Gen Y Women: Civil Rights & Racial Justice A Top Priority

On the 150^th anniversary of the YWCA, the organization which has been a champion of civil rights for decades published a compelling survey yesterday titled: "What Women Want."

The survey reports that more than three-fourths of young women, ages 18-29 - known as Generation Y - want the incoming President Barack Obama to make civil rights and racial justice, a top priority of his administration. Additionally, the survey reports that Generation Y women are likely to be more demanding of the new administration than older women. Significantly more young women say that the new administration must make several domestic issues "top priority" in the first year than older women, including healthcare reform (87% v. 76%), quality and cost of education (85% v. 76%), the housing crisis (83% v. 69%) and HIV/AIDS (66% v.45%). One in three women of Generation Y say they are "very worried" about being a victim of or knowing someone who is a victim of domestic violence, compared with one in four older women.

The key findings of the report were delivered by Dr. Lorraine Cole, the CEO of YWCA USA yesterday at the National Press Club. Additional highlights of the 150 year anniversary were presented by Tracy Lakatua, from the YWCA National Coordinating Board.

I was privileged to be the featured Generation Y panelist at the YWCA presentation of their survey. I spoke after the legendary civil rights activist, Dr. Dorothy Height, Chair and President Emeritus, National Council of Negro Women - a truly amazing women -who has been inducted into the National Women's Hall of Fame, received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Bill Clinton and was presented the Congressional Gold Medal from President George W. Bush in 2004.

Dr. Height, at 96 years old, is still the epitome of grace and wisdom as she wore her classic wide-brimmed hat with a matching flower pin and spoke eloquently about working to pass the "Interracial Charter" at the YWCA National Convention in 1946 - dismantling segregation nearly ten years before the passage of Brown v. Board of Education.

Her words made me realize how truly indebted I am to the efforts of those who came before me - I have the right to vote; the right to privacy and the ability to choose; the ability to open a credit card in my own name; the have ability to play sports just like the boys.

But even with the decades of efforts by women like Dr. Height who created the foundation of the civil rights movement, there is still a lot of work to be done.

As noted in the YWCA survey, Generation Y women distinguish themselves from all older generations of women by their levels of interest in, and concern about, issues of racial tolerance and discrimination.

I found the survey true because I do believe that young, progressive women are concerned about how racial and civil rights issues related to vulnerable communities and a struggling economy. In a world where the cost of a college education is crippling at times, the fate of Social Security is unknown, marriage equality is being thwarted, HIV infection is the leading cause of death for young black women and the sex industry remains an unbridled nerve center of violence and victimization - there is no time like the present to change the future.

Also noted in the survey, Generation Y women are well-equipped to challenge existing sentiments of racism and sexism because we grew up with a greater sense of entitlement to equality than previous generations. We are comfortable pointing out any instance of sexism, racism, and ageism at hand because we have come to expect a more equal society.

Part of the effort behind the survey is that it will serve as a means for the YWCA to take on a new direction in asking women to take ownership over the remaining civil rights issues at hand in today's society.

In tandem with the survey release, the YWCA launched the "Own It" campaign where it hopes to connect with younger women and ask them to take on the existing racial and gender prejudices within society.

Own It Video

Hopefully with the findings of the YWCA's "What Women Want" survey - we will be able to identify the areas of civil rights, racial justice and sexism that still need our attention and go forward and create positive change for future generations to come.