Bernadette Peters on meeting Mel Brooks and the impact of his humor: “As far as he would go with jokes, like in Blazing Saddles he’ll get away with things because they were truly funny.” Peters was interviewed on September 4, 2012 for American Masters – Mel ...
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Zitkála-Šá co-composed and wrote the libretto for the first American Indian opera and co-founded the National Council of American Indians to lobby for increased political power for American Indians.
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Jeannette Rankin (1880-1973) made history as the first woman elected to the U.S. Congress and the only member of Congress to vote against U.S. participation in World War I and World War II. A determined suffragist, she helped women in her home state of Montana ...
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The activist, educator and writer talks about her belief that social justice work is interconnected, and how those who benefit from privilege have the responsibility to fight for the rights of those impacted by systemic inequalities.
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Jovita Idár (1885-1946) helped organize the first Mexican American civil rights conference in 1911 to address racism, lynching, and dismal educational opportunities for Mexican American children.
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From PBS Newshour: Sunday, August 2nd 2020 marked what would have been literary icon James Baldwin’s 96th birthday, in a year when the resurgence of Black Lives Matter protests across the world has renewed interest in his work. A new book, “Begin Again: James Baldwin’s ...
James Baldwin was one of America’s greatest thinkers and writers on the subject of race. What would he have thought about present-day protests against police brutality and for racial equity? We can glean much about his thoughts from his rich legacy of writing and recorded ...
Modern day women from the series discuss what the term "unladylike" means to them.
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Martha Hughes Cannon (1857-1932) completed medical school, became the fourth of six wives in a polygamous Mormon marriage, and joined the women’s suffrage movement. In 1896, she was elected the country’s first female state senator, defeating her own husband who was also on the ballot.
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The “Little House” books are the eight autobiographical novels by Laura Ingalls Wilder, originally published in the 1930s and 1940s. A ninth book was published after her death. They are: "Little House in the Big Woods." New York: HarperCollins Children’s Book Group, 1932. "Farmer ...
