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Supporting Texts
Jensen, K. (Ed.). (2017). Here we are: Feminism for the real world. Chapel Hill, NC: Algonquin Young Readers.
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Aiming “to enlighten, inspire, and encourage critical thinking, as well as thoughtful action in your everyday life,” Here We Are is an anthology of written and illustrated thoughts and musings on feminism. Ranging in profession from former senators to educators and including well-known names like Mindy Kaling and Roxane Gay, over three dozen contributors have provided essays, poems, lists, sketches, and cartoons on the subject. Authors discuss how they became feminists—and what it means to them—and address topics like beauty standards, cultural norms, and the intersectionality of feminism with disability, race, and gender.
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Produced annually by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, “Highlights of Women’s Earnings in 2016” is the latest report of earnings information for full-time wage and salary workers. Directly comparing women’s earnings to those of their male counterparts, the report details the gender pay gap that still exists despite narrowing over the last few decades. Data is broken down by age, educational attainment, occupation, race and ethnicity, and other attributes. Moreover, data is depicted in a mix of tables, charts, and graphs. The report also includes technical notes on how data was sourced and its inherent limitations.
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U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2017). Highlights of women’s earnings in 2016 (Report No. 1069). Retrieved from https://www.bls.gov/opub/reports/womens-earnings/2016/pdf/home.pdf
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Youth Speaks. (2014, July 24). 2014 – Brave New Voices (finals) – “Feminism” by Denver team [Video file]. Retrieved from https://youtu.be/4fiOSGvYMBA
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“Feminism” is a slam poem performed by members of the Denver-based group Minor Disturbance during the Brave New Voices finals in 2014. (Brave New Voices is an annual poetry slam competition and conference for young poets.) Delivered by four young women of varying ethnicities, the poem discusses how mainstream feminism is largely devoid of non-white perspectives and voices. Performers address topics like race-based expectations and the behaviors they exhibit in response, and impart how “feminism isn’t just for white women any more—and it never was.”
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Women’s March on Washington [Photo collection]. (2017, January 21). Retrieved from http://www.cnn.com/2017/01/21/us/gallery/womens-march-on-washington/index.html
This photo collection assembled by CNN is comprised of 24 captioned images from various photographers, all featuring scenes from the Women’s March on Washington (a protest that took place on January 21, 2017 in Washington, DC). Protestors can be seen from a variety of perspectives; some photos attempt to capture the sheer magnitude of the estimated 470,000-strong crowd (Wallace & Parlapiano, 2017) while others focus on individuals within it. In addition to a variety of expressions and postures, photos also depict celebrity performers and speakers, statement-making garb, and numerous handmade protest signs.
Obama, B. (2016, August 4). Glamour exclusive: President Barack Obama says, “This is what a feminist looks like.” Glamour. Retrieved from https://www.glamour.com/story/glamour-exclusive-president-barack-obama-says-this-is-what-a-feminist-looks-like
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In a personal essay published not too long before the 2016 election, then-President Obama discusses his idea of modern feminism. With references to his family and life in the White House, Obama relays how his upbringing and role as a father and husband have shaped his views and “[his] own feminism.” He discusses gender stereotypes, societal messaging, and pervasive demeaning attitudes. Obama says that men have a responsibility, too, to challenge assumptions and gender roles and strive for equal relationships. Furthermore, he asserts that while the strides that women have made in the last 8-100 years are great, there is still a long way to go in achieving equality.
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In what is pegged as a “classic talk” that has since been adapted into a bestselling published essay, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie delivers an anecdote-filled speech relaying her ideas about feminism. She discusses the issues she has with the idea of gender (“the problem with gender is it prescribes how we should be, not how we are”), specific gender roles she’s had to confront in Nigeria, and common rebuttals she’s faced from well-meaning men who deny that differences exist. Adichie argues that sexism is hurtful to men and women alike, and she ends the talk with her own definition of feminism.
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Adichie, C. N. (2012, November). Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie: We should all be feminists [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.ted.com/talks/chimamanda_ngozi_adichie_we_should_all_be_feminists#t-1755961 |