{"id":317,"date":"2017-01-26T21:26:15","date_gmt":"2017-01-27T02:26:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/?p=317"},"modified":"2017-02-23T12:19:04","modified_gmt":"2017-02-23T17:19:04","slug":"for-a-good-cause-white-scarf-women","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/?p=317","title":{"rendered":"White Scarf Women"},"content":{"rendered":"

United in White<\/strong><\/h1>\n

By Lorna Oppedisano | Photography by Alice G. Patterson<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

It\u2019s corny, but it\u2019s true, Kelly Grace Smith warned before she began to tell the story.<\/p>\n

It starts years ago, in the seventh grade at Jamesville-DeWitt Middle School. Auditions to seek out the Susan B. Anthony speech presenter had been held, the ambitious preteens\u2019 ideas carefully weighed, and Kelly was chosen the winner. She took her spot at the podium. When she started speaking, she immediately had the attention of the audience. She finished talking, and the room erupted with applause.<\/p>\n

\u201cI just knew,\u201d Kelly remembered, \u201cI knew in that moment that I would need to use my voice in different ways to support people, because people could hear my voice, in the figurative and the literal sense.\u201d<\/p>\n

Kelly\u2019s had different careers and experiences since \u2014 the key to a happy life and empowerment, she explained. She was in politics for a number of years, and eventually followed a calling to life coaching, a field she\u2019s been in for the last two decades. Kelly\u2019s also worked in media and is a published author.<\/p>\n

Her latest project, White Scarf Women, was spurred by politics, but has little to do with it.<\/p>\n

Considering Kelly\u2019s own career in government, it\u2019s no surprise that her daughter Audrey got involved with Hillary Clinton\u2019s campaign in Florida, where the 25-year-old is working to earn a master\u2019s degree in criminal justice. When the result of the presidential election was announced, Audrey was devastated, Kelly said. She had been through similar experiences and was familiar with the feeling of being shaken up by politics. She gave her daughter some advice.<\/p>\n

\u201cI said, \u2018Well, the best way to move through this is to create something positive out of it,\u2019\u201d she remembered.<\/p>\n

Kelly knew that more politicized efforts like Pantsuit Nation existed, but her aim was to unify all women, regardless of their voting history, beliefs or personal background.<\/p>\n

She knew that women on both sides of the aisle were feeling angry and betrayed, but she also knew that they have \u201can infinite capacity to rise above challenges.\u201d After all, she explained, they do it every day. Women have to make decisions and be flexible every day.<\/p>\n

The act of donning a white scarf \u2014 a symbol of \u201cour shared respect, acceptance and value of one another\u201d \u2014 is another conscious choice. In Tibet, a white scarf is given as an act of friendship, Kelly explained. She hopes that her White Scarf Women project will encourage women to support and empower themselves and each other.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf we can\u2019t do that, then don\u2019t we become like the people \u2014 not just men, but the people in the world \u2014 who have dismissed or disrespected us just because we\u2019re women?\u201d she proposed.<\/p>\n

When she was in public office, Kelly \u2014 the first woman to hold the position of Town Supervisor in DeWitt \u2014 became familiar with double standards held toward her because of her gender. When she\u00a0was a candidate, she encountered words and actions that would not likely have been directed toward her male counterparts.<\/p>\n

Issues that women face are more apparent now, Kelly said. While there\u2019s still struggle, that struggle can transform into chance for something better.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe thing about it is \u2014 and I teach this in my classes \u2014 one of the greatest tools you can ever develop is turning a challenge into an opportunity,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

In this case, the challenge is to recognize differences and the opportunity is to rise above them, heal and move forward together.<\/p>\n

For the White Scarf Women project, that movement is gradual for now. Kelly understands giving people the option to join the movement is important, and that some people still need time.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s really corny,\u201d she admitted again with a smile, \u201cbut I really think women can change the world when we grasp hold of things like this, and support women to really shift the culture.\u201d<\/p>\n

Women are impactful, Kelly explained. American women make a day-to-day difference in the world around them, and in turn, women around the world look to them as role models.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo shouldn\u2019t we be respecting and empowering women at the same time that we\u2019re setting an example? Not as a burden; all we have to do is set an example,\u201d Kelly said. \u201cLet\u2019s show the world this is who we are. Let\u2019s show ourselves this is who we are.\u201d SWM <\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

To contact Kelly and learn more about White Scarf Women, visit kellygracesmith.com.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

United in White By Lorna Oppedisano | Photography by Alice G. Patterson It\u2019s corny, but it\u2019s true, Kelly Grace Smith warned before she began to tell the story.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":329,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[104],"tags":[168],"class_list":["post-317","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-causes","tag-february-2017"],"gutentor_comment":1,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/Kelly-Grace-Smith-White-Scarf-Project-For-Syracuse-Woman-Magazine-0006b.jpg?fit=5200%2C3470&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":3316,"url":"https:\/\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/?p=3316","url_meta":{"origin":317,"position":0},"title":"Inspire – Brain injury survivor presses on with sisu","author":"Alyssa Dearborn","date":"September 28, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"By Jason Klaiber With a significant concussion from a backyard mishap and another traumatic brain injury from a workplace incident in her rearview, Kelly Thune manages to forge ahead by sticking to the most positive mindset she can muster. 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