"Stand before the people you fear and speak your mind - even if your voice shakes. When you least expect it, someone may actually listen to what you have to say." ~ Maggie Kuhn
A woman who spoke her mind, passionate social activist Margaret E. Kuhn (1905-1995) was born on this day in Buffalo, New York.
"There must be a goal at every stage of life! There must be a goal!" she said.
An executive with the United Presbyterian church for many years, at age 65 she was forced to retire. Ralph Nader called it "the most significant retirement in modern American history."
Kuhn said, "Power should not be concentrated in the hands of so few, and powerlessness in the hands of so many."
With the slogan "Do something outrageous every day," Kuhn organized and founded the Gray Panthers in 1970 to advocate the rights of the elderly. The National organization continues to be dedicated to social change with both "age and youth in action."
"Old age is not a disease—it is strength and survivorship, triumph over all kinds of vicissitudes and disappointments, trials, and illnesses," Kuhn believed.
The grassroots organization lobbied against mandatory retirement. With a defiant "Panther growl," Kuhn helped redefine the meaning of age. "The best age is the age you are," she once said.
In May 2003, stronger than ever, the 20,000 member Gray Panthers organization accused WorldCom Inc. of "$11 billion fraud" and called on Congress to not do business with the company. Maggie's legacy lives on...
She once predicted, "By the year 2020, the year of perfect vision, the old will outnumber the young."
Speak up... your mind and voice are awesome.