I met Geena Davis at Women's Foundation of California 30th Anniversary Celebration luncheon today. Shook her hand, too! :) Yes, Geena Davis, the famous actress who had a role in Thelma and Louise, A League of Their Own, and Commander in Chief, among other films.
In the grand ballroom of the Fairmont Hotel in San Francisco, under the glittering lights of 4 giant chandeliers and in front of two supersized projector screens, Jennifer Siebel Newsom, San Francisco's first lady, kicked off the celebration and award ceremony.
The speakers at this event were dynamic and their speeches motivating. Some highlights: Elmy Bermejo showed us that a leader is grown, not born. A daughter of two immigrant parents from Yucatan, Mexico, she took Eleanor Roosevelt's advice to "do something that scares the hell out of you everyday" and enrolled in a Mexican Folk Dancing class to overcome her fear and shyness. She jumped in when opportunities presented themselves. A natural networker, she introduces people and helps open doors. From a shy girl to a political figure, a board member of EMERGE, Feed the Hunger, Hispanas Organized for Political Equality (HOPE), etc. Elmy received the CONNECTOR award.
The youngest presenter was Valerie Klinker. She's 18. She was obviously nervous when she had to introduce herself before introducing Geena Davis. In her youthful manner, she spoke into the mic "I'm very nervous looking at y'all..." and the entire ballroom broke into a sea of applause "YOU ARE DOING GREAT!" shouted a few attendees. Lateefah Simon, the mistress of ceremony, went up to the podium, gave her a hug, and stood by Valerie for the rest of her introduction. So, as Valerie said, she's made mistakes. But she's determined to change the odds for herself and her son. Valerie works as a content video producer for YO! Youth Outlook, a Women's Foundation of California grant partner. Valerie makes documentaries of young people and gives them a voice. It is in this spirit of raising media awareness that Valerie introduced Geena Davis.
One piece of data stuck in my mind as Geena Davis gave her speech. She said studies have shown that the more boys watch TV, the more sexist they become. The more girls watch TV, the more limited in options they feel they have. Hmmmm..... talk about the power of media and the power of representativeness heuristic! Geena was very surprised to find how easy it was to ask agents/script writers to change a male role in a movie to a female. All you need to do is "Just Ask," she said. Geena is the founder of See Jane, which engages film and television creators to dramatically increase the number of female characters and to reduce gender stereotyping in media made for children 11 and under. Geena received the PIONEER award.
Isn't it true that "just ask" is such a powerful action? You can increase your salary, get help, or change the world simply by just asking. So, when in doubt, just ask!!
Post Notes:
The awards recipients include:
- Geena Davis | Founder, See Jane
- Mark Leno | California State Senator
- Elmy Bermejo | Board Member and Activist
- Levi Strauss & Co. | Corporate Partner
- Levi Strauss Foundation | Foundation Partner
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