The Junior League Elects a Black Female PresidentWhen last we turned our jaundiced eye toward the Junior League, the members of the august ladies’ organization were embroiled in a battle over renovations. The president was complaining about the board to the Times, the board complained about the president, the members writhed in embarrassment over the publicity surrounding it all, and it looked as if soon all that would be left of the 107-year-old league would be a pile of hair balls and broken French tips. Disillusioned and sullied by the press, the league decided it was time for a change. And so yesterday, they announced the election of a new president. Gena Lovett “represents both the traditional and the modern profile of the Junior League volunteer,” saith the Times. This means that she wears pearls and is a Republican, but also is black. Her appointment is “a groundbreaking one for an organization that has tried for years to cultivate a more socially and racially diverse image” and “a historic choice for an organization still trying to shed its image as an exclusive haven for Upper East Side debutantes.” Of course, Lovett is actually a debutante, too. So we have to wonder, Is this a change, or is this an establishment candidate whose appointment brings only “the feeling of change”?
Junior League Appoints Black Woman as President [NYT]
Related: The Junior League: Like ‘Gossip Girl,’ Only Broke