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    Pantsuit Nation
    Pantsuit Nation
    Pantsuit Nation
    Ebook348 pages2 hours

    Pantsuit Nation

    By Macmillan Publishers

    4.5/5

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    About this ebook

    An inspiring collection of stories and photographs that capture what it means to live, work, love, and resist in America—from the Facebook group with millions of engaged and impassioned members.

    In October 2016, Maine resident Libby Chamberlain created a “secret” Facebook group encouraging a handful of friends to wear pantsuits to the polls. Overnight, the group of thirty exploded to 24,000 members. By November 8, the group was three million strong. Since Pantsuit Nation’s inception, its members have shared personal stories that illustrate the complexities of living in a vibrant, oftentimes contentious democracy. Members turn to Pantsuit Nation as a place of refuge and inspiration, where marginalized voices are amplified, faces are put to political decisions, resources are shared, and activism is ignited. It is a dynamic, diverse community united by an unwavering commitment to building a more just, inclusive world.

    Now, hundreds of Pantsuit Nation members have contributed their stories and photographs to form this extraordinary book. An indelible testament to the idea that change comes first from the heart, and that the surest way to move a heart is to tell a story, Pantsuit Nation is a portrait of a moment in history and a rallying cry for our time.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherMacmillan Publishers
    Release dateMay 9, 2017
    ISBN9781250153333
    Pantsuit Nation

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    Reviews for Pantsuit Nation

    4.5/5

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    • 4/5
      I find books derived from internet things pretty hit or miss, but surprisingly Pantsuit Nation works well. I remember being highly skeptical when I saw Libby's initial post about how stories were going to be published (is she getting permission? Who profits? etc.) but with a platform, you can do good, and I'm glad to see the secret Facebook event has grown into a blend of online engagement via storytelling and activism.

      The book itself is laid out chronologically, and vignettes & photos are formatted beautifully- amazing what happens when content is pulled out of the FB format. From the note at the end, it sounds like users submitted their own posts for physical publication, and people are credited appropriately as they wish (some people with just a name & a state, others with their full name, etc.)

      What's missing is the engagement derived from being posts in the group- it's hard to have subthreads and dialogues in an organized way in vignettes, I suppose. Great snapshots for people who are FB averse, though.

    Book preview

    Pantsuit Nation - Macmillan Publishers

    CONTRIBUTORS

    WRITING

    REGAN MORO C.C.P. ADINA DAVIDSON MICAL WILLIAMS SHIRLEY MCCLURE RUTH MARIMO MOLLY WERNICK LAUREN STILES HILARY CHRISTENSEN JACKIE REDNOUR-BRUCKMAN CHRISTINA LIEW MICHAEL NOFTZGER ANTOINETTE MCINTOSH TOBY GRUBMAN GRETCHEN KIRBY AMANDA MINTON BERNADETTE EVANS & MAJIN LABRADOR REBECCA AMANDA MARTIN SUSAN LK GORBET ALEXIS BAGON KRISTEN MARTIN PAM GORDON BR. JONATHAN WHEAT, CMJ ALBERT AMY PATEL MASHEED K. ROCKWELL ILEANA ORTIZ LYNN ORANGE REV. LILLIAN J. BUCKLEY BOUA XIONG-ROY JENNY R.E. NAUMAN LOLA HAKE CLAUDIA RAMIREZ-HOLZBAUER ANNA ALLEN ROSEANNE GATTO DEANNA TEASLEY DEBORAH LEOCI MEISENBERG ASHLEY CLIFT JENNINGS SEAN DOUGHERTY & DAVID MILJONER LEIAH ROBBINS MEGAN SIAN WU CRISTINA LOPEZ HILLARY CLINTON LIBBY CHAMBERLAIN MINA NEUMÜLLER MALHOTRA SUSAN WILLIAMS LEA BLAKLEY NAAMAL DE SILVA LINDSAY WOODS DAVID LEVINE NICK GOMEZ BONNIE LAPEÉ SAKENA SHAMBERGER BETHANY JOHNSON EMILY BOVE HERB CONDE-PARLATO LAUREN COOPER FATIMA FALL LIBBY SAUTER JESSE SANDERS DEB HOPKINS ELISABET LAUREN KROHN JILL MEYER SAADIA JONES KAREN HAYCOX MAGDALENE BRANDEIS LAUREL ANN WHITLOCK ALICIA YOUNG MONET HOLMES PENNY GODWIN GRACE CALDARA SHAHEEN LOKHANDWALA DEENA TIFFANY YIZAR SAFANA SHEIKH AHMED AIXA PEREZ-PRADO SUSAN PEARLMAN PETER FARLEY ANNA ASTVATSATURIAN TURCOTTE NAOMI WHEELESS SARAH ADAM HAMILTON-FERGUSON MELISSA BLAKE JEFF KREADY MELISSA GRIEBEL RACHEL B. ADRIAN DE LUNA SYLVIA MENDIVIL LEJLA HUSKIC JESSICA MCCLELLAN LEANNA J. GABLE ROXANA AMINI HANADI CHEHABEDDINE ELISA KUCHVALEK ZITA CASTILLO LINDSAY POVEROMO-JOLY GINA GIANETTO BRIANNA WU JIANETTE HOWARD THIA K. HUNTER H. RUDD LAILA JABER STUART O’NEAL MICHAEL WILLIAMS JOSLYNN CHRISTENSEN AARON R. RIEDER ADDIE ZINONE SHANI-LEIGH SEARCY CHRISTIANSEN KIMBERLY ALEXANDER NJERI MILLNER RONALD DUCKWORTH JOE AKMAKJIAN NUREN HAIDER MARK BREAULT NEUBAUER PATRICIA A. ROOS EDE ERICSON TALAMIEKA BRICE LAUREN ASHLEY HOWARD, ESQ. AYLIN ATAY RAJIB C. JAMES EVERETT

    A woman with a crown of red flowers wears a shirt reading “Feminist AF.”

    CONTRIBUTORS

    PHOTOGRAPHY

    JAMIE THROWER JAMIE THROWER JAMIE THROWER DAVID SCHULMAN DAVID SCHULMAN DAVID SCHULMAN MICHELE GUARNIERI MICHELE GUARNIERI J. LINDSEY LINGENFELTER JINA SUNG REGAN MORO C.C.P. ADINA DAVIDSON SHIRLEY MCCLURE WARDAH KHAN RUTH MARIMO MOLLY WERNICK THE STILES FAMILY PAUL TOEPFER PHOTOGRAPHY SMEETA MAHANTI CHRISTINA LIEW CLARICE MCINTOSH TOBY GRUBMAN & LOIS VILLEMAIRE GRETCHEN KIRBY ANDREA MINTON BERNADETTE EVANS REBECCA SAL D. BROOKE BOLING CINDA DANH KRISTEN MARTIN PAM GORDON APRIL K. HOOVER ALBERT AMY PATEL MASHEED K. ROCKWELL MELODY TARRO J BRIZENDINE PHOTOGRAPHY REV. LILLIAN J. BUCKLEY BOUA XIONG-ROY JENNY LOLA HAKE CLAUDIA RAMIREZ-HOLZBAUER AMANDA DELP CONNELL/A.M. PHOTOGRAPHY SHERRILYN MCCOY PECORELLA ROSEANNE GATTO DEANNA TEASLEY JAKE GRAVBOT LEIAH ROBBINS BRENDAN MCLAUGHLIN CRISTINA LOPEZ CHIP SOMODEVILLA/GETTY IMAGES NEWS BARBARA KINNEY/HILLARY FOR AMERICA EMILY ELCONIN MINA NEUMÜLLER MALHOTRA SUSAN WILLIAMS SEAN BROWN NAAMAL DE SILVA TONY MACK LINDSAY WOODS SARAH GORMLEY NICK GOMEZ BONNIE LAPEÉ SAKENA SHAMBERGER BETHANY JOHNSON EMILY BOVE MKS SARAH HERB CONDE-PARLATO ELISE HANNA FATIMA FALL LIBBY SAUTER KAREN SEIFERT BRENT W. HOPKINS ELISABET LAUREN KROHN KRITTER JILL MEYER ROBIN SEWELL DAUM GINA GLORIOSO RANDI FREUNDLICH RAINBOW BELLS JONATHAN BRANDEIS ALEX H. MONET HOLMES PENNY GODWIN BETHANY JANA BETHANY JANA COSTAS STERGIOU DEENA TIFFANY YIZAR SAFANA SHEIKH AHMED AIXA PEREZ-PRADO KIT FULLER MAJ, ALEX ANNA ASTVATSATURIAN TURCOTTE NAOMI WHEELESS CYNTHYA PORTER ADAM HAMILTON-FERGUSON SHARON BLAKE ANGELA L. OWENS/GIGI MANN IMAGES JENNY MYERS MERISSA LYNN PHOTOGRAPHY ENIS HUSKIC JESSICA MCCLELLAN LEANNA J. GABLE KIM RODRIGUEZ BARBARA LA VALLEUR ADACHI PIMENTEL LINDSAY POVEROMO-JOLY GINA GIANETTO SHANNON GRANT WHITNEY AYMAR/WHITNEY ROSE PHOTOGRAPHY HUNTER H. RUDD LAILA JABER JAN TOMAS HEATHER WILLIAMS J.A. KAHAIA CHANTAL PHOTOGRAPHY ZELL GOLEMAN JESSICA D’ONOFRIO AARON R. RIEDER JULIE CLARKE/MEMORIES REMAIN PHOTOGRAPHY JAMES W. GRADY, JR./ELITE EXPRESSIONS PHOTOGRAPHY NJERI MILLNER RICK PASETTO KHRISTY K. PRESTON NUREN HAIDER MARK BREAULT NEUBAUER PATRICIA A. ROOS KEITH SCOTT CHARLES BRICE/BRICE MEDIA LAUREN ASHLEY HOWARD, ESQ. KENNEDY CARROLL/THERIPPLE.ORG NEHA WADEKAR NEHA WADEKAR MONICA WILLIAMS KELSEY MCGREGOR CHRISTINA GANDOLFO RAJIB C. JAMES EVERETT PHOTOGRAPHY MATTHEW EARLE KATHLEEN SHARP EMILIE INC. PHOTOGRAPHY ELECTION DAY COLLAGE (LEFT TO RIGHT, TOP TO BOTTOM): ANNE HARRIGAN RYAN TYMENSKY & DOMINIC VALENTINO LE FORT MICHELLE CARTAYA DENNIS KWAN RANDI FREUNDLICH AMY PATEL LINDSAY HITE TORONDA SINDLER ANONYMOUS ANNIE REBECCA ICKES JULIE LIPPERT ERIN C. SUTHERLAND CAITLIN FREY LUISA ERICKSON JASMINE R. KRISTIN EDISON LEE ERIN LITTLE EMILIE INC. AMEENAH NADIRAH JULIE LIPPERT MARCH COLLAGE: EMILY SHAPIRO MELISSA MARR ADITEE MANÉ LINDA KAY COTTRELL VALERIE PLESCH MELINA B. HARTLEY CHANTILLE DE LOS REYES ABBEY & PATRICIA HALL JENNIFER S. EASTERDAY JULIE FISER SILJE YASMINE YADIRA DEBBIE KEATLEY ADINA DAVIDSON LARISSA KLAZINGA ANNE PRUETT LIZ OGLESBY ZORA MEAGAN M. TURNER LAURIE ALDERSON REGINAH MAKO & RIGHTS AND DEMOCRACY BROOKE MOBLEY LAILA KAISER KIM REHBERG CADDIE JACKSON

    A young woman holds a handmade sign in front of her, which reads, “Love Trumps Hate.”

    INTRODUCTION

    The book you are holding in your hands is a time capsule. It’s also an experiment in the power of collective storytelling. And it’s a rallying cry. It grew out of something as improbable and ephemeral as a secret Facebook group for thirty friends who were planning to wear pantsuits to the polls on November 8, 2016. What it becomes next is up to you.

    Pantsuit Nation began on October 20, the day after the third presidential debate. Craving an online space that was free of vitriol, fake news, and the abusive commentary that had become commonplace over the course of the 2016 election, I uploaded a photo of Hillary Clinton, radiant in her white pantsuit from the night before, and wrote the following description for the group: Wear a pantsuit on November 8—you know why.

    The idea to wear a pantsuit to the polls was inspired by a conversation with my friend, Caddie. While watching the debate, Caddie overheard a young woman say something along the lines of Ugh. Another ugly pantsuit. It was less than two weeks after a video had surfaced of the Republican nominee bragging about sexual assault, and yet the conversation turned, as it had so often in the months leading up to that debate, to Secretary Clinton’s clothing. The volume of her voice. Whether she was smiling not enough or too much. The height of her heels and the cut of her jacket.

    I didn’t own a pantsuit at the time. It didn’t matter. I knew that more than any other campaign pin, slogan, or logo, the pantsuit symbolized this moment in history, and I wanted to wear that symbol—to embrace it and embody it and celebrate it—when I went to cast my vote in that historic election. It turns out I wasn’t the only one.

    Within one day of creating the group and inviting a handful of my own friends to join, it exploded to more than 24,000 members. Friends invited friends by the thousands to a secret group where they could unabashedly support Secretary Clinton. Where they didn’t have to hide their excitement or temper their enthusiasm. I’ve found my people! and I knew you were all out there somewhere! were familiar refrains in the group in those first few days. There were few rules, but there was one I was adamant about: in the words of Michelle Obama, we would Go high. Posts that disparaged either candidate or their supporters would not be tolerated. There was plenty of that in other spaces and I wanted to create something different.

    While there were a number of memes and pro-Clinton articles being shared in the beginning, something else started happening as well. Members, particularly women, began sharing stories about what this election meant to them. Stories about workplace harassment, about mothers and grandmothers with great aspirations and far-reaching ambitions who were limited not by their creativity or talent but by their gender. Lawyers and teachers and scientists posted in the group about the fight to wear pants, literally, and about the fight for what the pantsuit represented to them: equality, empowerment, and autonomy.

    We read about Hank, a TWA stewardess (as they were then called) who attended Stanford Medical School in 1938 and gave up a career in medicine to get married, only to find herself stationed at Pearl Harbor with a six-month-old baby on December 7, 1941. Her granddaughter, Susan (here), dedicated her vote for Secretary Clinton to four generations of women in her family, starting with Hank and ending with her own daughter.

    Sian (here) also posted about her grandmother, who raised four children in a tiny apartment in Shanghai before immigrating to the United States. In 2001, standing at her kitchen window in New York City’s Chinatown, she watched the World Trade Center fall and then draped their apartment in American flags and memorabilia, much like the rest of the city’s residents.

    These stories, which were posted in the group by the hundreds and then by the thousands, were deeply personal and yet profoundly universal. They seemed, at times, to have a generative power of their own—the more people shared, the more others were inspired to do the same, so that stories begat stories. This was the first glimpse I had of collective storytelling, where the impact of hundreds of thousands and then millions of people gathering together in a virtual space to speak and listen was something unique and worth preserving.

    Leading up to the election, the size of the group swelled to 100,000, then to 250,000, and then surpassed 1,000,000 members on November 5. The stories grew, too, not just in number but in scope. We heard from first-generation Americans, from people of color, from immigrants and refugees, from people with disabilities, and from members of the LGBTQIA community about how, for them, the outcome of this election could mean the difference between acceptance and rejection based on their identity, their families, their ancestry, whom they loved, and how they worshipped. The pantsuit, it turns out, could represent everything from a doctor’s scrubs to a military uniform to a hijab.

    Two women stand on an overpass, holding signs about “Nasty Women” and “Bad Hombres.”

    Hundreds of thousands and then millions of people gathering together in a virtual space to speak and listen was something unique and worth preserving.

    We read Ileana’s story (here) of being the daughter of Cuban immigrants and living in the heart of the South, where she cast her vote for the tens of thousands who have lost their lives to suicide or hate crimes based on their mental health issues or bullying stemming from their gender identity or sexual orientation. Jenny (here) wrote about being a sexual assault survivor and voting for my daughters and yours. There was a rising chorus of voices, beautiful and complex in their differences, but also inspiring in their shared commitment to love, kindness, and

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