Empowering, Educating and Inspiring
By Preserving, Protecting and Providing
Women In California Politics (WICP) was born at a Legislative Women’s alumni dinner back in 2013. As one of the alumni talked about her time in office, I pulled out my iPhone and started video-recording her. It occurred to me then that there was a richness in the story that video tells that is second only to being there in person. And this video was the best kind because it was candid, unrehearsed, and spontaneous. This is our living history! Few had heard the stories and comments. They were effectively the personal political story behind the public political history. They were rich with the personal anecdotes of these women who had had immense effects on the people of California.
I knew these stories were interesting and important and had to be told, and the best way for them to be told was in person directly from the women themselves. Video is the only way to capture the passion and personality and the nuances and details that a regular written history misses.
I sought the guidance and opinions of historians, archivists, and museum directors. Through all the different contacts and interactions, the theme crystallized. And through the enormous positive feedback, my resolve grew. Before I knew it, Women In California Politics had a Mission Statement and Vision Statement. Then came the Board of Directors and non-profit filing. And like a child, it took on a life of its own. We’ve gotten the attention of many prominent California politicians, such as the Honorable Willie Brown: