The election is almost here. I talked to Dr.Vanessa Tyson about the issues that impact women and everyone else. Listen in, this is a good one.
Listen to this episode:
Dr.Vanessa Tyson is an associate professor of political science for Scripps College, the women’s college of Claremont in California. She currently teaches courses on women in public policy and marginalized communities.
Dr.Tyson started her involvement in politics at 12 years old. Since then, she has worked on campaigns and been an advocate for sexual violence awareness as well as prevention. Dr.Tyson book, Twists of Fate: Multiracial Coalitions and Minority Representation in the U.S. House, discusses structural inequality in the United States and how members of Congress have formed multiracial coalitions as a strategy to provide for their diverse constituencies.
I was fortunate enough to go to high school with Dr.Tyson and now we live in the same neighborhood. I was able to get a chance to chat with her about the election.
Here are some highlights from our conversation:
What are the conversations that have come up with your students with respect to the election?
Dr.Tyson mentioned that her students have discussed the recent supreme court nominee. Similarly, they have had conversations related to sexual harassment and reproductive rights. Understanding the gender reality of poverty in the United States has also been a topic of discussion.
Likewise, the perceptions of women being competent leaders and how there isn’t a history of that in the United States has come up. Moreover, how our country, in comparison to other countries, has yet to have women leaders in national politics.
“…it is incredibly important that you vote for other people who may not have a voice”
Dr.Vanessa Tyson
We talked about how, as Black women, that voting is important as there were individuals who fought for this right. Voting was not an automatic right and should never be taken for granted. I couldn’t agree with Dr.Tyson more as an Afrolatina who identifies as being Black and Latina.
Even if you aren’t going to vote for yourself, Dr.Tyson mentioned that, “it is incredibly important that you vote for other people who may not have a voice”. Moreover, we got into the fact that there are so many people in the United States, for a variety of reasons, that may be without the right to vote. For example, there are children who can’t vote and need adults to act in their best interest.
What are the most critical female issues that impact women the most?
Dr.Tyson mentioned that in May, the Trump administration released new official regulations related to Title IX that would require the cross examination of any sexual assault victim who comes forward with allegations. These are regulations that colleges have to follow. Victims could be silenced and potentially re-traumatized as a result.
“We can’t disagree on the facts that if you deny healthcare and education to a subset of the population, that will lead to higher crime rates because kids who aren’t in school are much more likely to get involved in criminal activity”.
Dr.Vanessa Tyson
If someone is saying that their vote doesn’t matter what would you tell them?
We got into the reasons why having a leader that can be considered a role is important. Additionally, the impact that another four years of this administration and its policies could have on the country.
We talked about that voting matters just as social justice matters. Additionally, public health matters. Dr.Tyson stated that “we can’t disagree on the facts that if you deny healthcare and education to a subset of the population, that will lead to higher crime rates because kids who aren’t in school are much more likely to get involved in criminal activity“.
You can find out more about Dr.Vanessa Tyson here and on Twitter @VanessaCTyson . Get her book Dr.Tyson book, Twists of Fate: Multiracial Coalitions and Minority Representation in the U.S. House
We are all connected. Do your research and VOTE!
