In her essay, Toni Morrison talks about professional violence, competitive violence, emotional violence against women. She is warning other young, educated women that ambition may help them gain jobs and power, but that they also have to be nice to other women at the same time. I think Toni Morrison is saying that women in positions of power can treat other women like servants and make them feel as if they do not deserve a better life. I think she is saying that when women have power they forget the people behind them and make them believe their hopes or needs do not matter.
Today there are many women in power, but there are also many women who are struggling and poor. Millions of women do not have health insurance and they have children to raise. Many women are single parents. They need time to work, time to learn new skills so they can have better jobs and make more money and time to care for their families. This is hard for them because they need more money to go to school and they also need more money to pay for child care. They can not get more money without having more support from the women they work for. I think Toni Morrison is saying that women who have important positions at their work should be helping these women.
I think there are big differences between women like Oprah Winfrey and Condoleeza Rice. Oprah always has shows that talk about what other women's lives are like, their problems and their pains. But Oprah likes to help women reach their dreams. She gives them new cars, vacations, helps them pay for school and other things. She asks other women who watch her show to give to programs that help women and children and do nice things for other people everywhere. Oprah is a good sister to other women. She wants women to be happy and secure.
Condoleeza Rice is one of the most powerful women in the world, but it is not often that we see her on TV talking to other women or doing things just for women. She is always focused on fighting the war in Iraq which is killing innocent women and children. Now she will be Secretary of State and this is an opportunity to improve the lives of women in many places in the world. Women are treated badly all over the world. Maybe Dr. Rice could help improve economic and educational opportunities for women, but I do not think that Dr. Rice cares about that.
I think that Toni Morrison is saying that for women like Dr. Rice, and other women who are powerful, educated, wealthy, and talented, that their priority in her work should be to help other women and not just themselves.