ALSO LOOKING FORWARD, TO THOSE
TAKING UP THE FIGHT AND LIGHTING
THE WAY.
TAKE A LOOK.
WOMEN’S HISTORY IS INDIVISIBLE
FROM AMERICAN HISTORY ALL THE
WAY BACK TO 1776 WHEN FUTURE
FIRST LADY ABIGAIL ADAMS WROTE
TO HER HUSBAND JOHN URGING THE
CONTINENTAL CONGRESS TO REMEMBER
THE LADIES, AND WARNING IF THEY
DIDN’T, WE ARE DETERMINED TO
FOMENT A REBELLION.
AND THEY DID.
FROM THE SENECA FALLS IN EARLY
’28 TO THE STREET
DEMONSTRATIONS.
FIRST WOMAN ELECTED TO CONGRESS
1916 FOUR YEARS BEFORE WOMEN
EVEN WON THE RIGHT TO VOTE.
FROM FREEDOM TO NEW HEIGHTS,
EVEN TO OUTER SPACE.
BUT WE’VE ALWAYS HAD TO RAISE
OUR VOICES AND LIFT OUR HANDS TO
DEMAND AUTONOMY, EQUITY,
EQUALITY.
>> IT IS GOING TO BE A VERY LONG
PROCESS, CERTAINLY IS GOING TO
TAKE MANY MORE GENERATIONS.
BUT I HOPE THAT WE BUDGED IT A
LITTLE BIT.
>> Reporter: LIKE ANY JOURNEY,
IT’S BEEN MARBGD BY PROGRESS AND
SETBACKS.
THE DEFEAT OF THE EQUAL RIGHTS AMENDMENT.
STILL UNEQUAL PLAY.
AND THE EVER PRESENT SCOURGE OF
SEXUAL HARASSMENT.
AND YET THERE IS ALWAYS HOPE.
MOST RECENTLY IN AMANDA GORMAN.
>> WE WILL NOT MARCH BACK TO
WHAT WAS, BUT MOVE TO WHAT SHALL
BE.
>> IT WAS BEAUTIFUL TO SEE THAT.
>> Reporter: ELIZABETH ALEXANDER
WAS THE FOURTH INAUGURAL POET IN
2009.
>> I’VE KNOWN FOR EVER HER A FEW
YEARS AND HAVE GIVEN HER A BIT
OF ADVICE FROM TIME TO TIME.
IT IS SUPREMELY SATISFIES TO
WATCH YOUNG PEOPLE SHINE AND
KNOW THAT MAYBE YOU HELPED MAKE
THAT A LITTLE BIT POSSIBLE.
>> Reporter: THAT INTERSECTION
OF OUR PAST AND PRESENT IS NOW
ALEXANDER’S FOCUS.
>> THE WORLD WE WALK AROUND IN
TELL US WHO WE ARE.
>> Reporter: LEADING A MISSION
TO REIMAGINE OUR MONUMENTS AS
THE HEAD OF THE MELON
FOUNDATION.
>> WHAT IS THE PART OF AMERICAN
WOMEN’S HISTORY THAT YOU WANT TO
TELL?
THAT YOU WANT TO REIMAGINE?
>> I WANT TO START WITH THE
SHEER DISPROPORTION, THE LACK OF
REPRESENTATION OF THE STORIES
AND CONTRIBUTIONS OF WOMEN IN
AMERICAN LIFE.
IN NEW YORK CITY THERE ARE 150
PUBLIC HISTORIC STATUES.
SIX OF THEM ARE OF WOMEN.
IN PHILADELPHIA, 1500 PUBLIC
STATUES, TWO OF THEM ARE OF
WOMEN.
>> IF WE LOOK AT OUR LANDSCAPE
TODAY WE HAVE A WOMAN VICE
PRESIDENT, A WOMAN SPEAKER OF
THE HOUSE.
THERE ARE WOMEN CEOs, WOMEN
SUPREME COURT JUSTICES.
SO WHAT IS IT GOING TO TAKE?
IS IT EQUAL PAY?
WHAT -- WHAT IS IT THAT SAYS
WOMEN HAVE FINALLY ARRIVED AND
ARE EQUAL?
>> I THINK THAT WE HAVE
REPRESENTATION IN ALL OF THOSE
ARENAS.
BUT IN VERY FEW OF THOSE ARENA,
I WOULD VENTURE TO SAY NONE OF
THOSE ARENAS, IS THERE
PREDOMINATE FEMALE LEADERSHIP.
>> WOMEN MAKE UP THE MAJORITY OF
AMERICANS AND STILL REMAIN IN
THE MINORITY OF LEADERS FROM BIG
BUSINESS TO STATE HOUSES.
>> I THINK IT IS IMPORTANT TO
NAME THE INEQUITIES SO THAT WE
KNOW WHAT THE CHALLENGES ARE.
AND WE DON’T LET UP.
I DON’T THINK THERE IS A MOMENT
OF ARRIVAL BECAUSE I THINK
ARRIVAL CREATES COMPLACENCY.
ALL OF THOSE QUESTIONS OF WHAT
DOES IT MEAN TO LIVE IN A WORLD
THAT’S AS FAIR AS YOU CAN MAKE IT ARE LIFETIME QUESTIONS I
IT ARE LIFETIME QUESTIONS I
BELIEVE.
>> NOW SINCE WE SAT DOWN WITH
ELIZABETH ALEXANDER WE HAVE SOME
GOOD NEWS TO REPORT.
THERE HAS BEEN A SEVENTH STATUE
OF A WOMAN UNVEILED HERE IN NEW
YORK CITY.
RUTH BADER GINSBURG, IT IS A
STEP IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION.
YEAH, ISN’T THAT GREAT?
IN BROOKLYN.
AND PEOPLE ARE VERY EXCITED.
.
BUT WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT IT
THERE ARE ONLY SEVEN STATUES OF
WOMEN COMPARED TO 150 STATUES OF
MEN IN NEW YORK CITY.
THES NOT QUITE EQUAL YET.