The Joanne H. Alter Women in Government Lectures
“Power means nothing if you do not aggregate purpose to your power.” –Stacey Abrams
Since 2009, the Chicago Humanities Festival has proudly presented the Joanne H. Alter Women in Government Lecture with generous support from the Alter family. This series honors the inspiring legacy of a true trailblazer in Chicago politics, the first woman democratically elected to public office in Cook County, and founder of Working in the Schools (WITS), the largest tutoring program for at-risk youth in Chicago. Joanne Alter (1927–2008) is celebrated for her creativity, integrity, and courage as a pioneering reformer on behalf of women interested in social action and public service. Her daughter, Jennifer Alter Warden remembers: “Long before ‘glass ceiling’ made it into the lexicon, she showed by example how to smash it.”
Stacey Abrams, the 2019 Joanne H. Alter Women in Government speaker, praised the series as a “pantheon of incredible women.” Georgia House of Representatives Minority Leader (2011-2017), the first black female major-party gubernatorial nominee in America (2018), and a self-proclaimed “tax attorney, romance novelist, serial entrepreneur,” Stacey Abrams has clearly earned her place in Alter’s pantheon. She embodies the powerful, female leadership Alter spent her life fighting to make possible. Watch Abrams’ inspiring conversation with journalist Mary Mitchell to learn about Abrams’ “roadmap” for aspiring leaders. And to those of us with big dreams, remember Abrams’ powerful call to action: “What do I want? Why do I want it? How do I get there?”
"I join the ranks of Joanne’s children as the first African American female mayor in our history. We are all part of Joanne’s legacy, and proudly so." –Mayor Lori Lightfoot
“A Pantheon of Incredible Women”
Mayor Lori Lightfoot paid tribute to Joanne Alter in her introduction to Stacey Abrams: "In the beginning there was one. One fearless woman who would not take no for an answer. One woman who was unwilling to suppress her ambitions to have a seat at the table of power...Because of Joanne, women of all stripes are now setting the course and the narrative around power, inclusion and equity." She continued: "I would like to think that Joanne Alter, is saying, 'well done, Stacey.'” And Alter's grandson Billy Warden recounted the previous speakers, “Past lectures in this series have included Nancy Pelosi, Elizabeth Warren, Amy Klobuchar...You could say this lecture put them on the map,” he laughs, “You’d be wrong, but you could say it.” Yet, it is no coincidence that Alter's legacy series has hosted two of the women candidates running for president of the United States in 2020. Scroll through the playlist below to discover the roadmap to leadership laid out by these powerful women following in Alter’s footsteps.
“Think about what you want to do, not what you want to be." –Barbara Boxer’s advice to young women in politics
Believing Women: Anita Hill in Conversation
A Conversation with Senator Tammy Duckworth (Virtual)
Stacey Abrams on Leading From the Outside
Secretary Hillary Rodham Clinton, 2023
Hillary Rodham Clinton has spent five decades in public service as an advocate, attorney, First Lady, US senator, US secretary of state, and presidential candidate.
Anita Hill, 2022
Anita Hill received her JD from Yale Law School in 1980. Before becoming a law professor, she worked in private practice, the US Education Department, and Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. As counsel to Cohen Milstein, Hill advises on class action workplace discrimination cases.
Senator Tammy Duckworth, 2021
U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth is an Iraq War Veteran, Purple Heart recipient and former Assistant Secretary of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs who was among the first handful of Army women to fly combat missions during Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Stacey Abrams, 2019
Stacey Abrams is an author, serial entrepreneur, nonprofit CEO and political leader. After eleven years in the Georgia House of Representatives, seven as Minority Leader, Abrams became the 2018 Democratic nominee for Governor of Georgia, where she won more votes than any other Democrat in the state’s history.
Samantha Power, 2017
Appointed by President Barack Obama, Samantha Power served as Ambassador to the United Nations from 2013–2017. Now a Harvard Professor, Power came to CHF to discuss women in government.
Senator Barbara Boxer, 2016
Barbara Boxer is a retired California Senator and champion of environmental protection and women’s issues on a global stage. Reflecting on her career, Boxer shared her personal mantra with CHF: never compromise about doing the right thing.
Amy Klobuchar, 2015
Celebrated for her commitment to bringing together politicians from both sides of the aisle, Amy Klobuchar is the first woman elected from Minnesota to serve in the US Senate. She is currently a 2020 presidential candidate.
Tammy Baldwin, 2013
The first openly gay senator in US history, Tammy Baldwin has served in the country’s upper chamber since 2012. Baldwin visited CHF to reflect on her first year in the US Senate, her political career, and the state of women in government.
Nancy Pelosi, 2012
Nancy Pelosi is the first female Speaker of the US House of Representatives and the highest-ranking female politician in US history. During her “Women in Government” lecture, Pelosi reflected on the challenges and rewards women face in American politics.
Elizabeth Warren, 2011
In 2011 Elizabeth Warren was Special Advisor to President Barack Obama. She joined CHF to share her personal journey in public service. Warren currently represents Massachusetts on the US Senate and is a 2020 presidential candidate.
Claire McCaskill, 2009
Claire McCaskill made history as the first woman elected to the US Senate from Missouri, where she served from 2007 to 2019. McCaskill joined CHF and the Alter family to share her perspective on public service, policy, and progress forward.
"The vibrancy in our democracy is really all the new people who are getting involved...We have found it to be a really powerful force across the aisle, for women to work together.” –Amy Klobuchar
More Inspirational Women
Interested in exploring CHF’s archive full of inspirational programs that celebrate female trailblazers like Joanne Alter? We recommend starting with the following programs, where real life superheroes redefine what leadership looks like:
Hear from writer and feminist icon Gloria Steinem, who discusses activism in India, the founding of Ms. Magazine, political campaigns, and her memoir My Life on the Road (Speed 2016). Learn how Shirin Ebadi, the first woman to receive the Nobel Peace Prize, spoke truth to power through her defense of human rights in Iran–chronicled in her book Until We Are Free (2016). Get inspired by professor and activist Cathy Cohen’s lecture on the Black Youth Project and her book Democracy Remixed (Journey 2014). Preparing for the 2020 election? Become more informed with New York Times columnist Maureen Dowd, author of The Year of Voting Dangerously and professor and former MSNBC talk show host, Melissa Harris-Perry, author of Sister Citizen (from Speed 2016).
“Women are really dope. I believe in our magic. And I think there have always been women doing incredible things.” –Activist Page May in conversation with Gloria Steinem
Additional Resources
For more information on Joanne Alter and her “pantheon of incredible women,” check out the resources below:
Joanne Alter
Mount Holyoke College: Joanne Alter
Stacey Abrams
Lead from the Outside by Stacey Abrams
Samantha Power
A Problem from Hell: America and the Age of Genocide by Samantha Power
Barbara Boxer
The Art of Tough: Fearlessly Facing Politics and Life by Barbara Boxer
Amy Klobuchar
Senator Next Door: A Memoir from the Heartland by Amy Klobuchar
Amy Klobuchar Enters 2020 Presidential Race
United States Senator Amy Klobuchar: Working for the People of Minnesota
Tammy Baldwin
Tammy Baldwin: United States Senator for Wisconsin
Nancy Pelosi
Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi: California’s 12th District
Elizabeth Warren
This Fight Is Our Fight by Elizabeth Warren
Elizabeth Warren Formally Announces 2020 Presidential Bid
Elizabeth Warren: United States Senator for Massachusetts
Claire McCaskill
Plenty Ladylike by Claire McCaskill and Terr Ganey
“Nothing is more wholesome for the political process and government than fuller participation of women.” –Nancy Pelosi
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