Dear Kendall,
In the wake of the New Year, terrorist acts in Paris were followed by wide-spread contemplation on freedom of expression, its meaning, its power, and the important role it plays in our lives and civilization. I spoke on these topics on AC360 and The Kelly File recently. You can also read my thoughts in the Wall Street Journal and the Daily Beast.
The radical extremism that threatens our ability to speak openly is of the same branch that also mounts a daily attack on the rights and freedoms of women around the world. This month, our Executive Director, Stephanie Baric, explores that link and argues that gender equality is a powerful weapon against extremism.
Women in the US are not immune from these attacks. This month, we share our discussion with the co-director of The Price of Honor, a moving documentary that chronicles the honor killing of Amina and Sarah Said, typical American teenagers from Texas who were murdered by their father in the name of family honor. The New York City screening of The Price of Honor will be held February 8th at Cinema Village followed by a panel including our Executive Director, Stephanie Baric.
Also in this month’s Newsletter, we invite you to celebrate freedom of expression and use your voice to join in our first ever Supporter Call for Essays. Submissions are due at the end of March, to coincide with Women’s History Month and International Women’s Day. Authors of the top 20 submissions will receive signed copies of my upcoming book, which is slated to launch this spring.
Today, when our basic rights are threatened, the work of the AHA Foundation is needed more than ever. Your partnership is crucial to giving women and girls the same opportunity to use their voices that I have been given.
Thank you,
