Three days at Sadie Nash and I’m on summer internship cloud nine! My name is Phoebe, and, since first studying gender inequality my senior year of high school, I’ve made a point of identifying myself as a “feminist.” I’ve taken Women’s Studies classes at Duke, interned with homeless and abused women in Seattle, Haiti, and Nicaragua, and involved myself in activist activities on campus. While I’ve viewed myself as a feminist for many years, never has my work directly claimed “feminism” as its mantra. Sadie Nash Leadership Project is the first feminist “space” I’ve encountered where everyone is committed to, not only feminist theory, but also feminist reality.

So what’s the difference between this and domestic violence prevention in rural Haiti? With such an unequal society and larger world, the work of feminism can certainly be approached in a multiplicity of ways, from violence reduction, reproductive health awareness, public protest, etc.; yet feminism begins most crucially through the challenging of existing power structures. This means working from conceptualization of gender to action, rather than action to conceptualization. By this I mean, the change starts in us, and moves outward. Prevention of gender injustice cannot start with helping those already oppressed; rather it must prevent that oppression from occurring in the first place. I truly believe all approaches to female empowerment are meaningful and necessary; yet, I also view the only “sustainable development” to be educational expansion and internal reordering of power norms.  Every societal wound like domestic violence or poverty requires stitching; yet, the antidote comes from the restructuring of thinking about gender. Young women must believe in their potential if they are going to act to change their circumstances.

This belief is why I am interning at Sadie Nash Leadership Project.

Entering into my first day of work, immediately after arriving in New York City, I was filled with anxiety, and apprehension. What was Sadie Nash all about? What did it really mean to be working for a feminist non-profit? Logistically, how was I supposed to lead a summer program of young women when I, myself, am only 21 and very much still formulating my self-conception as an adult woman?

After about an hour surrounded by the Sadie Nash staff, all my worries were calmed and replaced by a serene excitement for the months to come. From warm smiles, to feisty bantering, the work environment of Sadie Nash speaks to the mission of promoting self-acceptance, empowerment to lead, and acceptance of diversity.  I still don’t know exactly what to expect in the months to come, but I know I’m surrounded by a group of passionate, committed, fun-loving women who want, above all else, to inspire other women to embrace their own leadership potential. I can’t wait to be a mentor to young women as we mutually explore our talents, weaknesses, and societal pressures. I genuinely want to learn from these young women about their personal perspectives on feminist issues, as I’m sure the diverse population of students will provide a vibrant and fascinating classroom environment. Basically, I’m excited, still unsure of details, but feeling confidant about the work I’ll be doing and the mentors who are leading me along the way!

My name is India. I’m a native of Fayetteville, North Carolina. I’m 21 years old and a senior at Duke University majoring in Public Policy Studies and minoring in Economics. My academic interests are gendered and racial health disparities, discrimination against women and minorities and immigration/national borders. At Legal Momentum, I want to gain a better understanding of the cyclical nature of discrimination, education, income and health outcomes. For the past three days I have been exploring women in non-traditional employment.

My organization is Legal Momentum. LM is the oldest educational defense fund fighting for women’s social and economic security. LM is a non-profit whose origins are in the National Organization for Women.

Reading through its websites, my first impression of Legal Momentum was that the people there were serious (about their work and in personality) and passionate (and maybe a little wound up). My first impression was only partially correct. The women and three men there are passionate, very serious about their work and extremely spirited and charming in personality. Though most of these individuals are too busy for their own good, the office atmosphere is one of strong energy, harmony and productivity. Even the physical space of the office has its own synergy. Natural light from the city pours into the office which is lined with live green plants.

In my group of closest girlfriends at Duke, I am the one that is the feminist. I’m always going on rants about how minority women disproportionately suffer from sicknesses and how egregious some socially accepted double standards are.  However, I do not call myself a feminist around my family or around people I don’t know well. Nor have I proclaimed that I am a feminist at LM.

I have heard the terms feminist and feminism leave the mouths of several different people at LM and I do not believe the organization tries to mask its feminism. One of the attorneys today sent everyone the title of a book she’s been reading dealing with feminism (The New Feminist Agenda by Madeleine M. Kunin). Another replied that the author would be in the city discussing her views.

I think everyone at LM suspects that Anh, Colleen and I are feminists at heart. I doubt they will ever inquire from us though—too much pressure.

Rikera is a rising sophomore working with Hollaback who combats street harassment locally and globally.

I have always privately identified as a feminist, but shockingly I have never been asked about my stance on feminism and the women’s movement until participating in the Moxie Project. This summer I am working with a nonprofit organization called Hollaback. This nonprofit caught my attention because of its mission to put an end to street harassment (the sexually offensive chants women hear when walking down the street and inappropriate interactions with the opposite sex). As a young woman I have experienced street harassment numerous times and I am aware that almost every other woman has had a similar experience.

On my first day of interning with Hollaback, I openly admitted to being a feminist for the first time around a group of other women who were all sharing their stories and experiences with street harassment. During my first day I also asked Emily May, one of the founders of Hollaback, what inspired her to start this nonprofit organization. She then told me about a woman who once rode the subway and had to witness a man engage in an inappropriate sexual act while staring at her the entire time. The woman took a picture of this man and reported it to the police. The police only brushed off the incident which made it clear that street harassment is not considered a serious crime. This courageous woman posted the photo to an online Flickr account where many people had access to it. Once this picture had gone viral it made news headlines and was posted in the newspaper. This woman’s determination to draw attention to street harassment inspired the founders of Hollaback to create a nonprofit that would bring more attention to these incidents across the world in an effort to initiate the social change needed to put an end to street harassment.

This summer I will be creating a street harassment guide. This resource guide will include informative articles, books, and films on street harassment. I will create “How To” guides on marches, film screenings, mud stenciling, panels, legislative advocacy, research and surveys that will be useful to site leaders at other nonprofit organizations. I am excited about working on this project because not enough women and nonprofit site leaders are informed about the resources available to help bring attention to street harassment and decrease occurrences of harassment globally.

Julia is a rising Sophomore who is working with Sanctuary for Families, an organization providing shelter, advocacy and support for victims of domestic and sexual violence.

As a New York City native, I approached my Duke Engage experience with a particular excitement. Rather than anticipating the thrill of craziness and confusion from being in a new place with new people, I found myself eager to see my city from a different perspective.

While my trek from 63^rd to 13^th street certainly changed my visual outlook, I see the Moxie experience as an opportunity to create various niches beyond the realm of my comfort zone.  My life in New York City, thus far, has been one of privilege; I have received an extraordinary education and have been supported by friends and family along the way.  This summer, my work at Sanctuary For Families will give me insight into lives of women vastly different from my own.

Already, I have heard the stories of victims who have been abused physically, financially, and emotionally by their domestic partners.  As I hear these accounts, I begin to see snapshots of my own life racing through my head and think, “this is not fair, this is not right.” Why such inequity? Why such a gap? Already these questions have flooded my mind and continue dwell with no answers or responses.

Peyton is a rising junior working with Sanctuary for Families, which provides shelter, advocacy and support to victims of domestic and sexual violence in NYC.

Women have empowered me for over 20 years. I grew up in an all-girls school. I was raised by female nannies. I was taught by female teachers. Despite the immeasurable empowerment I received, I never wondered why I received the encouragement I was given. After only a few days of living in New York City and working at Sanctuary for Families, I have started to consider the reasons.

Sanctuary for Families, a leading non-profit in New York State, is dedicated exclusively to serving domestic violence victims, sex trafficking victims, and their children. On Monday- my first day of work- I sat in the reception area between two mothers and their children. They didn’t work at Sanctuary. They were clients. And I couldn’t help but wonder what their stories were. Had their husbands beaten them? Had the little girl with pigtails been abused by her father? I didn’t know what their individual stories were, but I knew that they had one. These women and children embodied abuse, and I was reminded of how real and present domestic violence is today.

Boarding the subway after work, I watched businessmen push and shove through the masses of people – male and female. A Dallas native, I was raised in a community where even the most obscene men held the door for a woman. In New York City, such manners do not apply. The physical pushing and shoving and utter disregard for women on the subway reminded me of the abuse that Sanctuary’s clients encounter. Have you ever seen a woman shove a man to get ahead on a subway? How often do mothers beat fathers? Hardly ever. This compilation of observations revealed that throughout my childhood, women were preparing me for the subordination that I will ultimately face. It is inevitable and it is looming, and I’m hoping that it will not be a present phenomenon in my own household someday.

As such, my feminist identity can be placed within this category: I agree with some of the objectives of the feminist movement, but do not call myself a feminist. While I wholeheartedly disagree with the treatment of women in countless scenarios – professionally and domestically – I am not strong enough in my beliefs to declare myself a feminist.

In my opinion, Sanctuary for Family’s feminist identity is similar to my own. Sanctuary fights abuse and degradation to women, which I consider to be a feminist objective. After assisting with the Zero Tolerance Benefit, however, I observed that the donors who support Sanctuary might not support the stigma of radical feminism.

Just as I fear the judgment of my friends for being feminist, I fear the decrease in donations from conservative donors if Sanctuary was to declare itself feminist.

The summer is young, however, and although I doubt Sanctuary’s feminist position is subject to change, my mind is wide open and ready to absorb anything and everything. I can’t wait to see what lays ahead in the journey ahead!

Feminism. Several months ago it was just a concept… somewhere… out there. All I knew was that I wanted to avoid being labeled “a feminist” at all costs. Being called a feminist was the equivalent of “you’re an angry and overly uptight asshole and you’re ruining our fun.” Even though I wholeheartedly believed in what feminism represents, I felt that being explicit about it gave people a reason to dismiss and silence me. “Oh, she’s one of those…” and everything I said was instantly deemed irrelevant and annoying.

That was several months ago.

Three days ago I was told I would have to find my way to the MetroTech Center in Brooklyn where Ms. Foundation is located. I would have to use the SUBWAY!! Needless to say I got lost more times than I would have liked. As I walked into the elevator to the 26th floor where Ms. Foundation is located, I was sure of two things: Ms. Foundation is an organization that promotes the rights of women and I have no idea what to expect. My idea of a non-profit office space was a stuffy 10×15 room with old computers and no space to breathe.

It was nothing like what I had anticipated. I walked through the beautiful glass doors and was warmly greeted by Lulu. The space was open and bright, the walls were white and red and featured quotes and beautiful images of women.

The view was absolutely spectacular.

Everything about the space was inviting. Shortly after, Lulu gave me an overview of the organization and introduced me to members of the staff. When I sat down at my desk, I realized that I was surrounded by intelligent, passionate women who openly call themselves feminists and bravely stand up for what they believe. There was nothing angry or scary about them.

Working at Ms. Foundation even for the last few days made me realize that change cannot happen quietly. One must take a firm stance on something and fight to promote it. I realized that the very notion that all feminists are unpleasant or annoying is what I must stand up against. I am excited to see how working in this environment and exploring what feminism means to me will shape my perspective.

As for now, I am Karolina Povedych and I am a feminist.

Colleen is a rising junior interning at Legal Momentum for the National Judicial Education Program (NJEP) in Manhattan. NJEP educates judges about gender inequities in the courts  and the ways in which gender bias factor into civil, family, juvenile, and criminal law, and how to prevent it.

I glance at my watch—12:30 am.  The mixture of hot dogs, cigarette smoke, and urine combined with the flashing lights from all directions hyper-stimulate my senses.  Absorbing these alien smells, sounds and sights dull the throbbing pain running through my feet.  I head back to my dorm on the trek  from Chelsea Piers with Deja and Sunny and think: how is the girl in front of me wearing four-inch stilettos and still standing?  While Giselle-girl glides on her stilettos down the street, I look like the Hunchback of Notre Dame—bent over my wedged heels with a slow crawl forward and a very distinct limp, a scowl on my face.  By this point, Deja has her shoes off, preferring the cool sidewalk to ease the pain in her aching feet despite the mysterious stains on the sidewalk.  I look around me as people briskly walk past us.  If the city never sleeps, how come people aren’t limping around like me or roaming the streets barefoot?

In the past two days I have moved in to my NYU dorm, cooked dinner in Brooklyn (successfully taking the subway thanks to the Hop Stop app on my iPhone).  I have met the inspirational group of Moxie interns, jumped into work at my internship for Legal Momentum.

I also volunteered at the Sanctuary for Families benefit at Chelsea Piers on the Hudson River, wearing my winning smile in hopes to sell raffle tickets in support for the organization, while also eating from the decorative rock candy centerpieces to keep my blood sugar high.

I also got asked for directions to the nearest Forever 21—how’d I manage to fool them?

Finally, I’ve walked. Blocks on blocks on blocks.

Arriving to my new home a little after 1:00 am, I sit on my bed to examine my feet.  On my left foot I spot a blister the size of the coin dollar.  You know, the one with Sacagawea on it.  This new growth on my foot is impressive.  It represents my immersion into city life.  Although my feet are not used to the fast pace, my blisters will soon heal to be replaced by tough, calloused skin.  I am ready to hit the streets and start my bucket list of activities to do around the city.  Goodbye Hunchback of Notre Dame, hello foxy blonde!

Sarah is a rising Senior who will be working with National Domestic Workers Alliance this summer. She attended their national care congress in Washington DC.

My New York internship with the National Domestic Worker Alliance started a weekend in May and in Washington DC—along with 450 care workers who would be chanting and singing before the weekend was out. It began like any conference with the stuffing of nametags, the folding of brochures, and working the registration table for early arrivals with other NDWA staff and interns. But, I spent the next day in my role as Childcare Coordinator. The childcare givers were all members of the NDWA and they weren’t just playing “Duck, Duck, Goose” with the kids.  They helped the children understand what was going on downstairs in the conference. They drew pictures of domestic work, brainstormed why it is important, and even wrote some chants—like my favorite, “From Alabama to Brooklyn, Frisco to DC, I respect domestic workers come join me.”

In the afternoon, I was able to sneak into parts of two break-out sessions: “Caring Across Generations: Policy Changes to Inform the Way We Care” and “The Growing Care Economy & What It Means for Our Organizing.” Testimonials detailed the dangers of working in the home and the difficulties of finding reliable care for the elderly. I learned all about the rapid rate at which the care economy is growing, and the economic power this change gives care workers. Most all of the conference sessions were conducted in multiple languages to ensure everyone could participate: Spanish, English, Nepali, and Tagalog.

The congress focused on empowering their members and later that day they partnered with National People’s Action to let Washington hear what the 99% had to say. Hundreds of members piled onto buses without knowing where they were going, a signature of NPA’s 99% Power Actions—their extremely disciplined and well organized protests.

We met up with NPA again the next afternoon at their national conference, complete with marching band! First, to the FHFA’s office to call for the firing of Ed DeMarco.

Then to Wells Fargo to protest the funding of predatory lenders and private prisons used to detain undocumented immigrants.

Last stop…the White House for pictures, singing and a few chants.

http://youtu.be/JMpRZ97i7Pg

These 99% Power Actions let me connect to the members in a new way as many of them stood with loudspeaker in hand to tell their powerful stories. I learned that the heart of NWDA is about story telling, about educating workers, and about advocating for their rights loudly and proudly. Can’t wait for June!

For those of you just joining us, we’re about to engage in another eight week experiment with 12 women from all over the country (and the world for that matter).  It’s the Moxie Project, version 3.0.

For the last two years, we’ve partnered with DukeEngage to recruit a cohort of Duke students up for joining in the mix of the current women’s movement. They have the opportunity to consider first hand how feminism works (or doesn’t) within the practice of current-day policy, to develop valuable historical context for the public policy challenges facing their generation, and to reflect on the ethics of sustaining political commitments and seeking social justice. Students are placed singly or in small groups to work 35 hours/wk in local or national organizations serving women or girls in New York City.  While some students work on policy issues that impact domestic workers, sexual assault survivors or women in non-traditional employment (trade industries), other students work with foundations that fund the work of advocacy organizations, and others work directly to change the influence of media and violence on the lives of women and girls.  Weekly reflection dinners, readings, guest speakers, and seminar discussions help students connect theory to practice and encourage the critical analysis of both.

Returning partners for this year include: Third Wave Foundation, Legal Momentum, Hollaback, Ms. Foundation,  Sanctuary for Families, and the Sadie Nash Leadership Project.  We also expanded the number of student this year and so added two new partners: Women’s Media Center and the National Domestic Workers Alliance.

Over the next week, you’ll be hearing from the moxies about their first week, their organizations and a bit about themselves.  We welcome your comments as we sally on!