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Where were today's digital feminists in 'Women Who Make America'? Where were today's digital feminists in 'Women Who Make America'?
(7 months later)
Tuesday night's PBS Makers documentary on feminist history was powerful, inspiring, infuriating and hilarious. Watching the fabulous feminists of the 1960s and 70s raise hell, often with more than a wink of humor and creativity, and seeing how quickly they toppled institutions and shifted social mores felt electric.Tuesday night's PBS Makers documentary on feminist history was powerful, inspiring, infuriating and hilarious. Watching the fabulous feminists of the 1960s and 70s raise hell, often with more than a wink of humor and creativity, and seeing how quickly they toppled institutions and shifted social mores felt electric.
Then came the galvanizing moments of Anita Hill's bravery in testifying against Clarence Thomas, of Geraldine Ferraro accepting the vice-presidential nomination, of Hillary Clinton declaring that women's rights and human rights are one and the same – I was alternately cheering and yelling at the TV. The details of the abortion rights movement, with 5,000 women dying every year before Roe and hundreds of thousands more injured, and the endless post-Roe violence at the hands of "pro-life" activists who still scream at women, picket clinics, stalk doctors, bomb buildings and murder health care providers, was sobering. As was the recognition that domestic violence wasn't generally recognized as a real crime until the early years of my own existence on this planet – being beaten up by your husband, Gloria Steinem noted, didn't have a name; it was just called "life".Then came the galvanizing moments of Anita Hill's bravery in testifying against Clarence Thomas, of Geraldine Ferraro accepting the vice-presidential nomination, of Hillary Clinton declaring that women's rights and human rights are one and the same – I was alternately cheering and yelling at the TV. The details of the abortion rights movement, with 5,000 women dying every year before Roe and hundreds of thousands more injured, and the endless post-Roe violence at the hands of "pro-life" activists who still scream at women, picket clinics, stalk doctors, bomb buildings and murder health care providers, was sobering. As was the recognition that domestic violence wasn't generally recognized as a real crime until the early years of my own existence on this planet – being beaten up by your husband, Gloria Steinem noted, didn't have a name; it was just called "life".
There are not enough words for all the "thank yous" I want to extend to the many feminists who shaped the 20th century.There are not enough words for all the "thank yous" I want to extend to the many feminists who shaped the 20th century.
Tell us: who are the young feminists making a difference today?Tell us: who are the young feminists making a difference today?
But then the documentary came to the present day. Although women today rose to our positions on the shoulders of giants, female leaders like Marissa Mayer of Yahoo, who also recently cut the telecommuting policy at Yahoo that particularly benefits working parents, declared herself not a feminist, as she isn't "militant" and doesn't have a "chip on her shoulder".But then the documentary came to the present day. Although women today rose to our positions on the shoulders of giants, female leaders like Marissa Mayer of Yahoo, who also recently cut the telecommuting policy at Yahoo that particularly benefits working parents, declared herself not a feminist, as she isn't "militant" and doesn't have a "chip on her shoulder".
Hey, Marissa Meyer, I happen to love my militant drive and the chip on my shoulder! #MAKERSchatHey, Marissa Meyer, I happen to love my militant drive and the chip on my shoulder! #MAKERSchat
Michelle Rhee cheerily said she likes doing all the laundry and packing her husband's lunch. A few women – Sheryl Sandberg, Oprah, Katie Couric – proudly staked feminist ground, with Sandberg saying men need to pitch in at home, and Oprah declaring:Michelle Rhee cheerily said she likes doing all the laundry and packing her husband's lunch. A few women – Sheryl Sandberg, Oprah, Katie Couric – proudly staked feminist ground, with Sandberg saying men need to pitch in at home, and Oprah declaring:
"You've got to beat the drum loudly. Nobody listens to you if you go quietly into the night.""You've got to beat the drum loudly. Nobody listens to you if you go quietly into the night."
But others lamented the state of modern feminism, noting the lack of feminist action and saying women now won't care about their rights until those rights are gone.But others lamented the state of modern feminism, noting the lack of feminist action and saying women now won't care about their rights until those rights are gone.
There was a sole young feminist face, the wonderful organizer Shelby Knox. Shelby does incredible work and I'm glad she was included. But she's far from the only young feminist in the game, as Shelby herself regularly emphasizes.There was a sole young feminist face, the wonderful organizer Shelby Knox. Shelby does incredible work and I'm glad she was included. But she's far from the only young feminist in the game, as Shelby herself regularly emphasizes.
Oh, here's the, "let's shame young women" section of #makerschat. WHERE ARE THE YOUNG FEMINISTS? Right here: pinterest.com/shelbyknox/fem…Oh, here's the, "let's shame young women" section of #makerschat. WHERE ARE THE YOUNG FEMINISTS? Right here: pinterest.com/shelbyknox/fem…
While young feminists may not be taking over Fifth Avenue or the offices of Ladies' Home Journal, we are taking over the internet (and, by the way, we have taken over more than a few streets in our day). It's nearly impossible to go on a liberal-minded blog and be more than a click or two away from a dedicated feminist one.While young feminists may not be taking over Fifth Avenue or the offices of Ladies' Home Journal, we are taking over the internet (and, by the way, we have taken over more than a few streets in our day). It's nearly impossible to go on a liberal-minded blog and be more than a click or two away from a dedicated feminist one.
Feminism has so infiltrated the women's internet that I'm hard-pressed to think of a women's website – the kind of online properties that have largely replaced traditional women's print magazines – that doesn't have both a strong undercurrent of feminism and at least one explicitly feminist writer on staff. Many of the top blogs – Buzzfeed, Mashable, Jezebel, Gawker, Boing Boing – regularly include feminist content and employ feminist writers. Hundreds of thousands of smaller ones also feature feminist thought.Feminism has so infiltrated the women's internet that I'm hard-pressed to think of a women's website – the kind of online properties that have largely replaced traditional women's print magazines – that doesn't have both a strong undercurrent of feminism and at least one explicitly feminist writer on staff. Many of the top blogs – Buzzfeed, Mashable, Jezebel, Gawker, Boing Boing – regularly include feminist content and employ feminist writers. Hundreds of thousands of smaller ones also feature feminist thought.
Seriously, I can think of about 50 young feminist writers whose work has DRAMATICALLY influenced the narrative in America.Seriously, I can think of about 50 young feminist writers whose work has DRAMATICALLY influenced the narrative in America.
Feminism online is entirely normalized. It's pervasive. A generation of young women are growing up with feminism as the default in women's online spaces, and explicitly feminist blogs and communities at their fingertips.Feminism online is entirely normalized. It's pervasive. A generation of young women are growing up with feminism as the default in women's online spaces, and explicitly feminist blogs and communities at their fingertips.
That's a revolution. Computer screens and typing fingers don't make the most compelling documentary imagery. But as it turns out, they do change a lot of minds. Women online are beating the feminist drum, and loudly. And it's helping to carry feminism forward.That's a revolution. Computer screens and typing fingers don't make the most compelling documentary imagery. But as it turns out, they do change a lot of minds. Women online are beating the feminist drum, and loudly. And it's helping to carry feminism forward.
If PBS were to make another documentary focused exclusively on modern feminists, who would you want them to include? Use the comments to share the names of women who are making women's issues a public priority today – online, in politics or in corporations.

Are there writers you particularly admire? Activists you see making headway? Who are the women you think should be acknowledged?

We'll collect and feature your responses in a piece on the Guardian

If PBS were to make another documentary focused exclusively on modern feminists, who would you want them to include? Use the comments to share the names of women who are making women's issues a public priority today – online, in politics or in corporations.

Are there writers you particularly admire? Activists you see making headway? Who are the women you think should be acknowledged?

We'll collect and feature your responses in a piece on the Guardian

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