November 9, 2014 Dear NOW-NYS Leader, Yesterday we held an exciting state convention, the second successful convention during my tenure! In the election portion of the program, a partially new Executive team was elected. My congratulations to all! I have had a wonderful two years as your President and will always be proud of this time I had to lead NOW-NYS to a new era as its first Black Latina President. With your help, I was able to get results by being principled and persistent – by being the activist the National Organization for Women is well known for. I made the case loudly for women’s right to choose, affordable child care, increasing minimum wage, fair elections, ending domestic and gun violence, among many other issues. I took on the political principle that the people are the source of any and all governmental power. I also affirmed my belief that a free society depends on a free media and an organized civic, social, and economic life using the principles of participatory democracy arising from direct action and public accountability and that those affected by a decision have and an opportunity to participate in that decision. I stand firm on equality based on the fact that all people are welcomed as part of a free society. All people are equal and all labor is valued equally. I re-affirmed the power of diversity. All people in a free society are different, and space for their difference is paramount to their equality. My work these two years as your President was based on those same principles that our founders fought hard to preserve. I have spoken with my opponent to offer my congratulations and to help her transition into this office. To those members who helped me during this election contest I cannot thank you enough. The issues I raised and my advocacy for a more ethnically diverse and inclusive NOW will not go away simply because of this loss. In fact, now they are more important than ever. I urge all of you to continue your efforts as I will continue mine. Continue the fight for honest and transparent activism. Continue the fight for all 10 planks of the Women’s Equality Agenda. We may not have had the result we would have liked on election day, but we can and still will make a difference. We can bring about a State Government that is more responsive to the will of the people. Thank you again for a great two years as your fearless, feminist President! In sisterhood, Zenaida Mendez
Posted on: Sun, 09 Nov 2014 16:04:42 +0000
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