American Women — Feminism

  • The Velvet Sledgehammer: November 23, 1983 (Part 1 only)

    Production reel for the November 23, 1983 episode of The Velvet Sledgehammer, hosted and produced by Eileen Zalisk. This tape contains the continuation (from the October 12th episode) of recordings from The Scholar and the Feminist Conference held April 23rd in NYC. The conferences, sponsored by the Barnard College Women’s Center, centered around women and…

  • The Velvet Sledgehammer: March 7, 1985

    Women’s news with Judy Pasternak for the week of March 7, 1985, incorporating KPFA’s Majority Report. Subjects discussed: Katherine Davenport reports on a new law in Montana requiring insurance companies to charge men and women the same rates for the same coverage, including an interview with Ann Brodsky of the Women’s Lobbyist Fund in Helena,…

  • The Velvet Sledgehammer: January 17, 1979

    Author Esther Newton reads selections from her unpublished novel “Alice-Hunting,” about a character who idolizes Gertrude Stein. Judy Pasternak interviews Noreen Connell, outgoing president of the National Organization for Women, New York chapter (NOW-NY) and Kathy Rauch[sp?], candidate in the upcoming elections for NOW-NY, in the first in an ongoing series on women’s organizations. Program…

  • Lesbian purges in the military / produced by Karla Tonella

    Panel with four women who were in the military from 1946 until 1980 including Judy Grahn, author of “The Common Woman Poems”; Pat Bond from the film “Word is Out”; Sharon Isabel, author of “Yesterday’s Lessons”; Debra DeBont of the Women Veterans Information Network; and moderated by Sabrina Sojourner. Topics include inspiration to join the…

  • Lesbian-Feminist Dialogue / produced by Nanette Rainone.

    After two years of dispute during which lesbians accused various women’s groups of discriminating against them and attempting to bury the lesbian question, Jill Johnston, columnist for the Village Voice, and others called a conference at Columbia University in New York City on December 16, 1972 in order to make peace with straight women. In…

  • Charlotte Bunch: I’m a woman

    Charlotte Bunch speaks about the feminist movement and receives comments from reporters and audience, discussing personal experience and views. Bunch opens with a speech about being a feminist in an anti-feminist environment. Anecdotes about getting a job, feminist turmoil, looking back through one’s past to gain perspective on current situations, relates feelings about the feminist…

  • Consciousness raising-WBAI (Episode 2 of 4): Adolescent puberty rituals

    Consciousness-raising: An examination of women’s issues. This discussion focuses on adolescent puberty rituals. The participants discuss how their mothers talked, or avoided talking to them, about puberty, menstruation, buying bras, etc. This program was possibly broadcast with a series of discussions by ex-wives or separated wives ca. October 1971 through April 1972. Recording ends abruptly.

  • Consciousness raising-WBAI (Episode 3 of 4): Friendship and loneliness

    Consciousness-raising: An examination of women’s issues. This discussion focuses on the lack of friendships and loneliness the participants experienced when in their unhappy marriages. The participants were all ex-wives or separated wives. The program was broadcast ca. October 1971 through April 1972. Recording ends abruptly.

  • Consciousness raising-WBAI (Episode 4 of 4): Sex and divorce

    Consciousness-raising: An examination of women’s issues. This discussion focuses on the sex lives of married couples. These participants were all divorced or separated, and discussed the ways sex with their exes affected their marriage. The program was broadcast ca. October 1971 through April 1972. Recording ends abruptly.

  • Consciousness raising-WBAI (Episode 1 of 4): Housework

    This is one of four episodes of WBAI’s first Consciousness-raising series, originally titled: “Consciousness-raising: An examination of women’s issues.” This discussion focuses on the issue of housework, particularly the balance of housework between husband and wife, and what these women learned from their mothers and other wives. This recording was possibly broadcast with a series…