“A Conversation with Pa. Speaker Joanna McClinton” was free and open to the public. The event was organized by the NAACP Wilkes-Barre branch 2306, along with King’s College Women’s Study Committee, The Peace and Justice Center, Action Together NEPA, and the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Wyoming Valley.
Pa. House Speaker addresses crowd at King’s College
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Pa. House Speaker Joanna McClinton spoke at King’s College Sunday evening, at an event hosted in honor of Women’s History Month.
McClinton took questions from several guest speakers during the evening. She spoke on a range of topics from funding for public education to the maternal mortality rates.
Attendees line up afterwards for a chance get a photo with Pa. House Speaker Joanna McClinton.
WILKES-BARRE – Pa. House Speaker Joanna McClinton answered questions from several guest speakers when she visited King’s College on Sunday evening at an event held in honor of Women’s History Month.
“A Conversation with Pa. House Speaker Joanna McClinton,” began around 6 p.m. inside the Burke Auditorium at the McGowan Business Center on King’s campus.
McClinton made history last month when she was elected Speaker of the Pa. House, making her the first women to hold the position. Previously, in 2018, she became the first woman and first African American elected as House Democratic Caucus Chair and in 2020, she was the first woman elected House Democratic Leader.
The event, free and open to the public, was organized by the NAACP Wilkes-Barre Branch 2306, along with the King’s College Women’s Studies Committee, The Peace and Justice Center, Action Together NEPA and the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Wyoming Valley.
State Rep. Eddie Day Pashinski, D-Wilkes-Barre, introduced McClinton and had nothing but positive things to say about his colleague.
“She’s the perfect example of what can happen when you work hard, you have a dream, you develop a plan and you do it,” he said.
During her opening remarks, McClinton spoke of her commitment to her new role and how she does not take the responsibility lightly.
“I’m determined not just to have made history, but to have made a difference and an impact,” said McClinton.
She spoke of the challenges women, particularly women of color, face across the country. While progress has certainly been made McClinton noted, “The battles of generations ago are back and in popular demand.” She encouraged everyone to defend their values, stand up for them and give back to the community.
During the last half hour of the event, McClinton took questions from several guest speakers, covering a wide range of topics including mental health, maternal mortality rates and public school funding.
Jerline Rodriguez, of West Hazleton, asked McClinton to speak about her experience as a woman of color “navigating an institution that is overwhelmingly white and male.”
“It is a challenge to go into institutions where you have the same job as everyone else, but you may look different,” McClinton said. She spoke of her commitment to reaching across the aisle as well as taking the time to recognize, “I belong here just like everyone else.”
Kristine Volchansky asked McClinton what her plans were for addressing public schooling funding, given that Commonwealth Court recently ruled that state system for funding grades kindergarten through 12 violates the state’s constitution and severely disadvantages students of color and students in low income areas.
McClinton said the issue is “high up” on her list of priorities.
“Your zip code should not determine what type of public school you have access to,” she said.
Levi Larouche, community organizer for Action Together NEPA, spoke as a non-binary person and member of the trans community. Levi said that Pa. is “long overdue” for an equality act and asked McClinton what she thought the “best path forward” would be for passing that kind of legislation. Given the rise in legislation in Florida and Texas targeting people who are trans and non-binary, Levi also asked McClinton where she thought Pa. stood on on the matter.
McClinton acknowledged that while the Fairness and Equality Act has been introduced “every year for the last 12 years,” it has never come up for a vote. McClinton said that the act is on the caucus’ agenda for the current session. She plans to work to secure the votes necessary to get the act out of the House chamber, to the Senate and onto Gov. Josh Shapiro’s desk.
“It’s unacceptable that any community in the commonwealth of Pa. can be targeted or legally discriminated against,” said McClinton.
When Rose Daniels, third vice president of the NAACP, asked McClinton how she manages to take care of her mental health given the stresses of her job, McClinton thanked her for bringing up a topic that is often considered taboo.
McClinton spoke about the importance taking time for herself, whether it’s going to the hairdresser or meeting up with friends.
“We have to look at ourselves in the mirror and recognize that we have to take breaks, we have to recharge, and if we need professional health, it’s available.”
At the conclusion of the event, attendees were given the opportunity to take pictures with McClinton.