This was Rodney King’s plea in 1992, when he was physically assaulted by the LA cops during that year’s race riots. Thirty-two...
Feminism
Yes, You Can Teach An Old Dog New Tricks!
“Don’t bother trying to explain that to her. She’s too old to get it.” This is typical of the way older adults are dismissed in our youth-obsessed culture, which stereotypes older people as too set in their ways to change. Hold on! I’m in my eighth decade. I’m anything but set in my ways. I continue to find new challenges to keep [...]
Pat Taub
White Privilege: Me?
Like the vast majority of white Americans I’ve been numb to my white privilege for most of my life. As a progressive thinker and activist, I never thought of myself as racist—that is until the Black Lives Matter Movement challenged whites to examine their privilege, publishing article after article highlighting our bubble. It’s impossible [...]
Pat Taub
“Make Me Look 20 Years Younger”
Recently a professional photographer told me, “Every time I photograph an older woman she says, “Make me look 20 years younger.” I incredulously responded, “Every time?” “Without fail,” was his affirmative answer. What a sorry state for women! How can we ever enjoy old age if we hate the faces that accompany it? Our [...]
Pat Taub
Why Women Need to Stop Apologizing
What? Stop apologizing! You might be thinking, “Apologies are my way of showing respect lest I appear insensitive or rude.” I’m not suggesting that there isn’t a place for apologies in our lives, but most women apologize ad nauseum, which puts them at a disadvantage. When we constantly say, “I’m sorry” for a perceived upset in [...]
Pat Taub
Angela Davis: Woman Warrior Extraordinaire!
Which living American has done the most to articulate theories of social change and to walk the talk? For me, the answer is hands down, Angela Davis. Like Noam Chomsky, another leading public intellectual, Davis is largely ignored by the mainstream press–a fact easily explained by her brilliant critiques of neoliberalism and its vast [...]
Pat Taub
Under the Spell of Cuba
A recent trip to Cuba on a National Geographic “people to people” tour left me with admiration for a small country that has overcome staggering obstacles. Cuba deserves to be considered a profile in courage for surviving the 50 year old US trade embargo; near economic collapse in 1992 when Russia, Cuba’s main trading partner, abruptly [...]
Pat Taub
Why A Blog for Older Women?
WOW is now 18 months old, but I’m still asked: “Do we really need another blog? Let alone one for older women.” If the world is rushing off the cliff, shouldn’t older women try to enjoy their golden years and not get distracted by the Trump White House? The very fact that Trumpism is taking over speaks to the need for the voices of [...]
Pat Taub
Flashback Friday: Remembering the Suffragettes!
Americans quickly forget their history. Contemporary feminism didn’t spring forth like a Phoenix from the ashes. As we celebrate the anniversary of the passage of women’s right to vote, let’s pause and honor the women who dedicated their lives to this cause— the indomitable Suffragettes. They paved the way for 21st century feminists, [...]
Pat Taub
Flashback Friday: Where Have All the Feminists Gone?
This is a post I published in February, 2014. Since we’re on the threshold of nominating a woman to be the Democratic Presidential candidate, who identifies as a Feminist, I think it’s important to examine what Feminism represents in 2016: who it serves and who it doesn’t serve. Having come of age during the second wave [...]
Pat Taub
The Golden Girls c. 2016: Cooperative Housing for Older Women
Now that I’m in my seventh decade I’m starting to think about how I want to live when I’m really old. That day will come for me–and for all of us–when I won’t be steady on my feet, when aches and pains will rule, and when I’ll want the company of like-minded souls close at hand. Additionally I’ll want easy access to [...]
Pat Taub