A Mini-Series to Spark Connection
By Malaika Kusumi
This month, we’re launching something new—a three-part mini-series that I hope will open doors, spark conversations, and strengthen the bonds that make Democrats Abroad such a vibrant community.
I write as an older woman stepping into new spaces—new conversations, new movements, and new generations of women’s voices. At times it feels like learning a new language, or stepping onto unfamiliar ground. But that’s exactly why I want to share this journey: to show that curiosity, courage, and community are the bridges that carry us forward.
In Germany, there’s a playful idiom: “to get the cow off the Eis.” It means finding a way forward—even when the ice feels thin, and the situation tricky. For me, that’s what this series is about: moving together, carefully but creatively, so none of us feels stuck or left behind.
Here’s what’s ahead:
- Part 1: Abbreviations & Bridges – First impressions, unexpected acronyms, and how curiosity became my bridge.
- Part 2: Voices Across Generations – Listening, learning, and sometimes laughing as we find our way toward each other.
- Part 3: What We Risk Losing – Beyond the rhetoric, why our connection matters more than ever.
This is not just my story. It’s an invitation. I want to hear from you—your experiences, your ideas, your laughter, your questions. Whether you’re part of the Women’s Caucus, the Black Caucus, the Senior Caucus, or anywhere in between, your voice matters. Together, our shared stories create energy, attract new members, and transform sign-ups into action.
Let’s keep showing up for one another. Let’s keep building the community we all need—and the world we all want.
Part 1: Abbreviations & Bridges
I recently joined the Global Women’s Caucus. For many years, I had held back from joining groups like this. My past experiences had felt more like stepping into a private club for white women—where my presence was welcomed as “diversity,” but my voice wasn’t truly part of the conversation. I don’t say this to blame or criticize anyone; I’m simply naming how it felt to me at the time. My quiet response was: let them do their thing; I’ll do mine elsewhere.
That is why receiving an email from the new leader of the caucus felt so different. Something about it made me pause and think: let me go in and find out what this is about.
And I’m glad I did.
The meeting I attended was different in every way: participants were diverse in age, character, nationality, and geography. One moment that stood out was when a young woman explained the concept of 4B.
My first reaction? Oh no, not another abbreviation to memorize! After all, I had only just mastered remembering LGBTQ. (And let me confess, if they had put the Q in front—QLGBT—it would have been, as Michael Jackson sang, “easy as 1-2-3.”) But here was another abbreviation, one I had never encountered before.
Still, I was curious. And curiosity has always been my best teacher. It reminded me of an old yellow-journalism tabloid in Los Angeles that used to cry out: “Enquiring minds want to know!” And so do I.
I won’t attempt to explain 4B here—Google it, as we so casually say these days—but what I do want to emphasize is this: intergenerational communication and connection are vital. We need to stay curious and open on both sides.
No, I am not going to echo the infamous phrase, “there were good people on both sides.” But I will say this: we all need to connect. The Earth itself is not in danger. Humanity is.
I draw inspiration from the German idiom “Wir müssen die Kuh vom Eis bringen.”
It literally means, “We have to get the cow off the ice,” and it’s used when a difficult situation must be solved quickly and carefully. I find it a perfect metaphor for where we are now—as women, as activists, and as human beings. We are balancing on thin ice, yet still responsible
for finding solutions together.
I also share a proverb that feels fitting here:
“The sheep spends its entire life worrying about the wolf, only to be eaten by the shepherd.”
Let that sink in.