Women’s History Month Resources

History

Untold Stories of Women of Color in the Suffrage Movement

Source: California Commission on the Status of Women and Girls

“After the passage of the 19th Amendment in 1920, women of color were often kept from the polls through a variety of tactics. They faced racial and ethnic discrimination and were often discouraged from voting via violence…this year we celebrate the hard won achievements of the women who made possible the modern right to vote!  

We have come a long way, but we still have miles to go to achieve equality for all and especially for women of color. The Commission on the Status of Women and Girls enters this centennial with a new commitment to be intentionally inclusive of all women, particularly Black, Brown, and Indigenous women, members of the LGBTQ community, young women, and those most vulnerable among us. Specifically, the Commission has been hard at work to re-imagine the role we play as a support system for the women and girls of California and the ways in which we celebrate our history.” 

• Untold Stories of Black Women in the Suffrage Movement
• 10 Black Women Inventors
   

Netflix Recommendations

• Feminists: what were they thinking? 

Jane Fonda, Lily Tomlin, Judy Chicago and Laurie Anderson… A cast of women who recount, often with great emotion, the historic moments of the fight for women’s rights. Through the eyes of such diverse and fascinating women, this documentary offers frank discussions and a look at history tinged with humor, but mainly suffused with deep, passionate commitment. From questions of motherhood to abortion, through issues of identity and ethnicity, this documentary shows how feminism remains a constant and urgent struggle. 

• Becoming 

Her memoir “Becoming” has become an international bestseller. The journey of Michelle Obama, former First Lady of the United States and first black woman in the White House, has become a symbol of success and courage for women around the world. This documentary retraces her tour to meet her readers in 34 cities. A dive into the intimate world of a figure who has become a true icon and a source of motivation for millions of people around the world. 

• Disclosure: Trans Lives on Screen 

This documentary investigates the representation of transgender people on the screen. Whether in TV series or films, the place of transgender women and men has been and still is fraught with struggles. Performers such as Laverne Cox, known thanks to the series “Orange is the New Black,” and director Lilly Wachowski, to whom we owe the “Matrix” saga, testify alongside many other personalities on the difficulties they experience establishing themselves in Hollywood. From the fear conveyed by the media to innovative series, this documentary looks back at the history of the trans community, between pain and hope. 

• Knock Down the House 

This documentary investigates the representation of transgender people on the screen. Whether in TV series or films, the place of transgender women and men has been and still is fraught with struggles. Performers such as Laverne Cox, known thanks to the series “Orange is the New Black,” and director Lilly Wachowski, to whom we owe the “Matrix” saga, testify alongside many other personalities on the difficulties they experience establishing themselves in Hollywood. From the fear conveyed by the media to innovative series, this documentary looks back at the history of the trans community, between pain and hope. 

• Period. End of Sentence 

In less than 30 minutes, this documentary deciphers the still taboo subject of menstruation in India and shows how the lack of access to sanitary products has led to school dropout and health problems. In a village near Delhi, some incredible women are leading a fight to make sanitary products available thanks to a machine installed in the village. It’s a worldwide fight since it is in California that young high school girls have contributed to finance this distributor.

• Link to article with 20 additional recommendations
   

Online Resources

Community Links

• Women’s March LA
• Los Angeles Women’s International Film Festival: March 23 – 26, 2017
• Women’s Museum of California

The History Channel

• Women’s History Month on The History Channel 
• Women of History Documentaries on The History Channel

Free Virtual Events

• History.com – Women’s History Month
• National Women’s History Museum
• Women’s History Month – US

Inspirational Articles

• The Fearless Female Who Became One of SoCal’s Earliest Latina Higher Ed Teachers
• The Powerful Mexican Woman Who Helped Shape Early Santa Monica
• These Two Women Spent Decades Highlighting the African Heritage of L.A.
• The Savvy Mexican Businesswoman Behind the Iconic Bradbury Building

For more resources, please visit KCET.org.