She Devils at the Door tells the true story of two formidable sisters, Lucy and Eliza Kennedy, who came of age in Gilded Age Pittsburgh, graduated from Vassar College, and became leaders of the suffrage movement.
Category: Herstory
Evelyn Fox Keller’s Research Reminded Us Women Make Science Better
Evelyn Fox Keller, a foundational figure in the feminist philosophy of science, died in September at the age of 87. Through her work, she showed that objectivity, the key value of the sciences, is in fact always partially subjective. Her legacy demonstrates that diversifying the sciences will improve research and discovery.
Lost Women: Aphra Behn—Novelist, Spy and the First Woman to Earn a Living as an English Writer
This Women’s History Month, we’re reviving the iconic “Lost Women” column—diving into the archives to make these histories more accessible to our new age of Ms. readers.
For any writer to have produced 19 plays and 13 novels, plus 11 volumes of letters, translations and miscellaneous prose and verse, is remarkable. For a 17th-century woman to have done so is phenomenal. That was the literary output of Aphra Behn (1640-1689), the first woman to earn her living as a writer in the English language.
Speaking While Female: A History
Thousands of American women have courageously spoken in public over the past four centuries. Their speeches helped shape the beliefs, culture and ideals of America. But their voices have been omitted from American history, and our storehouse of common knowledge. The same cannot be said about the many lionized male orators who appear in our history books, media, and public discourse.
I know because when I give talks and teach classes in public speaking, I ask my audience: “Which famous speakers in American history can you name?” Many people can rattle off at least half a dozen American male speakers like Abraham Lincoln, Franklin D. Roosevelt, Martin Luther King, Jr., John F. Kennedy, Robert F. Kennedy, Billy Graham and Ronald Reagan. But when I ask which women speakers they remember, there’s a long pause. Someone might mention Hillary Clinton or Michelle Obama. Mostly the faces are blank.
Could it be true, I wondered, that the “great men” in history gave all the greatest speeches? Or could it be we just don’t know about great women speakers?
What Gloria Steinem Means to Us
“I hope you live forever.”
“Gloria made me believe I could do and be whatever I chose.”
“Ms. magazine changed my life and Gloria lives in my heart.”
“Your words changed my life and enabled me to become the feisty female that I am.”
Can you believe it’s Gloria Steinem’s 90th birthday? In honor of Ms. magazine’s beloved co-founding editor, we asked you to tell us: “What does Gloria mean to you?” These are just a few of your moving responses describing the many ways she “inspired our feminist lives.” Happy Birthday, Gloria!
What Does 90 Look Like? Just Ask Gloria Steinem
Today, as Gloria Steinem, herself, turns 90, I will not flatter her with compliments about how she still doesn’t look her age, or how considerate, clever and courageous she remains. What I’d like to do, instead, is celebrate her and the feminist movement she continues to devote her long life to, enabling me, and countless others of my generation to, as she once put it, “Live out the unlived lives of our mothers, because they were not able to become the unique people they were born to be.”
Coming to Broadway: ‘Suffs’ Explores the Struggle for Women’s Equality—One That’s Far From Over
We at Ms. magazine are counting the days until Suffs arrives on Broadway, following its sold-out, extended run at New York City’s Public Theater.
The show opens in 1913 as the women’s movement is heating up in the United States. Anchored by a cadre of suffragists—“Suffs,” as they call themselves—they are in relentless, creative pursuit of the right to vote. Reaching across and against generational, racial and class divides, these brilliant, flawed women manage to entertain and inspire.
(This essay is part of “The ERA Is Essential to Democracy” Women & Democracy collection.)
A Blueprint for a Stronger America in Coretta Scott King
Often overlooked when we think about Dr. King is the essential role his wife, Coretta Scott King, played to fortify his work. As we celebrate Women’s History Month, it is crucial to recognize the indomitable spirit of women like Coretta Scott King who carved a path for change in a time less forgiving, demonstrating the irreplaceable impact of feminine leadership. She was a warrior for social justice her entire life, whom we should remember and embody this month—and every month—in the ongoing journey to create a more equitable America.
SHE Se Puede: Honoring Latina Trailblazers Dolores Huerta, Jovita Idár and Rosie Casals
Throughout Women’s History Month, discover untold stories of incredible women.
This week: legendary labor activist Dolores Huerta; Mexican American journalist, activist, nurse and educator Jovita Idár; and tennis Grand Slam champion Rosie Casals.
The Women of the Winningest Team in Pro Football History
Amid a national backdrop of the call to pass the Equal Rights Amendment, the National Women’s Football League was founded as something of a gimmick. However, the league’s star team, the Toledo Troopers, emerged to challenge traditional gender roles and amass a win-loss record never before or since achieved in American football.