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You were a civil rights and employment law attorney in Washington D.C. before coming to Merced, why did you leave that to teach high school?
I cannot think of a better job. I get to work with students each day to empower them. Often my clients, who were older, had been disillusioned by the system and so if we can empower at an earlier age, it becomes less likely that they will become victims later in life. Or, if they have been victims of a crime, then they have the power to advocate for themselves and go from a victim to a survivor. Every child has the ability to make a difference if somebody believes in him or her. My hope is that we are not just a class, but a family. I want this not only for current class members, but past members and future class members. We are there to support each other. I want class members to know that
we are there to give a high five or a pat on the back saying “you can do it”, giving them hope that they can do it even if they do not have support within their family.
Do you miss being in a big city and having a high profile job?
(laughs) I wouldn’t say that I had a high profile job per say but what I miss about [Washington] D.C. is the diverse opportunities that were presented, certain cultural activities, and the arts. But I think the presence of the UC as well as our mentoring program, Lift While You Lead, with the UC, the students are getting to see a connection beyond high school and to realize that they can go to college even if it’s the local college [Merced College], the UC [UC Merced], Stanislaus [CSU Stanislaus], Fresno [CSU Fresno] or hopefully beyond. But, come back and contribute something to the community so that we can all benefit and grow. Something the class has worked on recently is supporting the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA).
What is that and why is it important to engage Merced students in understanding our Constitution?
I think one of the biggest misconceptions that people have, is that women are protected under the U.S. Constitution, but that is not true. Justice Antonin Scalia accurately pointed out that women are not protected under the Constitution and so, through the Equal Rights Amendment and its passage, it will fully be spelled out that women in fact are created equal and therefore are afforded protection under the U.S. Constitution.
We have had the opportunity to work with advocates in Virginia, Illinois, Missouri, and Florida to push forwards this ratification as well as launching a petition on Change.org/ERANOW, where we have secured over twenty six hundred signatures and we hope to continue to gain more.
Do you encourage students to be engaged with their local government too?
It starts at the local level because that is where you are going to see the most change that is going to affect you on a day-to-day basis. But I think that in order for that to happen, women have to be viewed as persons and not objects. The ERA is one way in which we think that we can gain federal protection. While it will not change things overnight, women and men can have something that they can point to for support. The support of men, alongside women, shows that the ERA can create a better society for all. We have to push forward at the national level, focus on the state level, and even more important on the local level.
