Dear Hillary,
My name is Kali Rogers, and I am a 28-year-old Texan living in California. I own an online company that provides life coaching and counseling to females from around the world. I empower women on a daily basis to reach their full potential, shatter glass ceilings, and live as an unapologetic female. So it’s no surprise that I have considered myself to be a strong feminist since I was about 16 years old.
That is, until Tuesday night.
As the votes kept rolling in, I quickly realized I wasn’t a strong feminist. I was a lazy feminist. I voted for you – of course – and proudly wore white as a symbol of women’s suffrage as I waited for an hour to cast my ballot on Tuesday morning. But it wasn’t enough. I did not do enough. And for that, I sincerely apologize from the depths of my heart.
I cannot shake the feeling that something died inside my soul that night. But I also cannot ignore that something more powerful was born.
I am a white female, which means I am a part of a cohort whose votes will be on the wrong side of history. And I am taking responsibility for that. I wasn’t vocal enough. I just assumed women around the country felt the same way I did – undeniably proud that a woman with your experience, your grace, and your commitment was representing us, as well as feeling completely and utterly offended by a man who clearly has zero respect for us. This was not a coin toss. To me, this was a moral inevitability. You were going to be the first female President of the United States not just because you were the obvious choice, but because women everywhere were ready to be seen for what we are: capable and worthy.
But that didn’t happen. And I have officially snapped.
I am writing to you to tell you that I am so thankful for your gift to us. You stood at that podium and fought like a warrior for women everywhere against a man who is so vile and so blatantly wrong that I can’t help but cry when I think about what inspired anyone to vote for him. But without fear or hesitation, you fought for us. And I promise you we will not forget it.
A fire has been lit. You were the symbol, the message, and the voice that we needed in order to rise. I have been content for way too long. I have comforted myself in my feminist liberal bubble and let me tell you – it has been popped. We are awake and we are ready to fight because of the work you did.
But an ache in my heart still remains, and it’s because I just can’t help but wonder how you are feeling. I wonder about how you felt making that call. You, a warrior for women, having to concede to somebody like him. I wonder how you made that speech with such grace and dignity. I wonder if you are struggling to eradicate hate from your heart in order to focus on what’s next. I wonder if you ever felt like giving up, like I have so many times this week. And I wonder if you can feel the love from this country that so callously let you down.
So I write to make sure you know how much you have changed me. You have awoken the strong, nasty woman inside me, and I cannot thank you enough.
Yesterday I signed up to volunteer for Planned Parenthood. Tomorrow I will participate in a peaceful protest. Next week I will attend my first city council meeting. Next month I will make donations to organizations that empower communities who are at risk of a Trump presidency. And I promise you this pattern will not stop. I will fight for your legacy and I will make sure women everywhere know that it is up to us to carry the torch you so graciously passed onto us.
Nothing grows without water, so I know that my tears are baptizing the next great feminist movement. Please know that yours did, too.
With love,
Kali