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| The New Women of Women's History By: Sarah Cushing Jane Addams, Harriet Beecher Stowe, Amelia Earhart, Shirely Temple Black, Margaret Sanger, Gloria Steinem…any of these names ring a bell? Well, each of these women are important figures in women’s history. From Jane Addams role in pioneering social work to Gloria Steinem’s work towards equality for women, these women have all done something truly great. But, have you ever thought about what women living now will be featured in history books? Here are four women I think will hold a strong place in women’s history. Barbara Walters Although you may know her from her celebrity interviews, Barbara Walters has accomplished much more in her career than simply interviewing celebrities. In fact, Barbara Walters helped pave the way in journalism for women. Barbara began her career as a publicity assistant and eventually worked her way up the career ladder. Early in her career Barbara wrote and produced segments for television news programming and went on to co- host the NBC morning program Today. Barbara earned her spot in television journalism history, when on ABC, she became the first woman to co-anchor an evening news program in 1976. Her position—and salary!—was publicly criticized by fellow journalists. But, that didn’t slow Barbara down. She went on to have her own television specials and also became a correspondent and later co-host of ABC’s television news magazine show 20/20. Currently, Barbara co-produces and co-hosts The View on ABC, which has nominated for several Emmy Awards and maintains a high viewer ship. Oprah Winfrey Oprah is so popular, people don’t even use her last name. Although Oprah is most famously known for her talk show, her talents go deep beyond the television screen. Oprah began her career as a television journalist in Nashville, Tennessee. She then made her way to Baltimore, Maryland where she co-anchored an evening news program and hosted a local talk show. From Baltimore Oprah moved to Chicago where she continued to host a local morning talk show. It was in Chicago her television shows ratings went through the roof. Her television show went national just two years after she first moved to Chicago and the ratings were record breaking. And from there Oprah continued to grow. Oprah launched her own magazine, O, The Oprah Magazine and continues to produce films and television shows through Harpo Studios. Oprah is also known for being a woman dedicated to serving others. Recently Oprah founded and contributed over $40 million dollars to the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls-South Africa. As if this isn’t enough, Oprah also launched the radio channel Oprah & Friends on XM Satellite Radio in 2006. And, one last fun fact: Oprah is an accomplished actress and has an Oscar nomination under her belt for her role in the film The Color Purple. Hillary Clinton Hillary Clinton’s name is all over the media lately, and for good reason. Not only is she running for President, but she is the first former First Lady of the United States to run for President of the United States. Hillary began her career in political and social change at Yale Law School. There she had, and continues to have, a deep interest in women’s and children’s issues. After her graduation from law school Hillary continued advocating and working on behalf of these causes as well as furthering her law career. When her husband was elected President in 1992, Hillary didn’t slow down. She worked on a passion of hers: health coverage for all Americans. Although her fight for universal health care didn’t succeed, but she did leave a mark in other areas in other areas, such as helping children move out of foster care and into adoption more quickly. In 2000, Hillary was elected to the United States Senate from New York and was reelected again in 2006. And now, she is continuing forward with her ideas about social change as she runs for President. And, if she hadn’t already done enough to conserve a spot in women’s history, Hillary may have the chance to become the first woman president of the United States—a definite history maker! Nancy Pelosi You may know that Nancy Pelosi is Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, but did you know that she is the highest elected official in United States government? In fact, she is third in line for the presidency, right behind the Vice President. While raising five children Nancy served as the chairwoman of the California Democratic Party. Later, Nancy was elected to Congress in 1987. Some of Nancy’s most pertinent work included increasing funding for breast cancer research and being a strong proponent in the fight against HIV/AIDS. Some of Nancy’s most rewarding work though, was helping to preserve the Presidio of San Francisco as the country's biggest urban national park. As Speaker of the House Nancy remains committed to her district and the issues she believes in, but she also has added responsibilities, such as calling the House to order and presiding over House debate. And, as the first ever woman Speaker of the House, Nancy is fulfilling her responsibilities. |
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