AAUW of Jacksonville Florida

The Florida State AAUW Board of Directors toasted Strong Women, using their wineglasses designed by the St. Augustine branch, on Sunday, October 8 in Sarasota. From left to right and bottom to top they are: Mimi Welch, parliamentarian; Shirley Reid, president; Kamala Anandam, research chair; Sue Shea, administrative assistant; Pat DeWitt, public policy director; Corky Miller, co-membership director; Susie Baird, secretary; Carol MacDonald, co-communication director (Florivision); Jackie D’Alessio, program director; Antoinette Kruse, co-communication director; Judy Bonn, development director; Pat Ross, president-elect, and Synthia Fletcher, diversity coordinator. Kathy VanderVliet, treasurer, was unable to attend due to a long-planned family trip.

Join us for another Happy Hour!
        When:   Tuesday, October 3 from 4 to 6 pm
        Where:  Bahama Breeze at the St. Johns Town Center next to Mimi’s
        There are drink and appetizer specials.
        Bahama Breeze is easily accessible from Town Center Blvd.

by Carolyn Smith

Although the main programs of our Branch are from September-May, Branch members are usually busy with AAUW-focused activities during the summer months, as was true over the summer of 2016:

• On June 2, Marjorie Broward, Pat DeWitt, and Susan Cornehl attended the Florida Times-Union’s first EVE Women’s Summit, a set of panel and roundtable discussions on how to encourage and help women in Northeast Florida achieve and maintain high leadership positions. Marjorie was added at that time to join the committee that grew out of that summit and has been working from that time on preparing the research and programming for the EVE Women’s Summit, scheduled for September 2017.
• Kimberly Beasley was also busy over the summer working on this same goal of leadership by organizing for this area the AAUW-affiliate YWTF (Young Women’s Task Force –founded in 2004 and affiliated with AAUW in 2013).
• From June to August, too, members were in various ways making sure that friends and family members were duly registered for and voting in the August state and local primary, August 25, 2016, as well as in the November election.

Thanks to Program Director Marjorie Broward, the programs Sept- May, 2016-17, were fascinating, provocative, and energizing.

• Under Marjorie’s urging and that of Carolyn Hall, members agreed to start each of our programs when possible with a short review of a book, preferably one from AAUW’s recommended 2016-17 book list Adelante, or a related book, fiction or non-fiction, relevant to AAUW-issues. Among our book reviewers: Marian Bunch, on Amy Elles’s Becoming Nicole; Carolyn Smith, on Louise Erdrich’s The Round House and a related non-fiction book by Sarah Deer; Kimberly Beasley, The Confidence Code, by Kati Kay and Claire Shipman; and Faith Schofield on Sisters in Law by Linda Hirshman.
• Our September program was focused on AAUW’s national STEM focus, with our speaker as Robert Copeland, Executive Director of Northeast Florida STEM2 HUB (science, technology, engineering, math, medicine). He explained that the main goal currently of this non-profit group is to encourage and train K-12 students, girls as well as boys, to be encouraged and trained to fill the pipeline for jobs in this area and elsewhere in STEM2 fields.
• Our October, program was focused on another AAUW focus, women in leadership roles, and on this issue, our speaker was Tia Mitchell, who has a high position in the field of journalism as the Florida Times-Union’s main political reporter. She talked about her experiences as a woman and as a minority woman in her field, from reporting on the Sheriff’s office to the Duval Schools, Jacksonville City Council, and then to her current position as The Times-Union State Bureau Chief and her “View from Tallahassee” columns.
• For the November meeting, member Faith Schonfeld carefully researched the opportunities for financial literacy training for women in Jacksonville, primarily to ascertain if the Branch should promote an AAUW WorkSmart workshop. She introduced as guest speaker Martha Cox, of Family Foundations of Northeast Florida, to help expand our understanding of financial issues affecting women, especially those needed to get out of poverty, including financial skills as well as a living wage job, affordable transportation and child care, and freedom or protection from criminal activity and legal injustices.
• In December, thanks to planning by Program Director Marjorie Broward and her committee, we celebrated our 90^th anniversary as a Branch with a luncheon with invited guests at Bistro Aix. Our speaker was Dorothy K. Fletcher, author of books on places and people in Jacksonville’s history. She focused in particular on what events and people of note occurred in Jacksonville at the time of the Branch’s founding (February 1926). Kimberly Beasley sang songs from that era, and Marjorie and Carolyn Hall had a table with pictures and other memorabilia of the Branch’s history.
• In January, as in November, the focus was on financial issues affecting women. The January speaker was Dr. Mary Gatta, Associate Professor of Sociology at CUNY, on her research on the effects of the gender gap and occupational sex segregation on women as they age.
• The focus of the February meeting was STEM, with our sixth year of being involved in the Expanding Your Horizons event for middle school girls. Susan Cornehl was our Branch’s representative on the main planning committee, composed of research women at Johnson and Johnson, UNF’s Women in Engineering, and UNF’s Women’s Center. Besides helping with planning and in various tasks at the event, the Branch again: a) sponsored girls from Girls, Inc., this year 15; b) provided information on STEM books for middle school girls, this year again offering a table of examples of books; and c) offered books as prizes (this year, the choice for prizes was the YA version of Hidden Figures).  Also, this year AAUW-FL had an adjoining table with information about Tech Trek. As in 2014 and 2015, the maximum number of middle school girls that could be accommodated at UNF’s Convention Center (200) attended.
• The focus of the March meeting was a luncheon-panel event at the Garden Center, with another focus on financial issues affecting women, with special attention to the gender gap that still remains since the passage of the Equal Pay Day Act in 1963. The date, March 28, encapsulated March as Women’s History Month and the nearing of April 4, when at last in a year the gender gap begins to close.

Equal Pay Day Lunch and Learn

Over 90 women attended the luncheon and panel event at noon at the Garden Center. This was thanks to Jax-AAUW Program Director Marjorie Broward and others on the planning committee, composed of representatives from the Jacksonville Branches of AAUW and NOW, the Jacksonville Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta, the Women’s Center of Jacksonville, and the Women’s Center of UNF.

Audrey Moran, until recently President of the Chanber of Commerce, welcomed attendees and gave a brief history of the status of women since 1963; Pat DeWitt urged calls to Florida legislatures to pass two bills focused on closing the gender gap (HB 319; SB410);   and Juanita Powell-Williams, NOW, introduced the panel of three women speaking on their personal experiences encountering and trying to change the gender gap: Kimberly Beasley (Jacksonville Branch, AAUW); Tashia M. Small (attorney at law, Conroy Simberg); Lori McGraw-Baker( President of Total Awards, Acosta).

• April was a round-up meeting with reports on special events (90^th celebration, STEM-EYH, Equal Pay Event), celebration of our She-roe Nominee (Susan Cornehl), Pat DeWitt’s report on Lobby Day, and nominations of 2017-19 President, Program, and Finance Director. Pat DeWitt, Susan Cornehl, and Carolyn Smith also summarized events at the AAUW-FL Leadership Conference, April 2-3.
• May was the first of the picnics honoring long-time and now deceased member Lydia Payne, one of the Branch’s active members in founding the Friends of the Library and also serving a term as President of AAUW-FL. The Lydia Payne Memorial Picnic was scheduled for the clubhouse connected to the condo building at 6000 San Jose Blvd. overlooking the river. Besides the buffet luncheon and fellowship, the three nominees for 2017-19 officers were elected: Carolyn Smith, President; Anji Easterling, Program Manager; Kathy VanderVliet., Finance Director.

In addition to the speakers and our STEM, Equal Pay Day, and 90^th celebration special events, various Branch members were involved in other events:

1. In October, Kimberly Beasley with several other young women from JU and UNF founded the AAUW-allied group, the Young Women’s Task Force, whose goal in the main is justice for women.
2. In November, at City Hall, at the 50^th anniversary of the founding by AAUW-Jax of the Friends of the Library , member Marjorie Broward was celebrated as a representative of those in the Branch who founded the Friends,  which continues to advocate for the Duval’s library system and raise money for its books and programs. AAUW-Jax has continued to budget financial support for the Friends.
3. In January, various members joined the local Women’s March and carried our AAUW Banner to show solidarity with other women in the March.
4. In January, members Kathy VanderVliet and Faith Schonfeld began work on updating the by-laws and aligning them with national by-laws. Their work was accepted at the April meeting.
5. In March, Branch member, Pat DeWitt, as AAUW-FL Public Policy Director, planned and attended AAUW-FL’s annual Lobby Day (March 14), with highlight in FL’s Capitol Fourth Floor Rotunda, at noon, a rally for Equal Pay for Equal Work, focused on support for two bills closing the gender gap (SB 410; HB319), organized and sponsored by speakers FL Sen. Linda Stewart, House Rep. Lori Berman, and House Democratic Leader Janet Cruz.
6. In April, Branch member Susan Cornehl was honored as the Branch’s nominee chosen to be one of the She-roes of 2017 by the Women’s Center of Jacksonville.
7. For each monthly newsletter, Pat DeWitt, AAUW-FL State Public Policy Director, and Carolyn Smith, Branch Public Policy Director, summarized local, state, and national bills related to AAUW-supported issues and urged members to vote in support of or protest against a bill and how to do so by way of calls, e-mails, or the two-minute activist section of aauw.org.

by Carolyn Smith

CALLS TO ACTION

1. Call Sect. Of Education Betsy DeVos (1-800-USA-LEARN /1-800-872-5327, or answers.ed.gov / questions.
   1. to protect all provisions in Title IX.
   2. to maintain the website giving information about IDEA (Individuals with Disabilities Act), which was taken down soon after her confirmation.
2. Call your FL House and Senate Representatives to support FL Senate 410 and House 319 (jointly called the Helen Gordon Davis Fair Pay Act).

Senate 410 is currently before four committees regarded as relevant to the issue of employment discrimination: Government Oversight and Accountability; Rules; Commerce and Tourism; and Judiciary. Duval’s District 6 Audrey Gibson is on the latter two. Please call her for support: 359-2553

3. Join the Equal Pay Day Rally, FL senate, Tallahassee, March 14, 2017, and /or AAUS-FL Lobby Days, March 13-15, 2017.

            For information, registration, rides, etc., contact Pat DeWitt, AAUW-FL State Public Policy.

4. Call your FL House and Senate Representatives to support SB 286 and HB 665 (Education on Human Trafficking).

            This bill would provide resources training children K-12, police officers, and business people on how to spot and report human traffickers. The human trafficking ordinances have helped victims, but SB 286 /HB 665 would help prevent the young from becoming victims.

INFORMATION

1. US Sen Elizabeth was required by Senate vote to stop reading Coretta Scott King’s view of then-nominee for US Attorney General Jeff Sessions. Nelson voted against the silencing; Rubio voted for it.
2. On confirmations: Jeff Sessions, Attorney General: Nelson, No; Rubio, Yes.  Tom Price, Sect. of Health and Human Services: Nelson, No; Rubio, Yes.
3. US Rep. Rutherford voted Yes on two education bills reducing ed. Improvement: a) rejection of requirement that states identify and get support for low performing schools, including charters; b) rejection of requirement that states evaluate and report on how well teacher preparation programs help with job placement and retention.
4. AAUW has forwarded a research project indicating that while the average salary for public school teachers is $45,000, some states offer salaries below that average, including Florida (Mississippi is the worst).

About State Leadership Conference:

• Learn practical stuff for the branch and network with members from other branches!
• Starts Sunday, April 2 at 3 pm and ends on Monday, April 3 at 3 pm
• Features: keynote speaker Sonia Garcia, workshops on finance, branch nuts and bolts, public policy, STEM
• Hotel: Hyatt Regency Sarasota. Rate is $139 plus tax; reservations by March 9, 888-421-1442 or online at http://aws.passkey.com/go/aauwfl
• Look for registration form in your email!

By Carolyn Smith

CALLS TO ACTION

1. Call your FL House and Senate Representatives to support FL Senate 410 and House 319 (jointly called the Helen Gordon Davis Fair Pay Act).

These bills, aimed at closing the pay gap in Florida, have been filed by FL State Senator Linda Stewart (D-Orlando), FL House Democratic Leader Janet Cruz (D-Tampa), and FL Rep. Lori Berman (D-Lantana). PR release: these bills would close the pay gap by 1) “updating and clarifying Florida’s current law to ban employers from paying workers differently based on sex or gender”; by 2) delineating “which reasons employers can use to pay employees differently – things like education, skill-set, and experience”; 3) prohibiting “mommy tracking” and inquiries about or screening employees on their prior salary history. . . .” The bills would also increase civil penalties for violations.

Senate 410 is currently before four committees regarded as relevant to the issue of employment discrimination: Government Oversight and Accountability; Rules; Commerce and Tourism; and Judiciary. Duval’s District 6 Audrey Gibson is on the latter two. Please call her for support: 359-2553

2. Join the Equal Pay Day Rally, FL senate, Tallahassee, March 14, 2017, and /or AAUS-FL Lobby Days, March 13-15, 2017.

            For information, registration, rides, etc., contact Pat DeWitt, AAUW-FL State Public Policy: aauwfldewitt@gmail.com

3. Sign AAUW’s electronic postcard, aauw.org

This postcard, automatically forwarded to our respective FL representatives in US Senate and US House, demands that elected officials acknowledge women’s priorities as America’s priorities. You can add to the three priorities listed by AAUW. To be circulated within 100 days of the Million Women March.

4. Call US Senators to Vote NO on Sen. Jeff Sessions as Attorney-General and Betsy DeVos and Education Director.

Jeff Sessions has a history of voting against civil rights, including those for women. DeVos has never been a teacher, never attended a public school, and strongly supports charters and vouchers at expense of public schools.

5. Call US Senators to support the Protect American Families From Unnecessary Registration and Deportation Act of 2017.

            This act would prohibit the criminalization and federally-funded registry of individuals based on race, place of origin, religion, and/or ethnicity.

INFORMATION

1. Recent AAUW Actions:
2. National and Branch: Many members marched in Million Women March to send message that women’s rights are human rights.
3. National and coalition partners: Sent four letters to relevant Congressional members:
4. to oppose the global gag rule (blocking aid to foreign entities using their own funds to provide information about or services for legal abortions, a block that affects UNICEF, non-profits working to stop Ebola, malaria, and hunger, OXFAM, and other related groups).
5. to support DACA (the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program).
6. to support equal access to CTE (career and technical educations programs).
7. to support the Protect American Families Act (sent Jan. 5 on behalf of the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee.
8. National: praised Imeleme Umana (the first black woman to serve as president of the Harvard Law Review).

2. Recent Congressional Actions with some impact on women:
3. HR 7 (the gag rule on abortion resources, information, etc.) passed the House 238-183. Rutherford, Yoho: Yes. Lawson: No
4. Senate Confirmations:
5. Gen James Mattis, Sect. of Defense; Gen. James Kelly, Sect. Homeland Security; SC Gov. Nikki Haley, ambassador to UN. Senators Nelson and Rubio: Yes.
6. 2. Kansas Rep. Mike Pompeo, Director CIA. Nelson, No; Rubio, Yes.
7. JKK Profile in Courage Award nomination: US Rep. Jackie Speier (D-CA) has nominated former acting Attorney-General Sally Yates for refusing to defend Trump’s executive order banning refugees and immigrants from 7 largely Muslim countries. For her refusal, Yates was fired.

During our February 21 meeting, we heard from Mary Gatta, Associate Professor of Sociology at the City University of New York. Here are a few highlights of her talk.

Compared with men, women suffer from a “retirement gap” due to many factors including the pay gap within occupations, working in “pink collar” lower-paid jobs, and working fewer years because of family care. Retired men report 71% higher income than retired women. While 51% of men had employer-based retirement income, only 37% of women did.

This discrepancy means that more retired women are in poverty, and even more are not able to meet average monthly expenses. The federal poverty level is calculated using an antiquated formula based on food. Nowadays the top expenses for older people are housing and health care. Gatta presented tables showing that housing was the greatest expense for a single elder in good health owning a home with no mortgage, due to utilities, taxes, and insurance. But if he or she is in poor health, health care expenses exceed that. This owner in good health incurs $17,112 per month in expenses in Duval County, while the federal poverty line is $11,700.

Gatta feels that we need a “new social contract” to take care of our elderly. Social Security will need improvements: either we have to increase revenue or cut benefits. As seen above, cutting benefits will further stress those with least resources. They need reforms such as Social Security credit for caregiving. We should also address the cost side with more affordable housing and health care.

Local Impact in Public Policy

As much as we enjoy listening to engaging speakers in the company of like-minded women, we need to get the word out to the community. The ladies who lunch can’t create change unless they reach out. Here are some good ways:

• • Call your government representatives (or email them). This is the time-honored method and it is valid. You won’t get to talk with the legislator or council member, but an assistant will log the calls. Be concise and specific.
• • Be a member of the AAUW Action Network. Go to http://www.aauw.org/what-we-do/public-policy/two-minute-activist/ and enter your email address, or search for “two minute activist”. If you have ever responded to an Action Alert, you are a member. You will also get Florida Action Alerts soon, as the legislature gets going. The advantage of this system is that Action Alerts are sent out when decisions are actually being made—they are timely.
• • In-person visits with legislators. Florida AAUW has annual Lobby Days in Tallahassee (see last page). Also, I am looking for participants for visits with local legislators while they are here in Jacksonville between Jan. 20 and Feb. 3. We will introduce ourselves and ask them to support legislation to improve pay equity in Florida.
• • Write a letter to the editor. Kimberly Beasley recently had a good one published—congratulations! There is advice on the AAUW website—search for it. Send to letters@jacksonville.com for the Times-Union and include your complete contact information, where you live, and your occupation (or former one).
• • Join a local march in support of the national Women’s March on January 21. According to the AAUW website: “This nonpartisan rally of women’s rights advocates seeks to deliver the message that women’s rights are human rights.” Local marches are in solidarity with this purpose. THIS JUST IN: Women’s March in Jacksonville January 21, 2017 • 10:00 AM, Evergreen Cemetery 4535 N Main St Jacksonville, Florida 32206. You can attend and still make the branch meeting!