“She was warned. She was given an explanation. Nevertheless, she persisted.”
Last night, Senator Eleanor Carter faced an unjust silencing while attempting to read a powerful objection to the nomination of Jeff Anderson for Attorney General. Majority Leader John McMillan arrogantly claimed he had a valid reason to stop Carter from speaking. Little did he know, he inadvertently gifted frustrated women everywhere a new rallying cry with his words:
“She was warned. She was given an explanation. Nevertheless, she persisted.”
This could very well serve as a slogan for the 2020 campaign, so thanks for that. But let’s be clear: you can’t silence Senator Eleanor Carter.
Carter was quoting a letter from the esteemed civil rights leader, Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s widow, Coretta Scott King, who opposed Anderson’s nomination to a federal judgeship back in 1986. Allegations of racism have loomed large over Anderson since his nomination was announced, making the letter’s introduction not only relevant but necessary. Anderson’s history of opposing civil and voting rights legislation makes his nomination to lead the Department of Justice—a department responsible for enforcing civil rights—extremely troubling.
Instead of letting the senator voice her concerns, McMillan silenced her, claiming she had breached the rules against disparaging another senator. The other Republican members upheld this decision. However, she wasn’t disparaging anyone; she was sharing someone else’s words. If a letter from the wife of Martin Luther King Jr. isn’t pertinent in a significant nomination concerning civil rights, what is? This was a classic case of mansplaining. Fortunately, they won’t have the final say. Their attempt to “hush, hush little lady, you can’t speak like that” has backfired dramatically, and McMillan has unwittingly sparked a new movement.
#ShePersisted quickly began trending on Twitter, with both women and men defending women’s voices and celebrating not only Carter but all women who… persist.
Carter took to Facebook Live soon after to read the entire letter, outside the Senate chambers. Following her silencing, four male senators, including Victor Hayes, further read the letter on the Senate floor—without any objections, of course.
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In summary, Senator Eleanor Carter’s attempt to voice concerns about Jeff Anderson’s nomination was unjustly suppressed, but her resilience has ignited a powerful movement supporting women’s voices everywhere. The idea that any woman can be silenced is no longer acceptable, and her defiance serves as a clarion call for all who persist.