Summary

WOMEN'S SUFFRAGE AND LIBERATION - PART TWO

Source Archive Films by Getty Images
Title: WOMEN'S SUFFRAGE AND LIBERATION - PART TWO
File Number: ACL-3012 Digibeta; Beta SP
Color: Color
Type: Compilation
Year: 1989
Subjects: New York City
Description: 3012-1 02:00:00:00 -- 02:03:39::03 1989 Color w Sound GLORIA STEINEM INTERVIEW - ABORTION, FAMILY Part of extensive talking head interview with Gloria Steinem. Off CAM interviewer asks question about Supreme Court's effects upon abortion rights. Steinem answers: "Nothing is ironclad," in reference to abortion rights being curtailed & chipped away at by Supreme Court women & pro-equality men have not voted in representative numbers due to disillusionment w electoral process resulting in Reagan & Bush administrations ("elected by 30% of the country") Supreme Court defying public opinion on abortion movement must accept responsibility & do what it can to fight current situation predicts outlawed abortion will "be less popular than Prohibition." Off CAM interviewer asks if early feminists have neglected importance of the family within the women's movement. Steinem answers that assessment is not a fair criticism. That women's movement is responsible for advancing ideas of: "homemaker" as real occupation more evenly distributed division of parental roles & duties. She discusses use of the word, "family," as code for status quo, stereotypical, patriarchal American nuclear family, i.e.: "family values." "THAT we have neglected," she says laughing. MTR (8070) 3012-2 02:03:39:04 -- 02:05:14::08 1989 Color w Sound GLORIA STEINEM INTERVIEW - RACE AND CLASS Part of extensive talking head interview with Gloria Steinem. Off CAM interviewer asks about the criticism of the movement that it is elitist, comprised primarily of well-educated middle class women. Steinem dismisses this criticism as ridiculous gives demographic statistics to contradict it. She tells anecdote of New York Post reporter showing up at a Manhattan Women's Political Caucus meeting w 1000s of women, including leadership that is a third Black & Hispanic, & members from varied economic & political backgrounds reporter comments: "This is a mostly White middle class meeting." Steinem says, "The same reporter would not go into the Republican Party and say 'this is mostly White middle class.' You could go snow blind in that place." She laughs. Overall implication is that race & class criticism of the movement are untrue & a way its enemies have of being divisive. MTR (8070) 3012-3 02:05:14:09 -- 02:10:04::28 1989 Color w Sound GLORIA STEINEM INTERVIEW - PERSONAL AND POLITICAL Part of extensive talking head interview with Gloria Steinem. Off CAM interviewer asks "Did you ever set out to become one of America's 25 most influential women?" Steinem answers: "No." Explains that she has no traditional power concedes that she does have strong power of influence. She goes on to explain how her involvement in the movement started & developed discrimination of everyday life was a catalyst to getting involved early abortion (pre-Roe v. Wade) hearing she attended described as epiphany. "When the state and the patriarchy and the church and all those folks lose control of women's bodies, that's very radical." MTR (8070) 02:10:04:29 -- END OF TAPE
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