TIME'S UP for the tormentors

After a year spent grappling with the realities of a nation run by a raging infant, a year heavily marked by disbelief and grief, it seems appropriate that I start to reclaim my equilibrium and voice because of the incredible women that have stepped forward to say enough is enough and the time for abusers to sweep their crimes under the rugs is finally up. Since the day that Donald Trump was elected to our country’s highest seat by the misguided and the misinformed, I have struggled to hold on to hope and to get past the rage eating away at the core of my spirit. It took the collective love and strength of the half a million women who showed up to the Women’s March on Washington in D.C. to snap me out of the cold fear and dread that had taken hold since the November 2016 Presidential Elections.

That history making March and everything it represented soothed my soul over the past year but there was still the voice of doubt in the back of my head, questioning if we could manifest a real change. Especially as I watched the current administration do everything in its power to destroy the lives and livelihoods of as many people as it could muster, especially as I watched the string of hate crimes, sexual assaults, and murders that followed the election of Donald Trump, and especially as I read about all of the abuses of power in Hollywood from the likes of Harvey Weinstein, Kevin Spacey, Louis C.K., Bret Ratner, and many, many more. Despite my deepest desire to persevere in my resistance, I was starting to lose the strength of spirit needed, until this past weekend.

Sunday night, the 7th of January 2018, was the night of the 75th anniversary of the Golden Globe Awards. An awards showcase put together and presented by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, the Golden Globes is one of the 4 most prestigious honors that Hollywood strives toward each year, each person putting forth their best bid towards earning the G in their EGOT, but last night’s event seemed designed to put the emphasis on a much more worthy and urgent cause. The red carpet at yesterday’s event was unlike anything that I have seen in my life. Instead of a sea of jewel tones and pastel hues, what we got was a tidal wave of powerful, poignant black, women and men coming together to form an undeniable image that drove home the point that the rampant abuse of power plaguing tinsel town will no longer be tolerated. Award after award, speech after speech, actresses stood up and spoke up, and it was beautiful. It was beautiful to see these women, who society would rather pit against each other in a fight for superiority, embrace each other, hold up each other, and celebrate each other.

(The artists and activists who together lead the Time's Now movement attending the 75th Golden Globe Awards in all black. Credit: Kevin Tachman/InStyle Magazine)

I’ll admit, a part of me was very skeptical. A part of me thought this might be another empty gesture or a show put on for the sake of performance. But then I did some research. I read about the movement that is rolling through Hollywood, the commitment of some three hundred women, actresses, writers, producers, directors, cinematographers, to meeting regularly, putting forth actionable ideas, and creating a framework from which to lead the battle against abuse. The most visible and promising weapons to come out of these strategy sessions are the Time’s Up Legal Defense Fund, and the Commission on Sexual Harassment and Advancing Equality in the Workplace chaired by Anita Hill. The former is aimed at providing subsidized legal aid to the victims of sexual harassment or assault across all industries and the latter is aimed at developing a comprehensive strategy that in Ms. Hill’s own words will cover “issues ranging from power disparity, equity and fairness, safety, sexual harassment guidelines, education and training, reporting and enforcement, ongoing research and data collection. “ I cannot speak to how effective either of the organizations will be, but I can say that some action is better than no action. And action that is coordinated and clear sighted is our best bet. Seeing these women come together, make time for something this important, fills me with hope and inspiration; enough at least to donate to the GoFundMe page of the defense fund and to buy a t-shirt, because every dollar counts and because I can.

The 75th Golden Globes was the first awards show that had me tearing up multiple times. There were moments where I felt a thrill of premonition run up my spine and goose bumps erupt along my arms. Moments that will be forever etched in my memory, much like the Women’s March on Washington has been forever imprinted onto my psyche. One such moment was undeniably Oprah’s acceptance speech for the Cecil B. Demille award. Her speech had all the hallmarks of a rallying cry that was meant to promote thought and provoke action. The part that resonated the most for me was when she recounted the story of Recy Taylor and how her life and her tragedy intersected with Rosa Parks’ life and her subsequent historic actions. It reminded me that we are all interconnected in ways that we cannot fathom in the present, and that our actions have far reaching impacts that bear fruit in the future even though we may not be able to see them.

(Oprah mid-speech. Credit: Paul Drinkwater/NBC)

And so it is that this year began for me much as last year did. It started with a powerful reminder of the strength of women, of the solidarity of sisterhood, and the reminder of our inherent ability to change the world around us, especially when we decide to finally throw up a hand and say enough is enough, and your time is up.