The Hashtag
#NeverthelessShePersisted transformed a Senate censure into a feminist rallying cry, three words that became symbolic of women refusing to be silenced.
Origins
On February 7, 2017, Senator Elizabeth Warren was reading a 1986 letter from Coretta Scott King opposing Jeff Sessions’ judicial nomination during his confirmation hearing for Attorney General. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell invoked an obscure rule to silence her, stating: “She was warned. She was given an explanation. Nevertheless, she persisted.”
Within minutes, the phrase was a trending hashtag. Women’s rights activists, feminists, and Democrats embraced it as a battle cry. The irony: male senators were allowed to read the same letter the next day without punishment.
Cultural Impact
The phrase became:
- A feminist slogan on t-shirts, tattoos, protest signs
- Code for women breaking barriers in male-dominated fields
- A children’s book series celebrating female trailblazers
- A permanent entry in the political lexicon
It resonated beyond Warren—women of color pointed out they’d been “persisting” for centuries. Hillary Clinton, Kamala Harris, and countless women running for office adopted the phrase.
McConnell accidentally created one of the most powerful feminist slogans of the Trump era.