On Wednesday\, August 12\, at 6:30 pm at t he Kent Library\, the Steinem Sisters Collection and the Art Tatum African American Resource Center will host a Talking Circle on Women in Politics. \; Please join us for our discussion.
\nWhat does the political landscape look like for women in Northwest Ohio for 2026? \; Amy Acto n may be Ohio's first female elected governor (Nancy Hollister served as g overnor for 11 days after George Voinovich resigned in 1998). \; Marcy Katpur \;is the longest-serving woman in congressional history. She i s up for election this year in a newly created district. \;The new map s could take Ohio&rsquo\;s current 10-5 Republican-to-Democratic-split to a potential 12-3 divide\, based on likely voter index. What races are you watching this election cycle? \; We will also discuss the issues and t opics that are affecting women including the SAVE America Act\, recent Sup reme Court decisions\, Voting Rights Act\, and more.
\nDid you know that at the current rate\, it will take at least 60 years to achieve refle ctive gender representation in state governments? And if 2025 taught us an ything\, it&rsquo\;s that women will continue to play a decisive role&mdas h\;whether in their roles as lawmakers on Capitol Hill\, in statehouses an d mayors&rsquo\; offices across the country\; or as a powerful voting bloc . Women turned out at higher rates than men and made up a majority of vote rs\, and historic gender gaps reshaped the political landscape. That inclu ded a 17-point gender gap in Virginia&rsquo\;s governors&rsquo\; race\, le ading Abigail Spanberger to become the state&rsquo\;s first woman governor . And a 13-point gender gap led Mikie Sherrill to likewise make history in New Jersey&rsquo\;s gubernatorial race (MS. magazine\, 1/2026).
\n< strong>Our subject matter experts for this Talking Circle are Holly Monsos and Teresa Fedor.
\nHolly Monsos is Profe ssor Emeritus of Theatre\, retired from the University of Toledo after ser ving as a Professor\, Chair and Associate Dean over the years. Since retir ing she has been able to become more active in the Toledo Lucas County cha pter of the League of Women Voters and is currently serving as the group's president. \;
\nIn 2000\, Teresa Fedor pursued
her passion for public service and was elected to serve the 52nd district
in the Ohio House of Representatives. She served as an Ohio Senator durin
g the 126th\, 127th\, and 128th General Assemblies. Since joining the Gene
ral Assembly\, Representative Fedor has worked to improve the educational
opportunities for our children\, provide new economic opportunities for Oh
io's economy\, connect &\; improve services for veterans\, increase acc
essibility to children's health insurance\, and to criminalize human traff
icking.
\;
Representative Teresa Fedor has championed respo
nsive and responsible government. During her years in the Senate\, she has
helped to unveil the Bureau of Workers Compensation coin scandal\, made c
ertain that Ohio's voting machines leave a paper trail\, and worked collab
oratively with the majority and the governor during the budget process. Pr
otecting our most vulnerable young Ohioans has been a driving force for he
r. Last year the Governor signed her landmark Human Trafficking legislatio
n into law\, which will now criminalize human trafficking in our state.
Before her career as a legislator began\, Representative Fedor worke d as a teacher for 18 years\, spending 15 years with the Toledo Public Sch ool system. A long-time public servant\, Representative Fedor served in th e United States Air Force and Ohio Air National Guard for six and a half y ears."
\nABOUT THE COLLECTIONS
\nA part o f the library since 1989\, the Art Tatum African American Resource Center is a dedicated space to provide educational and historical information on African American cultural heritage and experiences. \; Through books\, other materials\, public programs\, and art exhibits\, the Resource Cente r recognizes and celebrates the lived experiences of African Americans. Th e Resource Center is named in honor of American jazz great Art Tatum (1909 -1956) who grew up in Toledo's Roosevelt neighborhood.
\nTh e \;Steinem Sisters Collection \;champions women&rsquo\;s historic al\, cultural\, and political contributions and strives to provide a welco ming space for women from all walks of life to share their truths. It is c omposed of feminist materials\, intersectional works that uphold human and women&rsquo\;s rights and interests in defining and promoting political\, economic\, personal\, and social equality of the sexes\, races\, classes\ , sexual orientations\, and genders. The Steinem Sisters Collection has gr own to over 900 titles in the ten years since its inception. Regular progr amming\, including book discussion groups and talking circles\, aims to hi ghlight the collection and build community. This collection was possible d ue to a generous donation by The Steinem&rsquo\;s Sisters Collective.
\nhttps://toledo.libnet.info/event/16485371 URL;VALUE=URI:https://toledo.libnet.info/event/16485371 END:VEVENT END:VCALENDAR