I Won't Say Good Bye to Ann Richards
Posted: September 15, 2006, 09:26 AM by Leslie Grossman
Ann Richards' Spirit will live forever. However, her presence on this planet will be sorely missed. She told it like it was. She knew the secret of being a successful woman... in politics, in business and in life. She was wise, witty and warm. She spoke with such passion and heart - that whether you agreed with her or not - you were totally captivated by her. She made you laugh and made you cry. Sometimes at the same time. Richards was one of WLE's very first keynote speakers. She was our closing keynote at our very first conference in New York City - November 2002. As she always did when she spoke, she brought down the house. She was so great that Andea and I immediately booked her for our second conference in Dallas - a kind of daring move. Since in Texas she was a somewhat polarizing figure. Richards helped defeat George Bush Sr. in his presidential reelection campaign - and later she was dethroned from her job as Governor of Texas by George Bush Jr. But even at the WLE Dallas conference - she evoked respect and enthusiasm from women no matter their political party. Ann Richards was totally courageous and ordinary at the same time. She started as a social studies teacher and raised four children. She founded the North Dallas Democratic Women to give more power to women in the Democratic Party in the sixties, and managed her first campaign in 1972 to elect Sarah Weddington to the Texas Legislature. Weddington, you may note, " had successfully argued Roe v. Wade before the U.S. Supreme Court." Richards then went on to win several local offices before becoming the first woman elected to statewide office in Texas in 50 years when she ran for state treasurer. When she was elected governor of Texas in 1990, it is said that she brought more blacks, Hispanics and women into public office than ever before. One could go on and on with her achievements. However, it is her voice - gravelly and intense - that I believe so many Americans - women and men - will remember. And it is her voice - that inspires me and so many women - to be courageous, to speak out and to take action on those things in which you believe. Thank you, Ann Richards, for your generosity and for being a role model to women for generations to come.Reader Comments
Posted: September 18, 2006, 09:54 AM by Susan Abrahamson
That pretty much summed up who Ann was—thank you. I first met her in 1983, when I was a member of the inaugural class of Leadership Texas, which she co-founded. I had the great good fortune to meet and talk with her several times over the succeeding years. Ann was a class act, in all ways, and will be greatly missed by everyone who knew her—and many who didn’t, but who benefited from the work she did and the stands she took. She was an inspiring role model, and I believe she will continue to be even though she’s no longer physically with us.
The Dallas Morning News has had some great coverage, both yesterday and today, and I’m sure that will continue through the weekend and the early part of the week.
If you’re interested, see www.dallasnews.com.
Best regards,
SusanSusan Abrahamson
SearchCom, Inc.
Posted: September 15, 2006, 12:35 PM by Jackie Jordan-Davis
Ann Richards represented the best of Texas, and the very best of what an activist-engaged-compassionate-powerful woman and human being can ever aspire to be. She was not of my generation. She was not a member of my ethnic group. But as a fiercely proud Texan (transplanted to New Jersey), and as a woman, I consider Ann Richards to be my sister. She was--and will continue to be--a role model, and a person whom I greatly admire. That's how I have always thought of her, and it is clear she has had that impact on scores of other women around the country. She will be missed, but not forgotten.
Posted: September 15, 2006, 11:47 AM by Fran Harris
I always knew when Ann was in the house. The laugh. The hair. The drawl. The energy. Forget whether my family was at the game, I wanted to know if Ann was going to be there. Ann Richards used to sit on the floor during my basketball career at The University of Texas at Austin. In the craziness of 8-10,000 people screaming for our team, I could always hear Ann's voice above the crowd. If she liked something you knew it. "That was goooooood, Fran." She'd applaud furiously and flash that mega watt smile that always lit up the space she entered. If she didn't like something, you can believe the officials got an ear full. "Booooooo. Booooooo." That's just Ann. More than a sports fan, though, Ann was a brilliant example for us as young women. For me, she demonstrated that a woman could be powerful, funny, successful and ambitious. In 1991, I was fortunate to have dinner with her and a few members of her family, including Lily, her granddaughter, who was at the time around 4 years old, I believe. Ann remarked that Lily was already a powerful woman. I'll never forget that. Four years old and already a powerful woman! Wow. Ann spoke truth and power into her granddaughter and her children. She showered me and my teammates with wisdom, and encouragement to pursue our dreams no matter how ambitious. For that I'm eternally grateful. The last time I saw Ann was over 10 years ago at an alumni basketball game in Austin, Texas. She was sitting in her special seat next to the bench. As she chomped on her popcorn, signed autographs and cheered, I remember being amazed at her zest for life, her commitment to being at our games whenever she was in town, and the passion with which she lived her life -- inside and outside the political arena. Ann Richards' spirit lives in every woman who's ever been fortunate to experience her. We love you, Ann. Thank you.
