THANDISIZWE CHIMURENGA: On Nancy Pelosi... Sistahs, Where is Thy Victory?

US Rep. Nancy Pelosi's (D-CA) ascendancy to Speaker of the US House of Representatives has been hailed as smashing "through a political glass ceiling that has kept women out of the upper echelons of power throughout U.S. history."

In the event something happens to the President of the United States, the Vice-President then becomes the Commander-in-Chief; the next person in line would be the Speaker of the House, described as being the most powerful position in the legislative branch of US government.

Pelosi is said to have a strong record of support for abortion rights - as Speaker, she will be in a strong position to support those rights.

That's all well and good, but there should be more to the story than that.

Well …

I'm waiting …

It looks as if simply putting a female face on a position of power is enough for some people, specifically the mainstream Feminist Movement – more specifically White women. But the case of Gloria Arroyo, President of the Phillippines, should serve as a fresh reminder this is woefully inadequate. Since taking office in 2001, critics of Arroyo say she has carved out a list of human rights violations longer than that of former President Ferdinand Marcos. At the end of October 2006, 761 community leaders and activists had been murdered under Arroyo's reign and of that number 80 were women, half of whom were members of GABRIELA, a mass-based, anti-imperialist Phillippine women's organization.

Not exactly the model for female leadership one would hope for.

But we don't have to go all the way to the Phillippines to find disappointment.

According to womensenews.org, "With the Democrats in control of the House, women are in line to advance to high positions in party leadership and on committees. Four women are in line to take over control of House panels, and numerous other women are poised to control House subcommittees."

Sadly and treacherously, US Congresswoman Cynthia McKinney (D-GA) won't be one of them.

On top of the usual fare of isolation, disrespect, and contempt she has had to endure since September 11, 2001, the fall-out from McKinney's charge of racism after an assault by a Capitol Hill Police Officer earlier this Spring was particularly ugly and included complete abandonment by her colleagues in the Democratic Party under the direct leadership of Nancy Pelosi.

It was Pelosi who, working through lackeys in the Congressional Black Caucus, put the word out McKinney should be completely shunned, and so it was - up to and including McKinney's so-called colleagues disappearing from the scene of a press conference where the Congresswoman was to apologize(!) for continuously speaking in the media on her assault as an instance of racist profiling by Capitol Hill Police. Of the 20 members of the Congressional Black Caucus only nine stood with her at the press conference, and that was after McKinney had to remind them of their commitment to do so.

It was Pelosi who, as House Minority Leader, denied Congresswoman McKinney her seniority status (after 10 years in Congress) when McKinney handily won re-election in 2004 after a well-orchestrated Republican-led campaign ousted her from office in 2002.

The treatment meted out to Cynthia McKinney under Nancy Pelosi's leadership and directives should be a cause for alarm for Black women and others. But there's more.

Nancy Pelosi has always been a staunch supporter of the State of Israel, remaining deafeningly silent on flagrant Israeli abuses of the human rights of the Palestinian and Lebanese people.

From the House Floor earlier this Summer, after Hezbollah captured two Israeli soldiers in Lebanon spawning a murderous response by Israel, Pelosi expressed unwavering support for Israel's "right, and indeed …obligation, to respond." That response by Israel this Summer left over 750 civilians dead and over 1200 civilians injured - many of them children.

Palestinian women continue to suffer from the brutal occupation of their land by the State of Israel. Within the last six years, the Palestinian Health Information Center estimates 10 percent of pregnant women in the West Bank and Gaza who needed to give birth in medical centers or hospitals were delayed by Israeli forces at notorious 'checkpoints' for 2-4 hours. During this period, a total of 68 women gave birth – right then and there - at these checkpoints, while four mothers and 34 newborn babies died.

Speaking after the Election, Pelosi reiterated her party's platform of 'Six for '06' - the areas of focus for the new Congress' first 100 hours. National security, jobs and wages, energy independence, affordable health care, retirement security, and college access for all are indeed important areas, but precisely where and how these areas encompass the case for the impeachment of George Bush, the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq, and the displaced victims of Hurricane Katrina has yet to be laid out.

Black women must remain vigilant as this new Congress settles in.

About the author:

Thandisizwe Chimurenga is a writer, activist, and the Director of The Ida B. Wells Institute. She can be reached at idabwellsinstitute@gmail.com