Words by Fatima Barrie
Each year, Glamour Magazine profiles a diverse set of powerful women from all walks of life, including the world of philanthropy, entertainment, and politics. Maxine Waters is apart of Glamour’s 2017 Women of the Year.
Fierce, outspoken Congresswoman Waters, is being recognized as Glamour’s 2017 Lifetime Achievement recipient. Waters is not new to politics, in fact, her ties date back to 1991, when she was first elected to congress in California state, and has been serving in office ever since. She has made it her mission to take a firm stand and fight for what’s right and represent the unheard and overlooked.
“They have not seen or heard elected officials openly defy the order of things and speak directly in the way that I have done. I am speaking very directly, and aggressively, without apology. It’s my dislike for bullies who get away with making other people’s lives miserable—that compels me to act,” Waters said.
While Waters has been working in congress for years, she’s a new face to many millennials who learned of her presence through her viral “reclaiming my time” line, after she confronted Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin during a House Financial Services Committee hearing, when he tried avoiding her questions regarding why his office had not responded to her letter about President Donald Trump’s financial ties to Russia.
Now that Waters has the attention of young people, her new goal is to build a “bridge between old-guard politicians and new-school activists—to help create the next generation of Maxines.”
I want young people to know that not only should they speak up for themselves, but sometimes they have to make demands. I want young people to feel comfortable in their own skin, to like themselves, and to be able to present themselves—whenever and wherever they need to.
In addition to Congresswoman Maxine Waters, Glamour celebrated Nicole Kidman (The Icon), Solange Knowles (The Artist), Gigi Hadid (The Supernova), Samantha Bee (The Late-Night Hero), Patty Jenkins (The Changemaker), Peggy Whitson (The Space Ninja), Maria Grazia Chiuri (The Fashion Force), Muzoon Almellehan (The Girl Crusader), and The Women’s March Organizers (The Revolutionaries).
