New Platform Gives Voice to the Wise Women Among Us

By Rosie Ecker

Rosie Ecker returns from a trip last summer. (Liz Hattemer)

In August, I found myself seeking advice, repeatedly, for how to cope with life’s twists and turns—things they don’t prepare you for in college. I was fortunate to have several women to turn to, but at the same time recognized that a lot of young women didn’t have the same opportunity.

I asked myself, “What would I do without these women?”—the majority of whom I knew from Ogichi Daa Kwe—and suddenly saw them in a new light. I decided to start interviewing them and publishing their wisdom on a digital platform. Thus Queen Speak was born.

To date, I have interviewed 20 women, including Ogichi Director Kathy Dix, as well as current and former staff members Grace Gardner, Liz Hattemer, Marianne Manzler, Kit Summers, Bridget Timmeney, Lindsay Wiebold and Molly Woodhull.

Ultimately, I hope Queen Speak will become a highly trafficked digital space with numerous contributors. If all goes well, two things will happen: Young women will have a resource for real-life advice from real-life women, and the women I interview will receive the limelight they have always deserved.

Follow Queen Speak at queenspeak.org, @queen_speak on Instagram and @queenspeakinterviews on Facebook. This article was originally published in the Spring 2020 issue of Songs of the Paddle.