Disclaimer: The opinions and viewpoints expressed in the following article do not necessarily reflect those of NDP Gateway, Gateway staff, or Notre Dame Preparatory School.

When you think of women in politics, who do you think of? Maybe you think of Hillary Clinton, who ran for the presidency in 2016 but ultimately lost to Donald Trump. Maybe you think of Nancy Pelosi, the current Speaker of the House. With the culmination of the 2020 Democratic National Convention, we saw and heard several women with very powerful words who need more recognition. 

“If you feel stuck in the middle of the extremes of our politics, if you are tired of the noise and nonsense, you have a home with me, and you have a home with Joe Biden,” spoke Senator Amy Klobuchar in the middle of an inspiring speech about unity on the Convention’s first day. Senator Klobuchar announced her candidacy in Feb. 2019 and stayed in the race longer than most Democratic candidates. “E pluribus unum: out of many, one; it is more than just a motto. It is the North Star for our democracy,” said Senator Klobuchar, as she spoke of how President Donald Trump is dividing our nation instead of uniting it. Even though her speech was barely four minutes, Senator Klobuchar’s compelling words stayed with me.  

Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio Cortez has received the media’s attention due to her response to President Trump’s misogynistic tweets. During a FOX interview, President Trump said, “AOC was a poor student…this is not a smart person… I mean she goes out and she yaps.” To this, she replied, “Let’s make a deal Mr. President, you release your college transcript, I’ll release mine, and we’ll see who was the better student.” Although Congresswoman Ocasio Cortez’s speech was only one minute long, she addressed racial injustice, colonization, misogyny, and homophobia.  “In a time when millions of people in the United States are looking for deep systemic solutions to our crises of mass evictions, unemployment and lack of health care… and out of a love for all people, I hereby second the nomination of Senator Bernard Sanders of Vermont for president,” concluded the Congresswoman. She warned Joe Biden that the far left will not back down, should he win the election in November. At 30 years old, Congresswoman Ocasio Cortez is the youngest woman to serve in Congress, and she is an inspiration to many girls and young women who are aspiring politicians.  

The last address that I will note is former First Lady Michelle Obama’s speech. Michelle Obama’s words were nothing short of motivational, as she said, “If you take one thing from my words tonight, it is this: if you think things cannot possibly get worse, trust me, they can; and they will if we don’t make a change in this election.” Ms. Obama closed her speech with an inspirational quote from civil rights activist John Lewis: “When you see something that is not right, you must say something, you must do something.”  

Democratic women are displaying their power with their eloquent and meaningful words. Whether or not you consider yourself involved in politics, I encourage you to listen to these women and, ultimately, use your own words to make a difference.