By Sumedha Garud

On June 17, 2010, Emerge California held their 6th annual fundraising event at the Julia Morgan Ballroom in San Francisco. More than 400 people came to show their support for Emerge, a non-profit organization that encourages Democratic women to run for public office. Emerge offers training programs and networking opportunities to help Democratic women succeed in the political arena. Keynote speaker Arianna Huffington gave an insightful, rousing speech, Emerge staff and participants shared their program experiences, and an award was presented to “Emerge 2010 Woman of the Year” Andrea Dew Steele.

The evening gathering started with a reception – a welcome break after a long day. The aesthetic architecture of the space, along with hors d'oeuvres, drinks, and dainty desserts, blended beautifully to create the perfect atmosphere for mingling. The crowd was enormously diverse; guests included public officials, corporate executives, and students. The common thread for the group was an interest in advancing the representation of Democratic women in politics.

Before the speeches, a short video was presented where Emerge participants shared the reasons they chose to get involved in politics, and related how the training program gave them the necessary tools. Speaker Zoe Dunning then described her experience with the Emerge program. Dunning is a retired Naval Officer – the first veteran to go through the Emerge program. While in the military in the early 1990s, she observed the debate over gays in the military, noting that everyone was participating (like activists and the media), except for those who were most impacted by it. Dunning stated that, “Everyone could talk about it except for the gays in the military – they were forced to be silent. And so I came out because I chose to be the voice for those who could not speak for themselves.” Dunning “worked as an outsider” trying to convince legislators to repeal the Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell policy, but she now wants “to actually be the decision maker.” She went on to describe how, as an Emerge 2010 program graduate, she “learned skills she would not have had access to otherwise.” Emerge offers a comprehensive program that covers public speaking, fundraising, campaign strategy, networking, and many other skills necessary for elective office. Dunning captivated the audience with her inspiring story, and the crowd responded with much applause.

Zoe Dunning then introduced Arianna Huffington, the keynote speaker. Huffington greeted the crowd warmly, and immediately set a lighthearted tone by addressing the “amazing group of women…and some great men, too!” After a bit of joking, Huffington focused on the Emerge program, stating that, “Emerge is an organization that is absolutely perfect for our times.” She went on to say, “Right now, the greatest need is to really activate empathy, all around us…we are seeing everyday, more demonstrations of the lack of empathy.” Huffington clarified that she doesn’t believe women have exclusive access to empathy, but we still see the effects of people who, “caring only for themselves, for the bottom line, have driven our country into an incredible place of real danger.” Lightening up the tone, she incited cheers and laughter when asking the audience to think about what might have happened, “If Lehman Brothers was Lehman Brothers & Sisters.”

Arianna Huffington then shifted her talk to a more personal level, and encouraged women to get involved with leadership to help bring about solutions. “Women have the opportunity to transcend our fears,” she said, emphasizing that we need to overcome our fear of failure and have the courage to take risks. “We all need to remind each other that nobody has succeeded without failure on the way,” joking about her run for California Governor. Additionally, Huffington stressed that we need to conquer the ‘inner critic’ when stating that, “All of us women have an inner critic that I call the obnoxious roommate in my head…we need to learn to educate that voice.” One thing she found in common with Emerge participants was how tenacity was one of the most important things they learned through the program. After accenting the importance of tenacity and perseverance, Huffington said, “We are at the time when politics is being transformed…issues cannot be seen as right vs. left issues…it’s an issue of fairness.” She related that although our current leaders might disappoint us, “In the end, it’s not about one leader, it’s never about one leader, and if we make it about one leader we are abdicating our own responsibility.” She concluded by calling women to action through running for office or by transforming a community, stating, “The only antidote to despair and cynicism is action.”

After Huffington’s address, the program continued with an award presentation for Andrea Dew Steele, Emerge 2010 Woman of the Year. Steele is the Founder and President of Emerge America and a dedicated advocate for increasing the representation of women in elected office. Kimberly Ellis, Executive Director for Emerge California, closed the event by thanking supporters. Ellis reiterated Emerge’s goal of electing more Democratic women to exercise their power for good, and encouraged the audience to raise their hands and volunteer donations – the crowd became very excited, cheering and calling out pledges of $500, $700, and even $1000.

Attendees lingered for a bit once the scheduled program had concluded, discussing ideas brought up by the speakers and inquiring with the Emerge staff and participants about how to get involved. For more information about the program or to make a contribution, please visit EmergeCA.org.