Is there a doctor in the White House? Unequivocally, yes.
By: Evelyn N. Dumeer
Tags: Dr Jill Biden, Academia, Powerful Women

Intelligent women must learn to accept being doubted, attacked, shamed, harassed. Intelligent women must work twice as hard to prove themselves, only to find that their doubled effort has gotten them half as far. Intelligent women know their worth. But no one else seems to.

The Wall Street Journal’s December 11, 2020 publication “Is there a doctor in the White House? Not if you need an MD” by pseudo-journalist and absolute coward Joseph Epstein proves each of these points tenfold. Dr. Jill Biden holds a bachelor’s degree, two master's degrees, and a Doctor of Education. And yet one article, by one man, threw the American public into a tizzy debating the validity of her degrees and the accuracy of her title. The pedestal society begrudgingly reserves for intelligent women is stored in the back of the warehouse, crumbling, covered in cobwebs, and only requiring one good kick to knock it tumbling down.

Dr. Jill Biden should not have to prove her intellect. The degrees she has earned were not something she drew on the back of a napkin; she has worked tirelessly for her education and continues to work towards improving the educational futures of others. She should be able to hold her title with honor, to be recognized for the intellectual powerhouse that she is; to have earned a doctorate degree (among others) is an achievement no matter the field.

The idea that, in the 21st century, an intelligent woman is something to be mocked, is an abhorrent claim. The fear of ‘academic elites’ that runs rampant through the Republican party stems only from a mathematical worry: education is a liberalizing force. Across the board, adults with higher levels of education vote overwhelmingly for Democratic candidates. The Republican fear of an educated public has nothing to do with the merits of higher education or stereotypes about intellectuals; rather, it has everything to do with the knowledge that educated individuals do not vote for their candidates. Therefore, this party-wide witchhunt for academics has nothing to do with the validity of a doctoral degree and everything to do with the fact that they fear the ability of an educated electorate to override their outdated views.

Because intelligent women are powerful. Intelligent women are role models to future generations. Intelligent women create change in the world. Intelligent women give hope to the little girl in the back of the classroom, afraid to raise her hand for fear that she’ll be teased for knowing the answers.

From that little girl, I want to say thank you to Dr. Jill Biden. Thank you for showing the world that intelligence is something to strive for. Thank you to every woman who has had to work twice as hard to get half as far, who has feared that their voice is too much, who has felt ashamed for knowing the answer. Because each intelligent woman who stands her ground in the face of misogyny, disrespect, and doubt only inspires one more intelligent woman to enter the room and join the conversation. And to anyone who doubts our power, you’d better watch out. We’ll kick your ass with words that you don’t even know.