Bianca Rowlett tells us about Jeane Kirkpatrick, the first woman to serve as US Ambassador to the United Nations under Reagan’s administration. 

Jeane Kirkpatrick was a very controversial figure and is known for the Kirkpatrick Doctrine that justified supporting authoritarian right wing regimes and dictatorships as long they were anticommunist. She started as a democrat and then became a neoconservative. 

The effects of this approach to foreign policy had a major impact on Central America. 

We talk about how Jeane Kirkpatrick believed there should be more women in politics, her emphasis on gradual change, and how fragile democracy is. 

You can read Bianca’s essay and other great essays in the book “Suffrage at 100: Women in American Politics since 1920”.

Ep28: Who Was Jeane Kirkpatrick & How Fragile is Democracy? A Chat with Historian Bianca Rowlett

It’s pride month! In this episode, writer and photographer Malika Ali Harding tells us about Pauli Murray. 

Pauli Murray was a civil rights activist, women’s rights activist, lawyer, author, poet, and is amongst the first generation of female Episcopal priests. 

She’s done so many amazing things… but why isn’t she more well known?? 

We talk about how Pauli sometimes just missed the moment or wasn’t put on display to help promote a cause. 

Pauli Murray struggled with her sexual and gender identity describing herself as having an “inverted sex instinct”. She had several deep relationships with women. A number of scholars have retroactively classified her as transgender. 

You can read Malika’s article about Pauli Murray on Puttylike: https://puttylike.com/pauli-murray-a-kick-down-barriers-kinda-life/

Ep29: Who was Pauli Murray? A Conversation with Writer and Photographer Malika Ali Harding.

Stories about women throughout history and their impact on today. Hosted by Laura Boersma.

Ep28: Who Was Jeane Kirkpatrick & How Fragile is Democracy? A Chat with Historian Bianca Rowlett

She's History Podcast

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