I write as a co-founder of the HLS International Women’s Day Photo Exhibit (just last year) and as a former LIDS Co-President in response to the decision by WLA and LIDS not to include Robin Steinberg in the International Women’s Day Photo Exhibit. I am no longer part of the decision-making process, but I, like many members of the HLS community, am disappointed that she will not be included and I hope we will have the opportunity to host her on campus in the near future. After conversations with those organizing the exhibit this year, I would venture to say that despite their difficult decision, they are equally disappointed not to include her this year, and that the decision was not made lightly or without awareness of the many conflicting issues it raised.
While I share the frustration that my fellow students and members of the HLS community felt at this decision (and the way in which it came to light), I was shocked and disappointed in the way that they chose to express their disapproval. Criticism and critique are an important part of what we do here at HLS. Even so, I am hurt and saddened by the apparent lack of inquiry by those who organized petitions and dispensed online “shame” into what actually happened, by their overreliance on a tabloid newspaper’s version of events, and by the caustic atmosphere that exists right now at HLS. I was saddened at the speed with which those both closely connected to LIDS and the WLA and those who were merely observing events from the outside jumped to accusatory conclusions. Unlike the NY Post, we have the benefit of all spending much of our time in the same building and talking to each other on a daily basis. Very few people took advantage of our proximity to each other. I wonder why it was so urgent to get a response out the same day, without meeting face-to-face with a friend or peer, or even just sending a text to find out what had actually occurred and perhaps more importantly, why. We could have had a real dialogue about what happened instead of an online firestorm of reactionary outrage. We still can.
I am saddened that the HLS activist community was so eager to dispense shame on the nearest target rather than offering a thoughtful and informed critique. I am frustrated that in doing so, it has made an event meant to challenge the very hierarchies and systemic injustices that we are working to dismantle into yet another opportunity to sensationalize and blame. We are working together, in the end, and our strength is in our ability to support one another in fighting for the things we care about. It also lies in offering criticism respectfully and responsibly.
Being a social activist is not just about condemning what is wrong and questioning what is questionable, but about supporting and celebrating what is right, the efforts of those fighting for causes they believe in, and the people in all fields whose dedication, kindness, intelligence, and creativity inspire us to continue in our chosen paths. Without this second component, we risk alienating those who are trying their best to do their best, and those who have become fatigued with the imbalance between hope and despair.
I urge those involved and those not involved not to lose site of the power of positivity, even in the face of disappointing facts and confusing decisions. In that light, I also urge you to remember that International Women’s Day is a chance for us to shift our focus both to the challenges that women face all over the world and to the incredible accomplishments and contributions women have made to law, policy and society as a whole. All of the women being honored have done things worth talking about. Let’s take back control of that conversation and talk about what each of them have done to inspire us, rather than engaging with tabloid fodder and political posturing. As a member of the HLS student body and someone who holds this exhibit and event close to my heart, I ask us to search for a better balance and do all we can, as individuals and as a community, to create a culture of communication and support in which we can all do the important work we are here to do.
Becky Wolozin, HLS ‘15
Founder, HLS International Women’s Day Photo Exhibit