Women taking power seriously. Keynote address by Kathleen Kennedy Townsend, Hosmer Hall, Thursday 7:30 – 9:30 pm
Women Taking Power Seriously by Jacqueline Whitman
The Kennedy name is well known and very famous in all of the United States and around the world. Kathleen Kennedy Townsend, niece of J.F.K and daughter of Robert F. Kennedy, will be coming to SUNY Potsdam on April 11th at 7:30 to discuss “Women Taking Power Seriously”. In a man’s world, making it in a predominantly male profession can be very difficult. Speaking with deep insight to this modern issue, Townsend will inspire listeners with motives for females to push to succeed and coexist with gender inequalities.
As the oldest of Robert Kennedy’s children, Kathleen began her career after attending Radcliffe and the University of New Mexico Law School; she then moved on to practice environmental law (American Program Bureau.) She was also elected in 1994 as the first female Lieutenant Governor of Maryland. Under this title she made Maryland the first state to require community service to graduate, which seems to fall with the Kennedy name. Just like her uncle J.F.K., who created the Peace Corps in 1960, Kathleen is a major supporter in solving and combating crime issues and working to establish a better health care system.
The Kennedy family has been involved in politics for years. They have a deep history clearly; her uncle, J.F.K was the President of the United States in 1960, and with that name comes a great sense of pride. But could it be easier for Kennedy males to embrace this legacy than the Kennedy females? When Kathleen Kennedy Townsend began her career as a married woman, she left the Kennedy part out of her name. She wanted to make it on her own as a Townsend. She also didn’t dress up or try to look “fabulous” to raise her press and popularity- she wanted to succeed purely off of talent and intelligence. Townsend also has a very difficult time with public speaking, unlike her father, Robert who was well articulated and educated in public speaking (American Program Bureau). She soon learned after she lost the first election she ran in that she needed to change her tactics.
Like a true Kennedy, though, Townsend bounced back; she added the Kennedy to her name and started to dress for the role. A big inspiration into her career I believe would be these words from her father after her uncle, J.F.K died: “Dear Kathleen, you seem to understand that Jack died and was buried today. As the oldest of the Kennedy grandchildren, you have a special responsibility. A responsibility… to be kind and work for our country. Love, Daddy.” Robert Kennedy always wanted his children to work for a better society. Townsend vividly recalls a dinner when her father had just returned from a trip to the Mississippi Delta, horrified by the things he saw there he was reminding his children as to why they should be grateful. He wanted to make them aware of issues, and he wanted them to do something about it. Robert Kennedy was later assassinated in on June 5, 1968 when Townsend was only 17 years old (Townsend.)
I believe that Robert Kennedy and the entire Kennedy clan should be very proud of Townsend. She has fought with great perseverance for her rights to be a proud politician. She has great credibility in the United States and continues to do great work for society. Considering Townsend hasn’t really given a talk similar to “Women Taking Power Seriously”, I can only assume that she will address issues of gender inequality and how to overcome them through her many years of personal experience. From the male perspective, I imagine she will discuss that men should gain a more informed sense of female struggles and how it even could affect them in the work place. I feel that maybe her position will be to push to change the dynamics for females, and that she may encourage a “give and take” scenario.
I myself am looking forward to listening Kathleen Kennedy Townsend’s presentation. I hope to see many of my fellow students there because not only will it be informative for females to get the “upper hand” in working in politics, but also, for males, it could give you a better perspective. Hope to see you there!
Works Cited
American Program Bureau. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Feb. 2013.
Nordlinger, Jay. "Article." National Review 13 Sept. 1999, sec. 17: 24-28. Print.
TOWNSEND, KATHLEEN KENNEDY. "Focus On Results. (Cover Story)." Sojourners Magazine 38.1 (2009): 17. Academic Search Complete. Web. 6 Mar. 2013
Townsend, Kathleen Kennedy. "The Delta in Our Home." New York Times. N.p., 5 June 2008. Web. 6 Mar.
2013.
Tumulty, Karen. "So Much for the Mystique." Time 30 Sept. 2002: 40. Print.
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