On February 8, Majority Leader Mitch McConnell accidentally created an iconic rallying phrase for women everywhere when he interrupted Senator Elizabeth Warren on the Senate floor and later said, "She was warned. She was given an explanation. Nevertheless, she persisted." Since then, many women have celebrated the phrase with a similar enthusiasm we all had for being ~nasty women~ during the election cycle, the most recent of which is a "She Persisted" energy bar that was developed by chef and blogger Lentine Alexis for Mother Jones and their food podcast, Bite.
The "She Persisted" bar is chock full of super seeds, dates, oats, and cocoa powder, making for a fiber-rich and filling snack to fulfill all your protesting needs (particularly on days like "A Day Without A Woman," when some participants chose not to spend any money as a show of the economic power of women). Guaranteed to keep your energy up whether you're hollering and sign-hoisting at a rally or listening to Mitch McConnell cut off your warnings against appointing a man accused of racial bias as Attorney General!
And if anyone is equipped to make a bar capable of keeping your energy up even against insane forces, it's Alexis, who competed in Ironman triathlons worldwide.
"I am not necessarily the type of person who would go to a protest, but I am absolutely the type of person that believes that our actions matter," said Alexis to Mother Jones. "Anything we do in our day-to-day lives, living through example and planting little seeds is really important. Those little seeds added together create something that's really powerful and that's lasting and vital for us to continue no matter what the political or athletic climate may be."
The full episode featuring the bar is below.
Of course, this is far from the first homage to Warren's persistence both on the Senate floor and off of it, when McConnell used the rarely-enacted Rule 19 to ban her from discussing the nomination on the Senate floor and she took to Facebook Live instead. In solidarity not just with Warren's words, but the letter about Sessions from Coretta Scott King that she was trying to share, women have found all kinds of creative ways to celebrate persistence.
"Nevertheless, She Persisted" Tweets
For more powerful tweets about women and persistence, check out Bustle's roundup here.
"Nevertheless, She Persisted" Tattoos
Many women have chosen to immortalize the rallying cry by inking it to their skin as a reminder of the strength of women.
"Nevertheless, She Persisted" Swag (That Donates To Causes That Support Women)
Nevertheless, She Persisted Bracelet, Etsy, $19.99+.
Check out Etsy for more persistence swag to help women around the world.
In the meantime, if anybody needs me, I'll be baking some bars to fight the patriarchy.
