The seeds of Catherine Hicks longtime interest in media were planted in high school, took root at university, was honed as an adult and blossomed in 2015. Catherine took over as Publisher and Co-owner of the Philadelphia SUN Newspaper after the untimely death of its founder.
Best and worst decision?
“The best: Motherhood. Being a mother has been an amazing experience. Nurturing and guiding my children has taught me patience, understanding and unconditional love, which motivate and define who I am. The worst: not attending a Historically Black College/University. I feel would have enriched my educational and cultural outlook on life.”
Dream job as a child?
“Television talk show host. I was encouraged to follow the news and current events. Talk shows incorporated news and entertainment. I enjoyed both and interviewed my siblings as guests of my pretend show, emulating various programs full of celebrities, fun and laughter.”
Barriers to female leadership?
“Trust and support of one another; recognize our power. We are the largest voting-block in PA. We hold more college degrees. Female entrepreneurship continues to grow. We are still far behind in equal pay and holding positions of power in politics. When women come together, we succeed; the woman’s rally after the Trump inauguration is a prime example of what we can achieve when we organize.”
Who inspires you? “The values instilled in me by my mother helped me recognize true power and success. My choice is Michelle Obama hands down! She is unequivocally our most accomplished First Lady ever; holding two degrees from Ivy League universities. I am in awe of how she represented African American woman — her intellect, class, beauty, elegance, style and grace — even when she faced criticism. I admire her strength and humility, putting family first while living in the public eye, standing by her husband and family as he fulfilled his and many others’ dreams. She raised the bar on nutritional eating; her ‘Let’s Move!’ program bought awareness to childhood obesity. Her commitment to excellence and work ethics has motivated females to strive to further shatter the glass ceiling. What an inspiration.”
Challenges for next Generation?
“They need to strive to exceed expectations of their predecessors; not to go backwards; to trust and respect each other; to make education a priority so they can have a seat at the table and be heard; to develop a progressive agenda to further break the barriers that hold us back.”
