ATLANTA, Ga. – Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi joined Spelman College President Beverly Tatum at the 2014 Spelman Convocation for a conversation on leadership, service and the role of women in public life. At Spelman, the nation’s oldest historically Black college for women, Leader Pelosi encouraged students to take on an active role in combatting injustice and moving the country forward. Acknowledging the many obstacles facing women in America, Leader Pelosi challenged students to believe in their power to make a unique contribution to the common good. “Indifference,” said Pelosi, “is the greatest opponent of all.”
Leader Pelosi, the first woman Speaker of the House of Representatives, also urged the audience to develop a vision and a strategic plan for progress, calling on all women to engage in the crafting of public policy. Indeed, Leader Pelosi advocated for common-sense policies that will unleash the power of women and grow the economy. Specifically, she highlighted House Democrats’ When Women Succeed, America Succeeds, which includes policy to ensure equal pay for women, access to paid sick leave and affordable child care.
Speaking before a vibrant and energized crowd at Spelman’s Sisters Chapel, Leader Pelosi reminded students of a truth that President Obama reiterated in his State of the Union Address: when women succeed, America succeeds. Spelman students responded to the Leader’s call to action with optimism and enthusiasm, recognizing, as the Leader said today, that “women are the answer.”
