Preserving Democracy – Women Making History Today
March is Women’s History Month, a time to reflect on women’s historical and heroic efforts. But we need not always look to the past to find amazing women doing amazing things. There are plenty of present-day examples of women making history.
On January 6, 2023, President Biden bestowed the Presidential Citizens Medal, one of our nation’s highest civilian honors, on several women who played a significant role in preserving our democracy. The medal recognizes “citizens of the United States of America who have performed exemplary deeds of service for their country or their fellow citizens.” These are just a few of them.
Two of the recipients, Shaye Moss and her mother, Ruby Freeman, worked as election workers in Fulton County, GA in 2020, performing an important service for the citizens of their county. Both were doing their jobs until they were targeted and threatened. Both endured threats and harassment after the election and were literally forced from their homes facing despicable racist taunts. Both testified before the House of Representatives January 6 committee about their horrific experiences after being disparaged as “election fraud hustlers.”
Jocelyn Benson, who served as Michigan’s Secretary of State, demonstrated what integrity looks like. She faced enormous pressure — including from armed protesters outside her house — to overturn the 2020 election results. She resisted that pressure and ensured the vote count continued.
A graduate of Harvard Law School and expert on civil rights law, education law and election law, Ms. Benson served as dean of Wayne State University Law School in Detroit. Appointed dean at age 36, she was the youngest woman in U.S. history to lead a top-100, accredited law school.
Capitol Police Officer Carolyn Edwards exhibited courage over and above expectations. As she testified before the House January 6 committee, she hit her head during a clash with the insurrectionists and was knocked unconscious before she chose to run back into the chaos. Edwards was the first law enforcement officer who was injured by rioters, and she sustained a traumatic brain injury.
During her testimony she described taking pride in her job to “protect America’s symbol of democracy” and the vicious public scrutiny she endured following the attacks of January 6, 2020.
Another noteworthy woman who has publicly displayed incredible patience is the House of Representative’s clerk, Cheryl Johnson. In the midst of the chaos of picking a House speaker for the 118th Congress in January 2023, Ms. Johnson was a calm presence at the front of the House chamber, keeping order with a gavel, a poker face and a lot of dignity. Her conduct serves as a reminder that democracy relies not just on elected officials, but also on dedicated and largely apolitical civil servants.
Ms. Johnson has earned her place in history as the second African American clerk of the House and as the person who twice hand-carried the articles of impeachment against Donald Trump to the Senate.
Among the adverse events these women found themselves unexpectedly entangled, each earned their place in modern history.