journal turned a platform that educated, impressed and mobilized generations of feminists in assist of equality.
It appears audacious, even at this time, that one might begin a revolution by telling tales usually ignored within the mainstream, written by voices which were solid apart. And but, that’s the very mannequin that has allowed Ms. to function a catalyst for social change.
The affect of this work has formed the course of girls’s historical past in innumerable methods. I’m reminded of the 1986 PEN Congress in New York, the place out of 120 chosen panelists, solely 20 have been girls—even though girls made up about half of PEN’s membership. A bunch of girls, certainly impressed by the spirit of the Ms. journal era, protested their underrepresentation. And in response to their calls for, the Ladies’s Writers Committee at PEN America was born.
Sarcastically, the one photograph of PEN’s Congress in The New York Occasions was that of the Ladies’s Assembly. It obtained folks considering: The place are all the ladies writers?
A lot of them have been proper right here, propelling the Ms. revolution for many years. Ladies writers like our very personal Elizabeth Hemmerdinger, who wrote a chunk within the first concern of Ms. journal in July 1972 titled Demystifying Your Automobile. The article breaks down the interior workings of the motor and all different facets of a automotive, so that girls might really feel empowered to take their very own automotive to a mechanic. As Elizabeth wrote within the article: “To grasp is to be free.”
This tenet continues to ring true at this time—when the panorama for girls’s rights appears to be like extra prefer it did in 1971 than it did a decade in the past. The work of Ms. journal is way from over.
And now, with out additional ado, I’m deeply honored to current the PEN America Impression Award to Kathy and Gloria in recognition of Ms. journal’s contributions to journalism, feminism and social change. On behalf of PEN America, and our membership of writers, thanks for 50 exceptional years of reporting, rebelling and truth-telling.
We’re honored to have fun this milestone with you. Right here is to 50 extra!
Up subsequent:
U.S. democracy is at a harmful inflection level—from the demise of abortion rights, to a scarcity of pay fairness and parental depart, to skyrocketing maternal mortality, and assaults on trans well being. Left unchecked, these crises will result in wider gaps in political participation and illustration. For 50 years, Ms. has been forging feminist journalism—reporting, rebelling and truth-telling from the front-lines, championing the Equal Rights Modification, and centering the tales of these most impacted. With all that’s at stake for equality, we’re redoubling our dedication for the following 50 years. In flip, we’d like your assist, Help Ms. at this time with a donation—any quantity that’s significant to you. For as little as $5 every month, you’ll obtain the print journal together with our e-newsletters, motion alerts, and invites to Ms. Studios occasions and podcasts. We’re grateful in your loyalty and ferocity.
