The reasons in which I chose Ms. Gloria Lumpkin as the subject of this interview are many. The main reason though is the fact that Ms. Gloria represents a voice that is not often heard in the song of feminism. Black feminist such as Barbara Smith and Audre Lorde both have low income backgrounds, yet do not represent the working class. They both lead the life of a scholar, living in the “ivory tower” of academia, aloof to many common tribulations of the struggling. They were also in the forefront of their respective feminist movements. What about those in the backseat? Another reason for my interview with Ms. Gloria was to measure exactly how powerful certain feminist waves swept through the country, to women who were not at the “forefront of the wave”. Did they get wet? Were they drowning in the surge? Or did they watch the wave from a distance, then watch it subside. Athens is no New York City. Feelings are not the same. I’m curious in which ways though. My reason for this interview is to find out how feminism has touched the life of a working class woman from Athens, Georgia.
Meet Gloria Lumpkin, Athens born, is a 55 year old custodial worker in Creswell Hall at the University of Georgia. Graduating from a segregated high school, Ms. Gloria has seen the city of Athens change a good deal. “Things have come a long way”. Ms. Gloria has one daughter and has been part of the workforce since 1974. I have had the opportunity to have known here for almost 2 years now. She is an experienced woman and a treasure to everyone who knows her.
If there has been any signs of feminism in Athens for the past 40 years, then Ms. Gloria would definitely know about it. I approached Ms. Gloria with the idea of me interviewing her on feminism in Athens. She apprehensively said yes and the ride ensued.
“Some women, they're all about their feminist.”. It seems that backlash is typically the immediate response to the term feminism. The connotations of which are so negative that the majority of people proclaim to have absolutely nothing remotely similar to ideals of which it suggests.”To me it's an attitude”. Despite this backlash, Ms. Gloria agrees with many of the points of feminism (or at least post-feminism). Ms. Gloria feels that there were many areas in society that did not do women justice. Areas such as education, employment, and the family.
It seems that many people are very quick to dismiss feminism even if they don't exactly know what it incorporates. Its surprising to find that most anti-feminist have actually never even met a feminist let alone accurately identify the points in which they disagree. “I've never met a feminist, everyone I know believes in let a man be a man, let a woman be a woman.”
“Let me stay on my side of the fence and you stay on your side of the fence. If I got a flat tire, I'll let you [male] fix it. I might hurt my back!”. Ms. Gloria sees that men and women both have roles in this world and that these assigned roles are given in The Bible. “Women should play a supportive role, not lead”. She mentioned that this doesn't work out many times because many men don't follow God. “Women aren't meant to follow un-godly men.”. When there is a lack of godly men, Ms. Gloria suggests that women must lead herself.
“A woman gotta work 'cuz we got some sorry men.”
I don't know if this viewpoint is shared among all working class people. It seems that depending on which source a person derives their values (parents, friends, religion), that will dictate their belief in assigned roles. Nonetheless, I'm not sure how much 3rd wave feminism has affected women of the South. It seems that many still believe in assigned roles morally, supportively, sexually, and caretaker-ly. They restrict women from fixing their own cars, grilling their own barbeque, and leading their own lives (if they can help it).
“[Women have] come a long way [concerning employment], things have changed.” Ms. Gloria has worked in many occupations in Athens. The progress she referred to is not increased pay or increased conditions, yet it was the vertical movement of women in the workforce. “Things have changed, 10 years ago, you wouldn't have Condoleezza [Rice] or Hillary [Clinton].” She commented that there is little that a woman can't do these days. The possibilities have been made virtually unlimited.
I was curious about her thoughts on this subject because in Creswell Hall, all of the domestic custodians are female. “There was a male (domestic) custodian before, but the parents started to complain. No one complains about an old lady coming into the bathroom to clean.”
It doesn't seem like the “vertical movement of women in the workforce” has been felt by the women of Athens. I don't think this is due to any lack of feminism, it seems as if this is attributed to the lack of economy. Man or woman, vertical movement in the workforce is not a thing Athens is known for. Athens is one of the poorest cities in America.
“You have more women than men in college. They're hungrier. Men are full, they're getting lazy”. Progress is something that Ms. Gloria has definitely witnessed throughout her time here in Athens. Women are now encouraged to pursue serious careers after they graduate from high school, not merely go to college in order to find a potential husband to rely on.
“Both (feminism and a matter of time) helped this progress along.” She commented how that Roe v. Wade helped get abortion onto the topics of discussion. Now abortion isn't an “under the table” ordeal anymore, leading to safer procedures and more support from others.
“Let a woman be a woman, let a man be a man”. This mantra sums up Ms. Gloria Lumpkin's view on feminism. I don't know how much of Ms. Gloria's words can be correlated to the feelings of others in Athens, but I still have learned a good bit of how it differs from the perspectives I have studied in the past.
It seems that there were definitely some ripple waves of feminism trickling down to Georgia. It seems that feminism did not hit America like a tsunami. It was more of a slow, subtle process, soaking up feminism bit by bit. By the time 10 years pass, the nation is noticeably soaked with feminism. It is a wave that affects one person at a time, one event at a time. It turned the direction of the nation's thoughts and feelings one degree at a time. Slowly but surly, the direction turns from south to south-east, from southeast to east, and the nation slowly made a 180 degree turn in the way it views woman and her meaning in the world.
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