It’s pride month! In this episode, writer and photographer Malika Ali Harding tells us about Pauli Murray. Pauli Murray was a civil rights activist, women’s rights activist, lawyer, author, poet, and is amongst the first generation of female Episcopal priests. She’s done so many amazing things… but why isn’t she more well known?? We talk about how …

Bianca Rowlett tells us about Jeane Kirkpatrick, the first woman to serve as US Ambassador to the United Nations under Reagan’s administration. Jeane Kirkpatrick was a very controversial figure and is known for the Kirkpatrick Doctrine that justified supporting authoritarian right wing regimes and dictatorships as long they were anticommunist. She …

In this episode, I continue my conversation with author, film critic, and journalist Helen O’Hara about her new book Women vs. Hollywood: The Fall and Rise of Women in Film. We talk about the nuts and bolts of the movie making industry. Why some aspects turn people into products. How telling more diverse stories is not only morally good but also ec…

It's Women’s History Month and awards season so let’s talk about women in Hollywood. In this episode, author, film critic, and journalist Helen O’Hara tells us about her new book Women vs. Hollywood: The Fall and Rise of Women in Film. We talk about women in leadership roles when filmmaking was first invented but were later written out of Hollywood…

In this episode, historian and writer Clover Hope tells us about her new book, The Motherlode, a comprehensive history of women rappers. Clover tells us about the role of women in the birth of hip-hop. We talk about the first female rapper, MC Sha-Rock and other women who were crucial to building the genre. Clover tells us about her process of rese…

It’s February and Black History month! In this episode, historian and writer Hadley Meares tells us the story of Georgia Ann Hill Robinson, the first black woman hired to the LAPD in 1919. Her story is very topical to what’s going on today and the conversation about the role of police officers and the use of social agencies to help address communit…

In this episode, historian and writer Dr. Tiffany González tells us the story of Irma Rangel, the first Mexican American woman elected to the Texas House of Representatives in 1976. We talk about Irma Rangel’s path to politics, how she started as a teacher, and then decided to become a lawyer. She saw a lack of representation for Mexican American c…

In this episode, actress and writer Mary Jane Wells tells us about how she adapted the true story of a female soldier in the US army into a one woman play called “Heroine”. We talk about how to tell the story of someone’s traumatic experience without being exploitive or causing more distress. We talk about artistic license and when a story takes on…

In this episode, historian and author Kellie Carter-Jackson tells us about her new essay “‘Dare You Meet a Woman’: Black Women, Abolitionism, and Protective Violence, 1850-1859” If you think America is tense now, you need to hear more stories about the Antebellum Era, especially just before the American Civil War started in 1861. Kellie Carter-Jack…

America has finally elected its first female Vice President, Kamala Harris. In this episode, we talk to author and historian Sarah Rowley about political husbands. In the 1970s, more women were elected to political office thus changing gender roles in Washington. The political spouse had for so long been a wife. We talk about Bella Abzug and her hu…

Voter suppression isn’t new to America. In this episode, we talk to author and historian Liette Gidlow about tactics used to keep women, namely minority women, from casting a ballot after 1920 when the 19th Amendment finally passed. Some registrars got creative while others literally ran and hid. We talk about how disenfranchisement within our coun…

Happy Halloween! In this episode, author and Halloween expert Lisa Morton tells us about female horror writers of the late 1800s and early 1900s. She tells us about what inspires and influences her own writing. We chat about how spooky stories reflect our culture and current events. She also tells us about early seances and how mediums were big tim…

In this episode, author and historian Holly Guise, tells us about Elizabeth Peratrovich. Elizabeth Peratrovich was a civil rights activist who fought for equality for Alaska Natives. Her story is like others who fought for change. In Alaska, Elizabeth and her husband Roy Peratrovich found discrimination, difficulty buying a house in certain neighbo…

In this episode, author and historian Judy Wu, tells us about Patsy Mink. Patsy Mink was an attorney and politician from the state of Hawaii. She was the first Asian-American woman and the first woman of color elected to Congress. Patsy’s story is great because she didn’t give up when things were tough. She was a woman who really fought for change …

In this episode, historian and author Stacie Taranto tells us about Ellen McCormack. Ellen McCormack ran for president in 1976 as a Democrat with an exclusively pro-life platform. She was creating the single issue voter by being the single issue presidential candidate. What’s interesting about stories like Ellen McCormack is that it shows the power…

In this episode of She’s History, historian Marjorie Spruill tells us about who Ruth Bader Ginsburg was, her accomplishments, her struggles to get a job in law, the cases she argued and won in front of the Supreme Court, how she became a justice on the Supreme Court, her famous dissents, and her lasting legacy. We also talk about voting rights, how…

Now we’re 100 years and a couple days into women having the right to vote and there’s still a lot of work to do in regards to gender equality. More than you’d think! We continue our conversation with historians Stacie Taranto and Leandra Zarnow about their new book "Suffrage at 100", a really great collection of essays from various writers about wo…

It’s August 26th, 2020 which is the 100 year anniversary of the 19th amendment to the U.S. Constitution being formally adopted allowing women the right to vote. Historians Stacie Taranto and Leandra Zarnow tell us about their new book "Suffrage at 100", which is a really great collection of essays from various writers about women in American politi…

As we celebrate the 100 year anniversary of the last state to ratify for the 19th amendment declaring for the first time that all American women, like men, deserve the right to vote, we hear the story of how Phyllis Schlafly threw a gala to celebrate her role in helping to stop states from ratifying another amendment, the Equal Rights Amendment. In…

Marjorie Spruill, historian and author of the book “Divided we stand”, tells us about the 1977 Houston Women's Conference and how it was an amazing celebration of American women as well as a tool for furthering a growing divide. This event really did pave the way for the extreme partisan politics we see today. *Disclaimer, you do not need to watch …

Marjorie Spruill, historian and author of the book “Divided we stand”, tells us about Midge Costanza, Jean O’Leary, the gay rights provision in the national plan of action, why Bella was nervous about it, and why it’s important to stand your ground for what’s right. *Disclaimer, you do not need to watch the "Mrs. America" limited series to enjoy th…

In this episode, historian Marjorie Spruill tells us about Bella Abzug, a champion for equality. We learn about Bella's career in politics as the country was beginning to divide so extremely in the 1970s. *Disclaimer, you do not need to watch the "Mrs. America" limited series to enjoy the history conversation in this podcast. However, the 7th episo…

Historian Marjorie Spruill wrote the book "Divided We Stand" which illustrates how America became so polarized. With protests and calls for change, Marjorie and I have a conversation about what historically might be next for our country. #blacklivesmatter #protests #justiceforgeorge #georgefloyd #unite #unitedwestand #america #politics #division #r…

*Disclaimer, you do not need to watch the Mrs. America limited series to enjoy the history conversation in this podcast. However, the 6th episode of the series is a good companion piece for this podcast episode. In this episode, Marjorie talks about Republican feminist Jill Ruckelshaus. Marjorie Spruill is a historian and author of the book Divided…

*Disclaimer, you do not need to watch the Mrs. America limited series to enjoy the history conversation in this podcast. However, the 5th episode of the series is a good companion piece for this podcast episode. In this episode, Marjorie talks about sex and marriage in the 1960s and 70s. Marjorie Spruill wrote the book “Divided We Stand”. Her book …

*Disclaimer, you do not need to watch the Mrs. America limited series to enjoy the history conversation in this podcast. However, the 4th episode of the series is a good companion piece for this podcast episode. In this episode, Marjorie talks about Betty Friedan. We also discuss how Phyllis Schlafly used emotion to get the upper hand on Betty duri…

*Disclaimer, you do not need to watch the Mrs. America limited series to enjoy the history conversation in this podcast. However, the 3rd episode of the series is a good companion piece for this podcast episode. In this episode, Marjorie talks about Shirley Chisholm who became the first black woman to run for the office of President of the United S…

*Disclaimer, you do not need to watch the Mrs. America limited series to enjoy the history conversation in this podcast. However, the 2nd episode of the series is a good companion piece for this podcast episode. In this episode, Marjorie talks about Gloria Steinem and the women trying to pass the Equal Rights Amendment in the 1970s. At the same tim…

*Disclaimer, you do not need to watch the Mrs. America limited series to enjoy the history conversation in this podcast. However, the 1st episode of the series is a good companion piece for this podcast episode. In this episode, Laura interviews Marjorie Spruill, historian and author of the book "Divided We Stand" about who Phyllis Schalfly is and …