Remembrances: Stephanie Tubbs Jones, 1949-2008
August 21, 2008
With the death of Rep. Stephanie Tubbs Jones, the first black woman to represent Ohio in Congress, we’ve lost an incredible advocate for women’s reproductive rights and health care for all.
The memorial service may be held a week from Saturday, on Aug. 30, according to the Cleveland Plain Dealer.
I was looking for a link that summed up the congresswoman’s passion and found this text and video of Jones reading the poem “And the Women Gathered” by Gloria Wade-Gayles (from Feb. 29, 2000). Here’s an excerpt:
And the world took notice
That women are warriors
(Always have been even in the beginning)
And so they gathered as women will
In the very eye of the storm
Pushing against its fury
With their own
And the world took notice
That women birth babies
And revolutions
The women gathered
Ten thousand Rosas inspired by one
You saw them.
You saw them.
You saw them.
You saw them.
The world saw them.
Below are some tributes — feel free to add your own thoughts or additional links in the comments.
– NPR: U.S. Reps. James Clyburn (D-SC) and Maxine Waters (D-CA) join Farai Chideya in offering remembrances.
– Pam Spaulding has reaction from officials.
– Columnist Connie Schultz writes, “Our friendship was forged by her to-the-bones understanding of what it means to be a woman willing to stick your neck out for your beliefs. I so appreciated never having to explain the punch line. She’d seen it all.”
