The Tree Is Still Growing: Gloria Steinem

When I learned of the passing of Gloria Steinem at the age of 92, I found myself thinking not only about the woman she was, but about the world women were living in when she began using her voice. For younger generations, it can be difficult to imagine an America where many of the things women experience today were not assumed. Women encountered enormous barriers in employment, finance, politics, education and decisions concerning their own lives and bodies. Gloria Steinem helped challenge that world. She was a journalist, author, organizer, activist and co-founder of Ms. magazine who became one of the most recognizable voices of the modern women’s movement. But perhaps what matters most about her legacy is that she was willing to question what society had decided women should accept. And that is where I believe her life offers an important lesson for us today.

Sometimes purpose begins with asking, “Why does it have to stay this way?” Steinem came of age during the Civil Rights Movement and became a prominent voice during what is commonly called second-wave feminism. She advocated for equal pay, reproductive freedom, political participation and greater protections for women experiencing sexual harassment, sexual violence and domestic abuse. She also understood that conversations about women's equality could not be completely separated from conversations about race, class and other forms of inequality. Her journalism was equally important. In 1971, she helped launch Ms. magazine, creating a national platform where women could openly discuss subjects that mainstream publications frequently ignored or minimized. She also helped establish organizations including the National Women’s Political Caucus and, decades later, the Women’s Media Center. Her lifetime of advocacy ultimately earned her the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2013.

What strikes me about Steinem's journey is something I often talk about as The Purpose Partner: Finding your purpose is one thing. Having the courage to walk in it is another. There will be moments when walking in your purpose requires you to stand when standing is uncomfortable. There will be moments when you must speak when remaining silent would be easier. And sometimes you will have to plant seeds for trees whose shade you may never personally enjoy. Steinem understood this. In 2022, while discussing how lasting change happens, she compared social change to growing a tree. Her point was that trees grow from the bottom, not the top. Change does not only come from Congress, presidents, courts or powerful institutions. Real change also grows from ordinary people organizing in their communities, voting, giving, speaking up and refusing to accept injustice as normal. I love that imagery because it reminds us that we all have a role in tending the garden of progress.

As women, we are standing beneath trees planted by women whose names we may never know. Someone fought for us to vote, enter universities, challenged discriminatory lending and employment practices, created shelters and crisis centers, and someone walked into a room that was once closed to us. Gloria was one of those women. Was she perfect? Of course not. None of our leaders are. Movements themselves evolve because new generations challenge previous generations to see what they may have overlooked. But honoring someone's contribution does not require pretending that person was perfect. It requires recognizing the courage it took to move something forward. That is also part of what I refer to as becoming unshakable. Being unshakable does not mean that you never encounter opposition. It means you understand what you stand for deeply enough that opposition does not automatically cause you to abandon it. Steinem kept showing up. She continued speaking, writing, organizing and challenging inequality well into her later years. Her death reminds us that eventually every leader must pass the baton. Do not be afraid to use your voice and remember the trees are still growing, and the roots must run deep if we want the women and girls coming behind us to experience more than what we have today.

Wendy is the Purpose Partner helping women go from Crossroads to Confidence, from Shaken to Unshakable, from Purpose to Power. To learn more visit WendyGladney.com and ForgivingForLiving.org