PUSHY: The Old Narrative
Last month a highly qualified, productive and recognized woman was fired from her position because she knew her worth, value and was confident enough to speak truth to power. Read about it in this article. I will not even dare to say that she made a mistake. Instead I will say that she did only what a self-respecting woman could do. She reportedly spoke up about the inequity shown towards her as it manifested in lower pay, and reduced pension than the male who had previously held her job.
In case you have not read about her story, her name is Jill Abrahamson and she was the New York Times Executive Editor. This news report arrested my attention because the narrative surrounding her career was that she was “PUSHY”.
Certainly, you’ve heard “PUSHY” applied to woman who exercise responsibility to speak up in the face of wrong. In the arena of my life’s calling we call this type of action “speaking truth to power”. Pushy is not just a term used to stress the dialogue about unequal pay. It is the term of choice to describe women who are unapologetically leaders.
Courtroom leaders, operating room leaders, entertainment leaders, and pulpit leaders, the venue can change. But when a female leads with authority, and dares to speak out, she is called pushy. If a female leader insists that she be addressed with the same professional courtesy as her male counterparts, she is called pushy. When a female leader courageously moves forward into a professional space for which she is capable of performing, she is called pushy. Whenever a female leader seizes her moment, she is called pushy.
I’ve seen this happen in both career fields for which I’ve worked; engineering and ministry. Too many professionals still want women to be silent in matters of thought that results in critical analysis, the exercise of power and influence marketing.
I’m reminded once of an incident during seminary. I served as an officer in one of the campus organizations and the only female leader. During an executive board meeting we were discussing an idea that was under my responsibility. I began to share my conclusions when one of the other officers over-talked me and attempted to highjack the discussion. I remember the exchange very vividly. He was sitting to my left around a short rectangle table.
What happened next was pure instinct. I swiftly turned my head to the left, probably gave him a look of complete disgust and said as firmly and as unapologetically as I could; “Excuse me, I was talking”. Emphasis on “was”. Clearly, he was accustomed to harnessing a woman’s voice because he looked at me with an expression that said without words; “You better shut up”. The other brothers sat in silence as he and I starred at one another, both with the bodily posture that communicated neither of us were going to back down.
I’m not sure how long the standoff lasted, probably less than a minute. Long enough for him to know that I wasn’t one of those other women he had tried this intimidation on in some other environment. And long enough for me to know that I had better get accustomed to someone being repulsed by the very sound of a thought, opinion or confident expression coming from my feminine voice.
Whereas I've never met Jill Abrahamson, but being a woman in her position, as she departed her office at the New York Times, I'm persuaded she did so knowing other women were in similar shoes. Other woman would leave their places of employment at the end of that same day with tangible evidence that their input during the board meeting, their research discovery, their sociological assessment and their way of leading had been narrated as being PUSHY.
"Is it possible for a new narrative to emerge around women leaders or will this same old rhetoric limp into the next few decades? If the character assassins have their way, it shall not only remain, but will gain new followers."
But if each woman who has a discerning eye for human worth and value, especially her own, has it her way then each time that insult surfaces she will speak truth to power.
I write these words, not as an angry woman (another narrative that rides shotgun to pushy), but as one who lives in the reality of chronic dismissive mindsets towards female worth and value. And for those religious thinkers who may take the time to read my words, I am not a feminist using Abrahamson’s experience to accelerate a separate agenda. No, I’m a Christian female pastor who works diligently, creatively and passionately for the transformation of spirit and soul to honor my Lord and Savior Jesus the Christ.
For the next 111 weeks, I am on a journey to serve my church and humanity from the elected office of Bishop in the AME Church. Although, I’m not the first woman to seek to serve in this capacity, I’m keenly aware that this same narrative will await me in some dark corners of society.
As I move through these weeks, seeking to raise campaign funds, debating the salient issues of our time and sharing my perspectives, I do so knowing in advance that the old narratives are still alive.
The results of Abrahamson’s situation are too early to know, but in such cases the general public may automatically conclude that she will be well compensated once attorneys are finished dissecting her dismissal. This may be true for Abrahamson, but as a woman whose business is faith and building competency for spiritual development, I’m fortified by a completely different source of recourse.
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