Notice of PBS Special - MAKERS

[DURHAM D]

MAKERS: Women Who Make America

MAKERS: Women Who Make America tells the remarkable story of the most sweeping social revolution in American history, as women have asserted their rights to a full and fair share of political power, economic opportunity, and personal autonomy. It’s a revolution that has unfolded in public and private, in courts and Congress, in the boardroom and the bedroom, changing not only what the world expects from women, but what women expect from themselves.

http://www.pbs.org/makers/home/

When to Watch:

Makers: Women Who Make America premieres February 26, 2013 from 8-11 p.m. E.T. on PBS.

It will be shown several times so check the schedule and watch the trailers.


I hope you watch and join the conversation at the link.

[Little Star]

1. Already have it on my DVR que. Can't wait! k&r

[niyad]

2. thank you for the reminder--will definitely watch it

[Little Star]

7. Have you had a chance to watch it yet niyad?....

For me approximately the first 2/3's were so uplifting, then the last 3rd (showing our backward slide) made me want to cry. The right is taking away a lot of the progress made.

Will we ever have Era? It's not looking hopeful that I'll ever see the day.

[niyad]

8. yes, I did, saw it that night, and asked the library for the dvd so can watch again.

you are correct, the first 2/3's were uplifting, energizing, so full of hope and promise. I had no idea, all the times I encountered phyllis, that she and the reichwing would be such an obstacle. as one of the women (forget who) said, "we thought all we had to do was explain, show what was wrong, and it would get better" yes, we were that naive and innocent.

ERA--90 years since alice paul wrote it-90 years it still is not here. I am like you, thinking it does not look hopeful, with the legislatures and pols we have. but, I refuse to give up. time magazine used to publish the occasional (apparently hopeful) article, titled "is feminism dead?" my response has always been, "not so long as I am drawing breath"

[Little Star]

9. I was late to the feminism party but since I've begun educating myself...

I'm with you on the "is feminism dead?" & "not so long as I am drawing breath" !!!

While it was all going on I was too busy trying to raise my 4 babies. I wish I knew then what I know now. Kinda makes me ashamed I wasn't more aware of how important that activism was. sigh. Can't change the past but can certainly learn from my mistakes and join the important cause now.

[niyad]

10. it is never too late to join the party!! especially as we are seeing such a concerted attack on

women's rights--not just to eliminate the progress, but to push us back to the past "back when women really knew their place" (to quote kristin lems)

we have been fighting this battle a very long time, and, believe me, fresh energy is always welcome. some of us are TIRED (but that does not mean we are giving up)

[Little Star]

12. well....

[Little Star]

3. Tonights the night....

[Little Star]

4. I'm only half way through watching on DVR but this documentary is

so well done like most on PBS are. I'm loving watching & learning.

[NYC_SKP]

5. You can watch it online, too! (link)

http://www.makers.com/documentary/

[boston bean]

6. I watched and it felt pumped up and energized

until the end of the show.

It's a downer to see where we are at and what is considered activism now a days.

We are going backwards. I think that one woman was right. Women won't be active again, until they lose the strides that have been made.

I don't think that people understand that just because there are new laws that are protect, women, there can be new laws that are made that are anti women, because the ERA never passed and our rights aren't in the constitution.

All in all, though, a fantastic show. Educational, meaningful and inspiring.

[niyad]

11. so much excellent coverage. I loved watching the segment on IWY in houston--especially since

I was fortunate enough to be there as a delegate. you would think something that important would have received more coverage, but it was phyllis and her group who seemed to get the most of what there was. (we were overshadowed by anwar el sadat's trip to jerusalem). what they could not show was the sheer hatred and malevolence directed at us-- some of us had received death threats, the protestors in some cases were unbelievably ugly. but, it was an absolutely amazing time--and we were all so hopeful. yet, 36 years later, we seem to be going backwards at an alarming rate.

[DURHAM D]

13. Hi niyad.

I started this OP but I had nothing to contribute because my local PBS station did not show it the first night. The schedule said it would play tonight at 8pm - it did not. I am in North Carolina, 'nough said. However, I just watched the first 1/3 online but it was slow going on my dial up.

Lucky you to be a delegate to the National Women's Conference in 1977. I know you must have felt that nothing could stop our progress. ummmhhh Wasn't there an earlier conference in Houston that Alice Paul attended?

It is hard to imagine that 22,000 women gathered in Houston and this was the list of opening speakers -

"The opening ceremony speakers included: First Ladies Rosalynn Carter, Betty Ford and Lady Bird Johnson, activists Coretta Scott King, Bella Abzug, Betty Friedan, Barbara Jordan, Liz Carpenter, and Jean Stapleton. Maya Angelou read the declaration of intent."

I graduated from college in 1966 so the movement tracks with my life. In the summer of 1970 a college friend called me from NY to tell me about the march in August down 5th Avenue that was in the planning stages. I was able to get time off from work (without pay of course) and my parent's paid for my airline ticket (early birthday present) to fly from KC to NY to visit my friend. My parents could not understand why I really wanted to go to NY at that particular time so I made up a story that I wanted to see Purlie on Broadway and the weekend of the 26th was the only date we could get tickets. For years and years I worried that my face should show up on the tv and they would discover my secret activities. The funny thing is that to this day my siblings don't know much of how I spent my 20s through my 50s. They are traditional so I didn't share. Maybe I will tell them this next Christmas.

It sounds like the last 1/3 is a bummer. Oh well.