Feminist Radio Network, c. 1974-1978

Collection Items

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  Discussion on Battered Women, Wife Abuse

  Interviewee discusses helping a domestic abuse victim retrieve their personal belongings, and shares statistics on reported domestic abuses.
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  Discussion on Sexual Abuse of Children (Incest)

  Interviewee discusses the statistics of child sexual assault, and how they are not reported accurately. They claim that girls face more assault than boys, but much of it goes unreported. Conversation circles around parental assault, parental protection, and social services. The host and interviewer talk about the role of the patriarchy, victim denial, abuse, and the need for child abuse education for children. They advocate for child’s rights, and children’s need for peer relationships.
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  Discussion on Waitressing

  Recording starts with an introduction from the Feminist Radio Network, with female vocalizing, singing, and performing. The recording then begins to talk about women in the food service industry, and the statistics of how many women are waitresses. Upon interviewing a waitress, the conversation moves towards the low wages, and need for unionization in waitressing, since there is such a reliance on tips. Segueing through empowering music, the discussion shifts to women’s speeches, performances and testimonies on women’s liberation. The recording then moves on to a panel with Maxine Kumin, Grace Paley, and Alice Walker, discussing their thoughts on women’s writing.

  Tags Alice Walker, Grace Paley, Maxine Kumin, Unions
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  Leadership, Self-concept, & Group Identity

  Four women from working-class backgrounds critique leadership and individualism in second-wave feminism. Karen Kollias, Rita Mae Brown, Dolores Bargowski, and Beverly Fisher discuss the exclusion they experience by middle-class feminists who do not hold the same values of strength and leadership, which are viewed as masculine and therefore threatening. Feelings of guilt and the role of the mother in lower-class homes are also discussed.

  Tags female masculinity, middle-class feminism, Rita Mae Brown, second wave feminism, working-class feminism, working-class lesbians
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  Romaine Brooks with Anne Imelda Radice

  Anne Imelda Radice, an art museum director and arts administrator, discusses the life and art of Romaine Brooks. Romaine Brooks was a lesbian portrait artist born in Rome, Italy in the late 19th century. She was known as the "thief of souls" for her ability to capture emotion in her art. The host and Radice have a conversation on how lesbianism was perceived during Brooks' time period, as well as her relationship with her lifelong partner, Natalie Barney.

  Tags Erotica, History
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  Women and Religion

  In this recording, Sally Gearhart discusses how the Church enforces ideas of masculinity and feminity. The host argues that feminism is incompatible with Christianity and lesbianism allows a woman to love herself and let go of the self-hatred that society and the Church impose.

  Tags Communities, Feminism, Lesbian authors, Lesbian feminism, passing (Sexuality), radical feminism, Radical Lesbians, Religion, Separatism, Toxic masculinity
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  Women and Welfare

  This episode is titled Women in Welfare and features discussions from Carol Brill, the director of the Massachusetts chapter of the National Association of Social Workers (NASW), and welfare advocates Kayla Taylor, and Susan Moore. This episode covers the topics of the welfare system structure, stereotypes and myths about welfare recipients, double standards working mothers face based on class, and the classism within the social work profession. Furthermore, it includes clips from governmental proceedings related to welfare and proposed cuts to welfare benefits. It ends with a discussion on how the issues within the welfare system relate to the Women’s Liberation Movement and demands economic change from politicians who fund big business and the military while disregarding the poor through welfare cuts.

  Tags Families, Gender Roles, Organizing, Social Work, welfare system, Women's Liberation Movement
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  Women Writers

  The radio episode, which is part of the Feminist Radio Network, includes recordings from a conference panel which included the writers Maxine Kumin, Alice Walker, and Grace Paley. They discuss the challenges of being women writers, how their writing processes are affected by societal gender norms, and how important women’s stories are within the individualistic, middle-class American society where female bonding is not encouraged. This episode also includes excerpts from Living, by Grace Paley, and Everyday Use, by Alice Walker.

  Tags Alice Walker, Gender Roles, Grace Paley, Literature, Maxine Kumin
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  Women's Music Network Interview

  Interview with Kay Gardner, executive director and co-founder of the Women's Music Network, and Lou Crimmins, performer. 1974 production of the Feminist Radio Network. Discussion of the nonprofit Women Music Network's ideals and operations supporting women in the music industry. including Lavender Jane.

  Tags Interviews, Kay Gardner, Lavender Jane, Music, Radio, women's music, Women's Music Network, Work

• Audio and Video Collections
  • Liza Cowan collection, c. 1970s
    • Feminist Radio Network, c. 1974-1978