Myel Jenkins - Step Up to Run: Women Shaping the Future of Politics and Public Policy

Contents

Step Up to Run includes stories from:

Delaine Eastin

A professor, consultant, former Union City Councilmember, former California State Assemblymember, and the first Executive Director of the National Institute for School Leadership, Delaine Eastin was the first and only woman to date to be elected California State Superintendent of Public Instruction under Governors Pete Wilson and Gray Davis.

Myel Jenkins

Myel Jenkins is an engaged parent, community volunteer, and a professional with over twenty years of management experience in non-profit, foundation, and county government work. Jenkins has served in leadership position with the local high-school Parent, Teacher, Student Association, Black Women of Political Action, Sacramento, and the Women Democrats of Sacramento. She has also served her local school district as the Chair of the Curriculum and Standards Committee and as a Board Member of the San Juan Education Foundation.

Jackie Smith

With over thirty years business experience, Jackie Smith has served as a Commissioner and Legislative Representative on the Placer County Older Adult Advisory Commission and a Legislative Liaison for the California Alliance for Retired Americans. Smith also serves as a top-rated, sought-after realtor, serving predominantly seniors who are finding their forever homes with Realty One Group in Rocklin, California.

Tara Sreekrishnan

Tara Sreekrishnan is a nonprofit co-founder and brings professional public policy and community outreach experience at the city, county, and state government levels, with a focus on education, sustainability, and equity.

Dionne Ybarra

Dionne Ybarra is the founder of The Wahine Project, a nonprofit that has served over 6,000 girls and women since its inception in 2010 and brought a diversity of girls into a relationship with the ocean and with one another. Ybarra is the Chairperson of two appointed seats in Monterey County: The Commission on the Status of Women and the Civil Rights Commission

Step Up to Run

Women Shaping the Future of Politics and Public Policy

Pact Press

Copyright 2022 Tara Sreekrishnan. All rights reserved.

Published by Fitzroy Books

An imprint of

Regal House Publishing, LLC

Raleigh, NC 27605

All rights reserved

https://regalhousepublishing.com

Printed in the United States of America

ISBN -13 (paperback): 9781646032952

ISBN -13 (epub): 9781646032969

Library of Congress Control Number: 2021952117

All efforts were made to determine the copyright holders and obtain their permissions in any circumstance where copyrighted material was used. The publisher apologizes if any errors were made during this process, or if any omissions occurred. If noted, please contact the publisher and all efforts will be made to incorporate permissions in future editions.

Cover images by C.B. Royal

Regal House Publishing, LLC

https://regalhousepublishing.com

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior permission of Regal House Publishing.

Printed in the United States of America

Dedication

Respectfully dedicated to all of the mothers, sisters,

and daughters who step up to ru n

Foreword

By Lieutenant Governor Eleni Kounalakis

You should run for office! was a statement I heard many times as a successful young businesswoman from Sacramento. It was always flattering, and, truthfully, I even considered it. I had a passion for public policy, a track record as an activist, and a heart for service.

In 2009, I accepted an appointed position in the Obama administration rather than run for office myself. It was a conscious decision to get a job in public service rather than run. What held me back was very simple: Somewhere deep down, I was afraid that if I ran, I might lose.

Serving as a United States ambassador was the honor and privilege of my life and I thought I was headed for another chapter of service in what Ilike so many otherswas sure would be the Hillary Clinton administration.

But then, the unthinkable happened. The rise of bigotry and misogyny across the nation propelled Trump into office.

As a result, across the country, women stood up after the 2016 election and marched. The Womens March was the single largest one-day demonstration in the history of the world. The inspiration of that day led to thousands of women, like me, standing up, stepping forward, and running for office.

I often say that my decision to run was the least thought-through decision Ive ever made in my life. Fear of losing completely melted away. I ran, and wonthanks to so many women, including the support of Senator Kamala Harris, Speaker Nancy Pelosi, and, yes, Secretary Hillary Clinton. With the help of these women, I became the first woman ever elected lieutenant governor of California, and together we brought down a high, hard glass ceiling. One year into the job, I could not be more honored to serve all the people of our beautiful state.

But as 2016 fades into the distance and 2018 was defined in history as The Year of the Womanwith the implication being it was unique and is now overwe must find new ways to inspire women and help them find the courage to run for office.

The stories in this book are critical for women around the country to read. They are stories of successif not victory. The journeys of these five women are full of courage and conviction. They raised issues important for women and our families and pushed their opponents to match them on their commitments to progressive public policies. (I witnessed Delaine Eastins remarkable campaign, as we frequently encountered each other in the most remote, rural parts of the state!).

In 2018, California elected three women as statewide constitutional officers for the first time in history: Treasurer Fiona Ma, Controller Betty Yee, and me. We also elected the most women ever to the California state legislature.

It was a huge victory. But we havent yet reached gender parity, and we still have never elected a woman as governor in our state. The only way we reach gender parity is if women win. And the only way women win is if they run. So, to all the women out there who are looking for inspiration and the courage to run, you will find what you need in the stories of five amazing women.

The Landscape of Women in Politics

By Melanie Ramil

We used to talk about the numbers.

We would say: From school boards to the California State Legislature, women hold only 30 percent of all elected seats. In California, where we often pride ourselves on serving as the moral compass for the country, we have been led by zero women governors.

We used to talk about representation.

We would say: Women need a seat at the decision-making table because if youre not at the table, youre on the menu. As women make up over half of the population, this needs to be reflected in who holds positions of power.

Yes, numbers matter. Yes, representation matters. But now, in the midst of a global pandemic, economic depression, and racial justice uprising, we finally give voice to the truth behind the numbers and beyond representation.