Women from Michigan suffered a collective double whammy with the recent passing of two icons – entertainer, entrepreneur and philanthropist Dolly Parton and feminist and author Gloria Steinem. Both carved paths that helped women in business and others from diverse backgrounds needing a voice.
To capture the moment, Linda Solomon, photographer and journalist from metro Detroit, posted a picture of the icons as news of Parton’s passing on Aug. 25 of cancer was announced. Solomon took that photo in 1985 at Studio 54 in New York City.
A few days later on Sept. 2, Solomon and the world would learn that Steinem, 92, who fought for equality for women and others, had passed.
Solomon knew both women: She interviewed them and took their photos, and included
them in her 2007 book, "The Key: Celebrated People Unlock Their Secrets to Life."
“The key to equality is empathy, which is why it is the most revolutionary of all emotions ...," Steinem is quoted as saying in Solomon's book. “Our saving grace on this Spaceship Earth will come not so much from our learning equality as from unlearning inequality."
Parton also added her 2 cents to a question posed by Solomon in the book.
“The key to staying on top ... take nothing for granted, don’t lose momentum, work today as it is your first day on the job. … Keep your talent and wit sharpened and never count your money until you count your blessings,” Parton said.
Dolly 'understood the power of using her life to lift others'
Paula Cunningham, Michigan director of AARP, talked about seeing Parton at a meeting in Nashville, Tennessee.
"Seeing Dolly was a truly special experience," Cunningham said. "Beyond the fame and extraordinary talent, I saw a woman who understood the power of using her life to lift others. When I think about Dolly and also the phenomenal life and work of Gloria Steinem, I’m struck by how different their journeys were, and yet how both have profoundly impacted women for generations to come."
Cunningham added, “Their lives remind us that our greatest legacy isn’t simply what we accomplish for ourselves, but the doors we open, the courage we inspire and the lives we touch along the way. I hope their stories serve as a reminder for young women today that you have a voice, you have a purpose, and you have the power to make a difference.
Michigan Democratic U.S. Rep. Debbie Dingell knew both leaders and mentioned how things have changed for women.
“It wasn’t that long ago I interviewed for a job at GM (General Motors) and someone there asked me, ‘Why would a woman want to work at GM?” she said. She joined the automaker and worked there over 30 years, serving as president of the GM Foundation and senior executive for public affairs and global community relations. She joined Congress in 2015.
(Today, GM is headed up Mary Barra, chair and CEO, one of the most influential corporate leaders in the world).
Dingell met and married her husband, the late U.S. Rep. John Dingell. After they wed, Debbie Dingell was the only working spouse of a congressman early on.
"I met Dolly not long after the movie ‘9 to 5' came out," Debbie Dingell said. "She was a wonderful woman who supported other women. I was lucky to know her."
“When John died (in 2019), she reached out to offer her condolences," Dingell added.
Dingell also attended a few political events with Steinem.
"I’m where I am today because of Dolly and Gloria Steinem and other women who opened doors before us. Dolly and Gloria also understood the importance of women helping each other," Dingell said.
Gloria 'helped give voice to inequities women experienced'
Donna Murray-Brown, president and CEO of Inforum, the statewide organization helping women succeed in the work place, weighed in.
"Dolly showed us the extraordinary power of a woman who knew who she was and refused to be limited by anyone else’s expectations," Murray-Brown said. “She was an artist, entrepreneur, philanthropist and champion for others. Her life reminds us that when women have the opportunity to bring their full talent, creativity, and humanity forward, they do more than succeed individually. They strengthen industries, lift communities, and expand what others believe is possible.”
Of Steinem, she added: “She helped give voice to inequities women experienced but were too often expected to accept. Her passing is not simply a moment to reflect on how far women have come. It is a clarion call to confront the barriers that remain and to recognize the extraordinary leadership, creativity, and problem-solving ability women bring to our workplaces, communities and economy.”
Christina Lovio-George, president and CEO of a Detroit communications company, also talked how things have changed, aided by the two trailblazers.
"Years ago, when I had just gotten married, I went to the Secretary of State’s office to add my married name to my license and waited for hours as they refused to do so until my husband showed up," she said, shaking her head.
Thousands have talked in recent days of how the power pair empowered women.
"Dolly used her humble beginnings, beauty and sex appeal to cross age, gender, and music genre preferences and let people fall in love with her story-telling and kindness and wicked sense of humor as she made her mark across the country, helping people and lifting communities," Lovio-George said.
"Gloria focused on changing perceptions that women were second class citizens. We made 64 cents for every dollar in the Eighties. (Now we make 84 cents to every dollar 40 years later). She raised a new generation of women not to accept the barriers because they were women."
Indeed, few leaders have blazed such trails and worked so fearlessly as Dolly Parton and Gloria Steinem as they opened doors that will create opportunities for generations to come.
Contact Carol Cain at clcain@cbs.com. She is senior producer/host of "Michigan Matters," which airs 5:30 a.m. Sundays on CBS Detroit and 9:30 a.m. Sundays on CW Detroit 50. See Macomb County Executive Mark Hackel, Republican strategist Suzy Avery and community leader Marvin Beatty on this week’s show. You can also watch the show simultaneously on the two stations' listings on Fubu, Pluto TV, YouTube TV and Apple TV.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: How 5 Michigan women will remember Dolly Parton and Gloria Steinem
