Hello this is Virginia Swain magine Wister in the world today I have
a what's your native who has gone into the world in
a very unusual way let's start with Lister Erika welcome welcome to my show.
Thank you for having me Virginia so tell us what you did in Wester before you left
to go into the war oh well let's see out you know it was
a list of at least here I graduated college and what did my badges degree in
New York City in your technology and then I was
a teacher in was to public schools for six years and taught high school English my
son level twelve years for six years and I knew you when you were doing
that I because I was a Bronco high school appointed by the turn in general of S.
Use this as a mediator and you were
a former peer mediator trained by that same program and so we became friends and
learned a lot about I learned
a lot about you and your hopes and dreams and now I see them coming true inner
let's go very exciting tell us how it all started that you and it up changing your
career from being a Western public school teacher to
a broadcast journalist. Well I think we met. Say two thousand and three and you
have a record Nadir and I remember my classroom was. I saw you and there was still
a poster I think of us that purely back. In the ninety's when I was at Burma and I
might hold hearings to be
a peer mediator and that's how we connected to mediation was always referring
students to you to be. A ping mediator or to be on the other side of.
A situation peacefully so I enjoyed that and I enjoyed being
a teacher I really loved teenagers and I still do I think they're. By. People who
are in a constant work in progress so enjoy my career as
a teacher but I also realise that at some point. From my own professional
growth I was becoming
a bit stagnant and I knew I didn't want to be the teacher who didn't want to be
there and it was time to give up my seat to the net young person or old person or
whoever wanted to come in and and be teachers I think it's teachers are in
a position to. Really challenge the way
a person thinks so I think you know their value not in the country and in the world
so I thought if the passion wasn't there for me to do it it was it was time. So I
wanted to change my career and after teaching her six years and working it was just
a very diverse population with students from
a wide range of social economic backgrounds I had a
a wealth of his stories from students and how they grew up with experiences as.
I wanted to tell I wanted to tell the world stories of how people live
and I realized you know I never went to school to be teacher to begin with I went
to school to be
a black nationalist and I never did it I never did it so at certain points time
I said you know I have nothing to lose. So I quit I
quit my nice salary a young woman and I had a nice car
a nice you know I was comfortable I didn't have to do anything that I'm doing now
and have to do it but I chose to challenge myself and take myself out of my comfort
zone and go after
a career of telling stories of how people live across the world and rushing
there when I was given
a program with the United Nations you came and brought us. With your team from your
school it was fascinating to watch you to watch your brain America and to see in
this other side of you and since then you've gone to Guyana to work for
a television show tell us about how that happened then and you were there about
here right and you were. In each of the news so you were on the
web all the Charmin up to your album. Well first I'll backtrack
a little bit I it was easy it's easy to say just jumped into journalism and I
didn't because when I was looking at jobs I realized I don't have any of this
experience they were looking for in terms of qualifications and that's the power of
education is that the doors are always open and you can always go back and that's
what I did so I went back to school and I got my masters in broadcast journalism
and while I was in school in New York City back to my alma mater. New York
Institute of Technology I had internships and really tried to broaden my experience
because a graduate degrees is not that long you know I didn't hear and
a half so I really had to broaden my experiences and get as many internships
qualifications in
a short amount of time so I could be marketable at the time of graduation so while
I was in school you know we connected at the U.N.
I think twice one time I reported for you with your timing attend your conference
and I just really it's a dream to even. Step foot in the U.N.
Especially you know you consider yourself
a global citizen as both of us do so meant to have
a second opportunity to report there was great I asked my professors if I could
take a camera man
a sound person with me and it was great to me to really have that experience and
use my practical skills that I learned at school and actually put them into
a professional place so it was
a great experience to be in that general assembly and just the whole day was was
really really good I think maybe your semester or I did that with you. Until you
Bacha who a bit more maybe a year and
a half ago while I was in school I realized that if I wanted to be cutting edge and
if I want to. Really challenge myself I really had to have something solid on my
resume that would make me stand out other people that were have
a sync career aspirations so natively my parents are from Guyana West Africa and we
had
a family that was connected and I connected with family that knew. The head of
a company called A.T.V. Donna it was a brand new T.V.
Station. Calls and I asked if I could be there as an intern for
a month in child out so I went for
a month and it was college credit and it was great to take everything I learned in
New York City and bring it to to Africa and I practiced as
a journalist as an intern for
a month and I was at the end of the month I was asked if I would like to come back
in work as
a full time employee upon my graduation so I really took some time to think about
it and I spoke with my mentors at Fox News Net and B C N They both said you go you
have nothing to lose so you know what why not and they said that's going to give
you an edge and have you know great experience and go ahead so I left I packed
and left I think that's
a habit of my. I pack and leave but I packed and I left and I would was
working as a broadcast journalist in Africa for
a year and it was an interesting experience to say the least. End
of this show will have
a segment of one of your broadcasts so in our viewers can see how you what you saw
in summer and some of the situation but. I want to backtrack
a little and ask you what you would say to your English students now you are.
Don what you've done. Here made by Mr So are your students. Are in
code and we were talking. Sure and I see them
all the time the sample that I'm still in communication with in
a funny story is when I was in. My internship I was walking through security on my
way back at the airport in Qana and I'm walking you know about to board my flight
and I hear Miss A C.
So it is
a small world indeed because I saw two students at the airport. And we were on the
same flight yeah there were two students from
a technical high school so it is yeah you are
a teacher for life. So. If I could say anything to
inspire them I would say one is to. Dream big
dream big and whatever your big dream is multiply it times one hundred and make
it bigger and go after it and know that you are only on this planet one time
you're on this planet one time to do it big soldiering really really really really
instead of being the nurse to be the nurse practitioner and be the doctor said of
being a paralegal and being
a legal secretary be the lawyer then run your own law form big as biggest possible
go after it and secondly. I would say is challenge yourself
especially after high school take yourself comfort zone was there will always be
here and if you leave and come back everything will probably be just the same. So
dream big and take yourself out of your comfort zone to really challenge yourself
and I think that builds character because you can dream big and if you go to places
Robert resources are laid out for you it makes it easy but when I was in Africa I
mean I had my struggles daily I mean even within the forced oppressed forty eight
hours I wanted to come back. So whatever whatever your dream is imagine doing it in
a third world country and ask yourself how bad you really want to see James Bacon
take yourself out of your comfort zone. You are in big right now and you've just
been accepted embracing national broadcast America and Western.
TIME Tell us about. Well I won't divulge all the details yet but I am. Relocating
packing up and moving again journalists go back to the city and I'll
be with and. I will just. Stay tuned. This is very
exciting I know you have an even bigger aspiration which you want to send but your
biggest one yeah yeah
ultimately I use fire to be. In I'm in I think I'm in the process of doing as an
international. News journalist but I don't always want to cover
the crisis it's especially in Africa it's actually that's the easiest thing to do
and it's I think media often portrays
a negative stereotypical side of Africa and I'm not going to say that those things
aren't true you know it's a lot of
a lot of that is true but in order to challenge yourself to find the good
especially when you're working in a place where there are there are
a lot of setbacks. I haven't traveled all over the world but I think probably one
of the most two of the most difficult places to be a woman and
a journalist probably an African
a Middle East like who chooses by choice to go to these you know these places to
I think as
a woman. It's really difficult to to gain suspect in not be just the pretty face
you know I changed not in only public speaking and writing and directing but I KNOW
HOW TO DO care work and she's doing I can do and in it's difficult to. Be amongst
it's a it's
a man's business especially in Africa so to tell him in. My own camera or
you know there that they're there they're
a bit taken aback and. Want to coddle you
a bit so it you really have to take
a stand and show that you know how to do your work even as a woman that you're not
a pretty girl. And really step stand up for yourself but you also have to realize
there's
a cultural barrier barriers and differences in how women are perceived in America.
You want to be
a strong independent woman that's the model you stand at the right so he tells you
you know makes you feel bad. For her. In other countries it's almost being
a strong independent woman can kind of hold you back if you come off too
strong because there is they're not used to that they can you know they can be the
role of women I think is different especially in Media Inc and I found that
you'll see women presenting the news as as anchors
a test but you don't see as many women out in the field you know. Just
interviewing getting the work done caring you don't see as many women doing that so
even at times of engineering you know various government officials as when they see
me I felt like the seriously.
One of your favorite stories that you covered perhaps introduce us to the one we're
going to show right now after we finish. My personal favorite is that one I did in
think I did in the beginning of March or so I was right in the middle of the
conflict in Libya so this story was on the county and government actually going
to get the native country and citizens from Libya and bring them back in those
a big controversy because it was all so fast and they wanted them to be safe that
safe upon their return but some of these canyons they'd left you know fifteen
twenty twenty five years ago and had been strange from their family and now they're
told by the Chinese government you have to come back the not. You know things
things are very hot in Libya at that time and they could they came back and it just
wasn't organized people have left their belongings their complaints at the
government wasn't helping them reconnect with their family some were just coming
with clothes in their bags never left the light so there was all the I believe the
government had good intentions but upon their return there was a lot
a lot of chaos and then also. Want to be back I mean they were in Libya making
money do you know or in other various industries they're now they're back in Guyana
they haven't been there in years. Now what So personally I think that that's my
personal best and night I enjoyed the challenge of doing it every story you see
that you're showing your program with someone in Libya or another one you choose to
show Mind you I'm working in one hundred twenty degree weather every single day.
Everything by ten am It's about one hundred ten one hundred twenty degrees and
humid and hot and this ship probably the one from Libya they were in
a big park called. Five hundred people there that day when I went into the ground
and they hadn't showered and it stunk. You know and that's what I mean you know
taking yourself at your comfort zone and you never know and always raw.
Ain't it working in that whether it was it was really challenging and if you
enjoy that one much it you know it's going to be wonderful for our viewers see
another side of you know you Erica because many many people here know you have got
this they're going to community here Mr. I don't have an exact number but I think
it's it's pretty huge even when I grew up here in western early ninety's I remember
going to college in New York and coming back and realize wow Conor really has
a huge community and huge base here now I see so many little stories that that were
here before and gone you know homeownership and entrepreneurship so I think we're
still has a very vibrant. Community and I'm
a fresh generation and so yeah I'm very happy to be
a part of it well America will watch you with great interest to watch your career
with great interest and we'll stop now because we want to show this clear. But
please come back again when you're rich in payments and tell us about your travels
and where we're really curious to see where you're where you go because one thing
that really sticks out in my mind about. Your courage. When you dream big you have
to have
a lot of courage to go in and you have. So and thank you so much for being on so
it's
a very well we'll look forward to seeing the court Thank you Erica I know and being
seen and thank you Michel you know and it's been
a pleasure knowing you for all these years and having the opportunity to see my
growth and you know have the pings that come full circle going to part of this
journey with me so thank you thank you very much.
Madge and western and well this government signed this makeshift cardboard sign
indicates the severity of this issue but yet the quality of the science shows us
how seriously the A.M.A.
Is taking on this issue keep it clean and tidy is obviously not what you see here
now what are the possible health implications with cholera spreading rampaging
gonna shoot hawkers on the road is so commonplace that after April first Their
absence is really going to be felt perhaps the A.M.A.
Is overlooking the huge economic factor in imposing this new policy not only is
there no running water in the toilets but also here in the showers take
a look completely dry nothing and this is the same
place where women are having their babies. More guardians are arriving from Libya
and they are expressing their disappointment with
a gun in government although the administration has evacuated over thirteen hundred
national since the crisis in Libya began they say they are being abandoned by the
government upon their arrival I think from that from from our journey to Tunis we
stood up. The day before yesterday we live our lives just to get off right back to
our country because Libya is the report they were shooting must throw
a bomb here and I will manage to cross through. This bada who
stood up to the whole night there was no water for us to ask what our food always
just had like your hunger but waiting in lines with excessive heat and no food
these nationals are famished and dismayed at the lack of organizational structure
in trying to reintegrate back into the no this is
a certain someone for us does which isn't and as in the. Box Now
behind me is
a fifth batch of Ghanians to arrive from Libya and they say they were forced to
sleep outside here in the park last night they also say their belongings are
scattered and marked and that the majority of their assistance has come from the
U.N.
And not from the Gandhian government and it's not gonna get our government that brought
us here is the you and the sympathizers So that is this is crucial you know the
process of organizing the last minute belongings at the Gunney in workers could
take with them from Libya is
a tenuous task now we weren't going to government to have the messy and sympathy to
go and bring our blood but has done us still. So we can all be cured up to get up
so that is what I am to get our government to do for us reporting for each T.V.
News I'm Erica.
Ghana's fifty fourth independence celebration is under threat of being distracted
by following in cremation why demonstrations by teachers hundreds of teachers
protest Ed now ha in literally sacked the competing students out of the hall I
think maybe it's good for them because the children and you have to take care of
their wife and children the ranch and all the stuff so if you are looking down I
don't really know how we are going to solve right but now all of the students were
in favor of their aggressive approach to so we should get out so even though
because that the teacher we all know what we are come to do so she got out some of
the also use kids on ours so we ran away from home dressed in black and red to show
their solidarity teachers protested against the single spined salary structure in
which they say is unjust today we are get this something less less less we are
worse off we can't even articulate our children we can't feed our families we can't
even do anything and then
a truck and it doesn't lock in the society you know everybody's working out the
teacher we want we are producing the meat of this country if I got. A good work
that I was there for more than ten years it took you four hundred fifty four point
five million dollars and the police constable we are now making
a comparison police constable we want we have decided to make the comparison
because
a police constable is seconds seven hundred fifty one to seven point five million
who you really see the target there you think you just don't have a case we have
a case of the teachers threaten to interrupt traditions of the six March
Independence Day Parade by not showing up at their schoolchildren this Sunday we
are not going to this is will not change opposition. Although the police made their
presence there were no arrests made and the mob of teachers escorted them out and
away. The teachers here today are passionate and they
are angry and they are saying they are not going to support Independence Day parade
they will not support the government until they see some type of change.
That's
a bold to say. We have. You with us thank you very much
for joining us. And we just saw your story. And how did you come
so why do you think I thought it was necessary because as
a voice of the young people in Ghana in terms of their education I think sometimes
culture can be people to believe that young people don't have
a voice and that they're to be seen and heard and these are growing adults who have
choices and opinions and I think their voice in regard to education was
a concern this is. A mansion Wester in the world today and greeting more people
normal to you on my show but now I. Know it's not a new day because we have
a women's history project
a special program the women's oral history and. The
women are women one hundred sixty years after the first national women's rights
mentioned by Charlene Martin Maureen Ryan Doyle so. OK So
first of all Charlene tell us about yourself and how you ended up writing
a book Voices of western women. Well I guess it goes back to.
History Project. Beyond the steering committee along with Maureen. Linda Rose
someone asked us to co-chair the oral history project
a few years ago so I believe we came to the mutual conclusion after reading many
many of the oral histories that are part of the project that these stories really
needed to be more accessible to our Wister community we do have
a repository of all of the. Harvard but not too many people going to drive down to
Cambridge to read through them so we thought that putting them in
a book format was excerpts from various women's stories with the project to work on
together and.
I also would like to add that many of these oral histories are available on our
website so if someone wanted to transfer. Or.
So you have divided this book and the oral histories into poor areas right tell us
about the areas and why you did. Well originally the
project was formed to commemorate the fifty convention that was held here in the
first national women's rights convention so the issues of that. That were discussed
by men and women of the time were. Education or health and politics or
community involvement so we decided that that would be
a good place to start we did the chapters according to those four main issues that
were discussed in eight hundred fifty and we wanted to show how some of the issues
may be the same how things have changed in that time and we decided to add
a fifth chapter to crowd uniquely Wister remembrances and we did that because
almost every woman included some story about growing up in Wister or their life so
we decided to include
a fifth chapter and more in Missouri name that you found it was the
overarching theme of all the women. That you could talk about.
And I think. One of the themes was that when that every every story read
was compelling and what was very difficult as was choosing
We have two hundred fifty stories so that was very difficult very very but each
story has just died interesting another common lies
the whole facts of balancing life and I think women have. This valid
problem since time began and we saw them just about their story trying to find time
for personal life trying to on time for family. Time for year and I think these
are issues that everyone.
Could buy this book but the book can be purchased on the Amazon
site we also have our own blog that has further information about the book and how
to buy the book. At voices of wisdom Women dot blogspot dot com So you're
much more about the book about the project you hold it up.
And the cover design is by my niece We believe strongly in
supporting women of all as much as we possibly can so she's
a graphic designer so we gave her an opportunity to design the cover names Briana
Well the conversation bubbles are to depict to depict women's
voices and what they have to say she quote some of the occupations of the women
that are included in here such as caregiver teacher mother lawyer artist
we have many many different kinds of women in the book we have nuns we have priests
we do yes it's
a very interesting story. Twenty seven years. She felt.
That she was ministering. She loves her job and she even
talks about how difficult it is to find clergy. That will fit her correctly the
clothes because clothes are not really making her feel priest.
And that most of the room you interview have a calming
a calming I think I don't know if they necessarily chart
that way I think to us when we hear it and read it it can come across that way
whether it's an occupation or talking about raising children and I think that
hundred sent not more than one hundred percent. And like Maureen said it's often
not just one thing that they're doing they're balancing many things. Mother
caregiving volunteering so I think that it has to be
a calling of some sort. That much and with them.
Both attend the two thousand conference.
OK I happen to have. I actually went and I just loved it
and more about that. But it was very important for women I think and Western to
know about our history here and to have. Others.
As well. And our history.
And I think. History proud of and I think sometimes might have
a bit of a complex Boston but if you delve into the history of Western We have
a lot to be proud and I think that's part of what we're hoping to bring forth with
this and I think that when you talk to friends and have the land you'll find
out
a lot about that woman two thousand conference and why they put it together and how
we're marking history and the importance of history and and I think that we're all
history project started that way too so that we can be into document current day
history perfusion historians but I think Maureen and I feel that this book. And the
oral history. Community there are other women's stories that we're developing
community that we cannot identify with something in you know almost any story that
we read and even if our lives aren't similar to the women that we're reading about
there's often
a challenge that we can if my hero or that inspires us I think that the oral
history project in this book does
a pretty good job community I'm sure the names who are here
tonight. Who should be named. And I want. To know if
you want to name them. I think Maureen and I
are very appreciative and thankful of all the support that the main organization
that was storm's history project has given us the past president the current
president Heather Lynn Healey I have been very very supportive of the oral history
project and our work on it and I think we'd also want to thank our own oral history
project committee very very much because they've been great about supporting us in
this book project on the spot I named them I'm sure to forget some
one. Are Well Arlene Vade I'm Gina
Edmonds.
Stephanie your Judy ask Nancy Johnson was the one that was
escaping me OK Lisa is no longer part of the oral history project but thank you for
mentioning her because Lisa was
a big prop part of starting the oral history project and setting us in
a way that we says a true oral historian who is a professor it was just
a university and she was a big help and might be able to fill you in
a little bit more on the start start of that when she was of such help to us.
It's been wonderful to see that media is reflecting this credit which is you know
the interview. You had and great interviews and I look forward to
attending this event tonight will be will be filming it so we'll see what's
happening in listen to you and want to thank you I know you have to get ready but
we still have. To interview so thank you so much and we'll look forward to later
thank you for coming so we appreciate it very much thank you so much.
Well so now you have Linda Rosen one Linda hi Linda someone I've known for many
years and I'm so thrilled that you're on the show now and can talk about the
history project started with
a woman's wish for Mr Blodgett please. OK well.
History Project as we know it was founded by
a small group of women in one thousand nine hundred more. And each year or maybe
every two or three years the steering committee meets and reviews what has been
done and what can be done in the future to really sustain the project in the county
and staying
a resource for the city list or so back in that two thousand hole where the
steering committee started to wonder what can be done next and the group.
Decided that an oral history project which really fit into the mission of
documenting the contributions was one. So we decided to
do the fundraiser and the year two thousand was very well attended and joined Union
Station and that provided seat money to how year and that actually
a professional consultant and that was when you say Chris I think there's
a history professor at Worcester State at that time college university and Lisa was
instrumental in preparing the project in organizing it in
a professional way because people think that
a lot of people think and I was one of those people that thought will how hard can
speak just go out and interview people document it and then you're on your way but
you actually need Hoyt if you opt her hamburgers you need. Consent forms indeed of
gifts and all those things that people really don't think about so that we can use
the words for future programming and such as this book.
You have been guiding this project since for almost ten years
well it started in two thousand and five I was a past present. And Sister
a project so when when I was that president I think that was from two thousand and
three two thousand and five that's when it was decided to undertake the oral
history project and from there I became chair of the world history and I
did that about two years and then
a stroke of fortune Marini Sherrilyn joined steering committee and the
project at that time and I still sit on committing. They're there guiding the
project and other things that you found in the oral history of the interview is
that important for you to mention. In and maybe it goes that you why you won
what was important. Well as I mentioned in the
preface of the book are the forward warming and Shailene have asked me to write
that so when I started to reply I really why I thought this was important I was
brought back to my my grandmother my great grandmother on my mother's side and my
great grandmother had emigrated from Italy at the turn the century and she did not
read or write so when I got involved with genealogy going I realized I'm not going
to be one of those people and I could never find a journal or
a diet so I believe strongly in the oral tradition and this
project was developed with the idea that we're not interested in only as of woman
I doing wonderful public things in the community where also interested in the
ordinary people the people that I often think why do you want to talk to me I don't
really have anything to share as we know that's not true they're balancing their
work at their home their families very often they're activists in their
community and then oftentimes they look lose that whole community together and I
think God as Maureen had stated before with her has watched her window and many
people don't know that they don't know the history. Of the city they don't know
that it was a hotbed of reform in the eighteen to you we have
a lot of the crowd up here and we begin to new I mean we have many many immigrants
that have to make Wester their home and we try to document that Hodge act as wow
that's great I know that you have
a role to play tonight that you have to get ready so I suppose that thank you so
much for this personal interview and we'll be down to listen to you and just film
thank you we really really important
now I'm dreaming Heather lives Haley who is the president of the Women's was your.
Among many and many other Nancy but today we're talking about that and Heather do
you prefer to the listener or just have Heather please tell us more about the goals
of the of the project and and some of the things that you're working on at the
present time. Thank you as in you know as you heard already listening to people
talk about the oral history project that's one of our large and should haves right
now and we are still building the oral history project we have
a higher education collaborative that's part of the project and Linda was modest in
describing her role in putting this together it's really very complex the way that
they collect the histories by working with different colleges and professors at
different teaching your different courses use the oral history project as an
assignment for their students to give them the opportunity to collect First the end
information and then those interviews are shared with us and added to our
collection so all those people are using a common set of West so there's
a pretty active committee as they described that works on that initiative in the
past we've done other projects for example have you been to mechanic song Yes
You know so if you go to make your next haul it looks like your ordinary hall with
lots of giant oil paintings of rich and famous people but it's not just men there
were women up there as well who are very influential in the way that shaping the
way that we live today and that's something that was an initiative of the will
store women's history project to raise the funds and commission the artists to
create works of art that were of comparable. Value to the ones that were already up
there and then high quality artwork. We've also put plaques on various
buildings to help people know about the history as it relates to women's rights in
western and there is
a trail guide that we also have put together that shows us
a few different walking paths around the city and highlighting historically
significant homes and buildings that were relevant to the story of women's rights
around eating fish so those are Several of the different things we've done in the
past we do outreach now locally at the start on the street festivals in the spring
in the hall you'll often find us on the common during the summer on Fridays at the
city's concert series we often set up
a table where we offer free quelling which is an interactive activity that we do
with kids all over the city to help them learn a skill that's easy to do and has
a store meaning to it and it's easy to do and it's easily transferred and you
can use recycled materials and so I think that's one of the places where people see
us in the community now as at those events and while where showing the kids the
arts and crafts we're also educating the families about the history of Western
sharing some of the materials that we've developed over time we also sponsor
a play about Abbey Kelly star called Yours for Humanity Abbey where we sponsor
a wonderful actress named Lynn McCann the light at. Several of our past during
committee members wrote the play based on texts written by Abby in letters back and
forth with her daughter. As she was traveling the country writing her women's right
. OK Abby Kelly Foster
is one of our local heroes you may know there's
a school named after her so many people have heard of her because of the Abby Kelly
Foster school but they're not really sure what she did and why the name to school
after her Abby Kelly Foster was around in the eight hundred fifty S.
When people were fighting for women's right to vote it was also
a time where they were fighting for the rights of African Americans and so she was
involved with both of those movements she was very active she was vocal and she was
not afraid she would stand and speak her mind and tell people what she thought was
right or not right and try to make
a difference so that there would be equality for all people regardless of age or
gender or race and so she was really a pioneer at
a time when women weren't allowed to speak publicly she went out spoke publicly and
she got
a lot of flak for it people yelled at her for us speaking in front of her promiscuity
audience which at the time meant the crowd that was men and women together in the
same crowd that was something that was frowned upon in those days she was kicked
out of
a church in Connecticut for spreading her. And it was she
was really causing
a ruckus and she's actually going back Abbi our actress is going back to that same
church in Connecticut next year and going to give the play for the congregation
there and talk about how things have changed since the end of slavery I do not
remember the name of the town but you'll be able to find out on our Web page we
have a very active web presence we have
a Facebook page also but if you go to our website which is W W H P dot org which
stands for Wester Women's History Project W W H B. You'll find that you can
access documents for almost all of what happened in eight hundred fifty at the
National First National Women's Rights Convention held here in WA star we have
transcripts of what everyone said so if you want to read Abby's speech you can we
have many other support and documents we have curriculum packets for use in the
schools. We have access to all the oral histories so you can read
those some of the oral histories were actually conducted through Holy Cross and
there Jeff studies department with people who are deaf and so I believe you can
watch the video of the interviews being done in sign language and then students
translated from the sign language into English so kinds and the stuff on the web
page that you can see so we really welcome you to go and learn more about our
organization we have and events committee that's pretty active we sponsor oral
history workshops for the community as well as those tables out of the events that
I told you about earlier and we also sponsor of reading by local women
voters which used to happen every February and we're moving it to March this year
in celebration of Women's History Month which is in March and so you'll find
details about that on our Web page as well we have really interesting authors lined
up for the twenty twelve version. You can probably spoken one you know.
Who the founders it was
a small group of people the founded the women's western and I want to know their
name. The Western women's history project I can tell you it began with
Lisa Connelly cook who was
a student Clark and she read in the textbook that the First National Women's Rights
Convention was held in Worcester in eight hundred fifty and she was amazed she grew
up in western was
a history then how could she not have known that and she decided that there really
should be an organization that spread the word so that other people would know that
this was part of Wall Street's history and she worked together with
a really dynamic amazing group of women I was not involved at that time and
so I don't know that I could list all of them you can go on the website and read
all about the history of the organization that cell and many of the names that
you'll see there are people that you all know from other community groups I think
are steering committee at various times has included faculty from most if not all
of the local colleges several of the local nonprofit and social service agencies.
I believe Linda Kavli Ollie from the Why don't you see
a was involved at the founding as was Judy Kerr who's now the Boys and
Girls Club So you were you may know some of them
I was actually at the weekend it was
a wonderful weekend and I do know these are very well Mr CONWAY amazing woman I
want to thank you so much. Lynn Haley or coming to the show today and or
being the the guiding light for this group right now it's been wonderful presence
in Western and we look forward to seeing you downstairs at the time. Yes I can't
wait it's such an interesting book I haven't even finished it yet I just got my
copy that it's terrific if you haven't got your car yet you can go to Amazon or to
the blogs what voices of western women dot blogspot dot com pretty sure was
sure thank you thanks. I am Good afternoon my name is Atlanta and
Rose is
a month out of bed Bob with the wrist ones history project for quite some time of
the founding share of the oral history project that I it brings me great pride to
be here tonight to introduce Charlie Martin army rank and to while I first of all
I'd like to welcome Jodi had
a yarn mayor lack that in the back room thank you. Thank
. You it will take me I have many many minutes to write introduce I'll have to be
pulled out and working out right now all of you have been tremendous support there
is
a lot of this is for your project and we're very thankful I for your support your friendship
and your commitment I do want to call attention and I do say Winehouse president of
the Women's History Project here friendly and so.
Thank. You every president
I have a little
a lesions in the back of the room to beyond Mayor thank you
thank you Ira welcome the representative of the mass culture zero zero zero
Thank you so where I live as this will be tonight and we are here
tonight to celebrate the birth of our children Markel love then work research the
oral history transcripts of women who were interviewed as hired by the Western
woman's oral history project and compiled the historic service into
a body showing Maureen had given some of the Massachusetts
a wonderful get together these stories underlining the importance of preserving
memories as well as providing a glimpse into the voices of
a community and it plainly spoke in terms. Shalimar reading and I share
a special bond through our Assumption College connection where we are
a long name where work at the college you know is funded scammers and Challis had
that employed as
a work study student from Armenia in the seventy's and the public relations office
I was
a work study student for Charlene's and they continually get on this on the ninety
days. So instead of using my own words to introduce tonight's Shot there is
a guy that I would go back to their own friends friends and they were interviewed
back in two thousand and eight and they wish to humble to include those in the book
so I arrived at that spot here with
a. Higher bar reading writing and oil graduated from
a Sunday college and was the first class woman is an entrepreneur our own your own
freelance writing business and property management company. So those were my
words they use and they are. Seldom are reasons Well perhaps I should speak to my
experience as
a first class of women at assumption that was kind of an interesting time in
general to be in college there are similarities to life you are always Syria and
saying because of the backdrop of the current war of the Vietnam War with this land
I was in college there was a difference and that we had
a draft so there was tension circling around the campus and in terms of being
a woman the first class of women as we arrived time have been sweet were greeted by
him for class and then because they were all the man they were offering each of us
a red rose now that would never happen today. And I'm sure in
a way it seems so little focus on the area sure but it was very sweet.
I never freelance writing business. I write any of the customers I do work for
non-profits I do work for construction company inside to work for architectural
companies I work in charge and stowing newsletter is fairly sure is that type of
thing and with the property management I own several properties and I manage those
from pretty spread sense that there was never
a problem in question and I'm the person who would rate against whatever needs to
be done. One bonus is that instead of
a constant balance both businesses and also in family life because it's always
a juggling act and it is for everybody and there's no instruction manual on how to
do it and you know if you have
a deadline and have to consent but the chicken fights you have to find balance they
are doubling down saying by keeping
a happy home life and realizing this is life and lace not
a destination but ensuring. Charlene long environ spent most of her
professional career as an assumption in the continuing education department and
after filling
a series of positions she became dean of the program she developed the first on
line courses for the college and she founded the Wistar Institute Senior and
education known as flies. And her words she said I decided
a couple of years ago that I was approaching fifty that because I spent my whole
professional life that assumption and then it was time to do something different
and if I was going to do it I don't know it seems
a great time to do it but I still loved I actually I always loved my job there was
no reason I had to leave but it felt like the right time to be challenged in the
new way when I left
a subject and I decided to open my own business and I need to take seriously I do
more well while I college have Finder's retirement innovations so I still need to
work for the older and educational programs and that kind of things I do some an
iris or baby boomers were approaching. Retirement and so way to be
different for baby boomers today because of my maturity will load much longer now
than
a couple of generations ago so I did and fabric retired say sixty or sixty five you
could conceivably have another thirty years to look forward to. Share also says I
think for me success is being challenged. Why I'm doing it it's one of the
challenge of doing something interesting and helping someone else and I always felt
about education while working at assumption that I was helping adult students get
their livestock not tracked and retooled to get
a new career and then later when the older students I really felt like I was making
a difference in the land out there why. They would tell me things like I don't know
what I would be doing if I didn't have wives to share some for me it was to be able
to find her something to her that you follow me and how people and that's what I
like to do. So please join me and give me
a warm welcome to Charlayne and my. Thank
you. Thank You letter but there's very high coming. Over the past year
it happens Charlotte and I have been researching and writing this book one of the
most frequently asked question that we've been down for it why write
a book you've got to live with when. Closing answers are really and completely we
need to delve this into the history of the women's men and to the history of
western South. In the nineteenth century Wister was
a hotbed of religious and political activity abolitionists and those were really
the temperance and spoke regularly from the podium here in the city. When did not
have those and as
a result had little boys and will control over their lives and their desk things.
Yet it wasn't muster that the First National Women's Rights Convention was held in
eighteen that. This was the very first organized national college to action.
Attendance was estimated at over. One thousand people including delegations from
many states and southern European countries. The final resolution of the convention
called for equality before the law without distinction that were coming.
Despite controversy outraged by critics and the little led by
a poet and organized movement for women's rights began its long struggle and it
began right here money's free and grimly hot. In October of two thousand and that
was Do women's history project held
a national three day conference to commemorate the one hundred and fifty and
adverse trade of that convention. It was decided where we should continue to raise
awareness of the convention and
a good strategic role in the history of women's rights. Then in two thousand and
five that was to women's work history crackers began reporting and document in the
lives of ordinary women and women whose voices may have previously been left out of
this historical record we had always P.C.T.
Invaluable assistance for
a local college student to conduct and transcribe oral histories from coursework
and turn their files over to over age hey. We now have over two hundred and fifty
world histories of what's your area women are permanent from house Tory left in
your library on the history of women in America and it had Mr Bradley Institute at
Harvard University. So why did we write this book. Because it
is our contention that one way to build
a community is by sharing stories and in this case women's stories. We know
gratitude to them then women from the eighteenth to the convention to five the
continent who already have their age and vision and new women brighter world of
equality are in today and risk. With this in mind the first four chapters of
our book reflash the four major themes that emerge from that eight hundred fifty to
get. Education work health policy and community involvement
there is this chapter in title Heatley was tearing down Francis. And worsened the
stories that today's women you may ask yourself how the experience of these women
are like you're around or you love ways are there challenges different white you
think down. How far have we come and how far into the still need to travel.
Thank you.
I know the world historian but I would love to listen to people's stories as
a child I listen to my mother and my eyes stories around the kitchen table as
a sociology major in college I learned about the value of studying different kinds
of groups of people my favorite group study it was always women and when it came to
selecting to treat using I was to just uncommented research or wanted to get
involved interviewing people I chose the latter every time so you can understand
that when I was asked by Linda to co-chair the wizard women's oral history project
a few years ago it was easy for me to say yes I love to study the lives of women
and I guess I'm up to where they are at heart. As I went through the process of
editing the many oral history transcripts collected by the oral history project and
keen to realize that there was not wind and I didn't enjoy reading there was the
line that I just tossed aside saying while they are moments like this boring quite
the opposite. I started. Thinking about writing this book because although you
handwrite to Cambridge and hang around the Schlesinger library hard times and read
all two hundred fifty of ours or his or you can go to our website to read the full
transcript I thought that all would be much more accessible. But it kept getting by
the damn thing about I don't know anything about finding
a publisher and so one day I just woke up and I realized I could just write
a book I just wanted to create
a book of excerpts from these wonderful stories so I started to find an outline of
how to begin when Maureen mentions the point day that she tired of should be
written to and seal the deal we'd be on the project for. The first chapter
gives an overview of four of the wisdom women's history project is all about and
how the oral history project came to be you can read all about it but I want to
tell you that the women of this organization have done
a wonderful job of reminding the people of Western and even beyond was Star that
the First National Women's Rights Convention was held in the city in eighteen fifty
something I never learned and any history book that is an event that wizard can be
proud of and your it is Asian continues to showcase the role of women through
various programs including the oral history project we see the world history
project as
a way to document the lives of today's women are to morrow's historians but it is
a story mentioned also a way to create
a community as we read or listen to these stories we make connections that
I believe is the power of the story we need finally share
a common experience or even in our lives in very different we can find something to
it my own or in mine. When women say for interviewers and they almost always still
why would you want to hear my story we say why wouldn't we. You know we're going to
take going to go backwards tonight between the chapters and share if you will be
excerpts from the first chapter it is education having worked in higher ed for
about thirty years I loved researching the education chapter they open reminds us
how different things work for women and earlier here as women we discouraged from
getting an education and some directors even claim they're pursuing intellectual
activities could physically harm women by the way and even prevent them from having
children the little over one hundred sixty years later we come
a long way and the women's educational opportunities have expanded but even when
college campuses opened up to women we learned that while access did not
necessarily mean equal experience as some of the women I chose to include in this
chapter tells stories of what their elementary school or college experience is what
like others like Donna Connelly can always and
a great I mean Neal are going in because they became teachers counselors or
professors in schools and colleges nor I'm certainly I came was
a teacher and the Japanese internment hand story world works of. Others times about
their experiences as an African-American student an immigrant student and Holder
a student and student. Player mentality very constant share what it was like to be
among the first female professors I formally are male or predominately male college
and. It was difficult to select just sixteen X.
Service of this chapter and it is even more difficult to pick just
a couple just share with you tonight. I'll start with
a woman who didn't feel she had many other options except to become
a teacher she becomes
a powerful force in not only sharing the importance of women's issues within her
own family. But with those students and community. So the first excerpt is about
Linda Miller who was interviewed in two thousand and seven by Katie let me Donald
was
a college of the Holy Cross. My mother came here when she was seventeen from Brazelton
the Army my father mom was I think an amazing woman and she never had
a college education but she was celibate educated she read it for graciously she
had an inquiring mind my father came here from Lebanon when he was silent so his
formative years were spent they are but then you went to junior high and high
school here in Wister you decided to become a doctor so here
a great value for education and my mother did because she didn't have formally so
it was always assumed the three of us would go to college my brother went to
Williams my sister I just met so they set very high standards I was the third I
went to the base College in Lewiston Maine. It was understood that we should all
have
a liberal arts education my parents felt that was very important no matter what you
did afterwards or base wasn't my first choice she laughs to be very honest but I
received
a fine education had babies I met some classmates there were some friends of forty
years later the professors were excellent it was sort of
a sin in my family that you went to college to study to learn so I pretty much kept
my nose to the grindstone I think if I were to do it over again I would have gone
to a bigger university but Bates of the finance Mark college kind say I got
a great education it got me into Harvard Graduate School of Education and then I
retired town twenty seven years total middle school in eighth grade mostly in my
generation and it was going to begin to change soon after women to have all the
options they have now I didn't have all the options right I wanted to be
a racist to be nurses but we didn't want to do that. So I initially we both became
teachers and she went on to publish from there and I read
a teacher. When I first got into teaching the women's liberation movement had just
begun very pretty I had just written The Feminine Mystique and so I got into this
well I went to the library to get my son some books and I found books that said men
are pilots women are stories. Men are doctors women are nurses that is very
blatant sexism all at once the whole the library and found those sparks and I
raised the issue with the librarians at the same time to point those out. Even
though I did have
a daughter it was important to me to show the girls to do anything and it was never
suggested to me that I could be anything else by a nurse or a teacher or possibly
a librarian. Now in my life I see that I have strings that suggest I could have
been other things not that I would have necessarily because I love to teach kids
things such
a learning experience to learn from one students for the most part I have wonderful
students that was until. Another favorite of mine is held the high
I. Was interviewed at the age of seventy seven in two thousand and nine by Lord
Hass was a community volunteer for a project while she was
a graduate student at Simmons College Hill High was born in Germany and was the
first tenured female faculty member at Holy Cross as
a professor of philosophy one nine hundred seventy and saw one thousand nine
hundred nine. And then we came here to wisdom by that time I just had my
third child I thought I would stay home but after three weeks of vast She laughs I
decided I don't think I want to say. And so I kind of tough for
a while but then didn't lead to
a fulltime job so then I went to Holy Cross which is how I ended up in Western I
was the first the interim president College of the Holy Cross to get ten. Well it
crossed my career in one nine hundred seventy two I remember being asked in an
elevator by one of the priests once what did they mean when students eat.
Cereal what. Are some of course I responded cottage cheese and why Chris.
There was
a fear of the presence of women with mean that all sorts of unspeakable things were
turned into on the use of stuff and they were the only mirrors in the bathrooms and
it was very strange. They were absurd and I said so it was she laughs. I mean and I
mean go out on the campaign truth that women are more human beings but essentially
I did I guess because it was very much an old boy now for. A time of course and
philosophy of women nobody would have thought of it before going coed and actually
the people who objected the most were not the faculty but the students it was
a very conservative bunch of students and any talk that those bitches be of course
so I needed ta. And so I got seventy five students and their class which the
majority were women but the women were all freshmen and that except the men in the
class because the women because of their number and because of course it's relevant
to women it's sort of paid down
a position of power while the men went berserk over them. You have to realise this
is something that was going on all over the country at that time I mean this is
late sixty's early seventy's
a lot of this kind of political exploration was going on and so I was only doing
what was happening everywhere else in my own eyes but not in the eyes of the you
know the administration or the students at Holy Cross. I think that nobody expected
women to achieve the level of representation both on the faculty and among the
students their significance and just something that anybody imagine now and I think
that all of the schools that were. Coverage of the time made the decision not
motivated by human rights issues or equality issues but largely by any actual
issues because it increases the will from which you could select students and it
meant that you could get better students but I don't think they understood I don't
think anybody understood the quality of change how is this going to account will be
actually do here I don't think they got it I think our Holy Cross as it happened
everywhere else women young women now more than older women my age have
a sense of entitlement of course the world is going to be there to provide their
needs that wasn't true that it simply didn't enter into anyone's consciousness and
they have to change over time I just don't think that we can relax and say OK we've
done it where they are I mean I think there are a you know women are in
a fairly good place but I also don't want women to just become assimilated I mean
anything that we need to change the world not become part of it the way it is and
we aren't they are that's all the time now Hillary is going to. Read some
selections from her chapter on work. And surely mention one of the most difficult
half sleeve pages choosing which world history to include in cancer or any chapter
and then selecting that there it is to share with you today. In
a chapter on where we see
a gradual and profound elation take place those are other considerations for women
coming of age in the nineteenth there is to the next in the sixty's into their job
opportunities in the fields or same teaching and secretarial work and long many
women Claridge those careers it was evident that you know how their career paths
were closed down. They lived in
a time when the help wanted section of these papers were clearly divided into help
wanted their help and help wanted to now. It's in this chapter contains the stories
of nurses said. Mildred Cummings who states that one of the best decisions of her
entire life has become a nurse we hear it will be on Iraq
a teacher who received her master's degree from Harvard her doctor is
a grand University. We are selling how shares your parents scheme
a motorcycle riding on. Kathleen O'Connor but she sure do ladies side needs to come
in and churning. Feeling the wind whose career leveraged it was your juvenile or it
him who could have assumed ssion of being interviewed by her own daughter. And she
might be there who thought she was going to be
a high school science teacher but found her true kind as
a writer. This is the story of Joe Barton.
I have
a bachelor's Bachelor of Arts in English literature in the outer ornaments I also
have
a downstairs in divinity from religion is illogical seminary. I'm sitting here off
between college and getting my master's degree to quickly find out that
a bachelor's degree doesn't mean as much as he used to. At one point I was
going to marry
a man who was Wednesday and minister. I was going to be in the mysteries of life
and work in Christian fiction. But my car just changed and I sensed
that God was Colleen. Is not the usual thing for
a woman to be a craze I felt very much here you see
a younger female voice and priesthood saying that it doesn't always have to be
older men or relating to Doc when he relates that instantly as well that God speaks
to all of God's children you know in the now and so having some words which
represent. Him mourns. In this simple church you. Go to
where you mind just turn that process. If you get through that process and then
people agree that you are colleagues in the industry you Christian
a master's degree. When you finish school you look great job. I don't work in San
Francisco or actions on same premises is my own hours so I didn't think that I
would be coming home I thought I would be someplace in the south. But the rafters
reached out and said you know we want to be under you know. On the first you know
priests and Francis. I love what they do and get to preach the gospel
and hopefully reach
a different group of people I work closely with the house through care and
specifically how it's really here the women sense even still in church as
a very of a church
a good tradition I dress in the now and still pretty church they don't even need
a priest that scary well for women yet. And there are all these little girls that
congregation would probably never see
a woman dressed like that standing up there presiding of the elements in preaching
this aren't assertive that I hope it's relatively balance between
a notional educational theological and intellectual. I understand it growing up
and now they can. See the next
story is on the early history of Harry Johnson. So I was
able to do polishing Howard morning and I majored in journalism and really didn't
know what I want to do that somebody said that I was
a good writer so I started reading the newspaper and in college I wrote to the
public relations person or that he used against services projects when somebody's
got shelves or he has
a tux and now versus here I am talking to these guys and trying to figure out where
they're coming from. And where they're going getting it on television programs can
be able to know them into public service announcements. And it was
a challenge but I guess I was young enough to jump in and idealistic and not fit
and an agent. I was there for that she hears facts ask chooses
I want to work that for me and I when she worked for the National West Daily News
as the first black reporter here I am their first black people order and they were
walking around egg shells first tripping over themselves trying not to offend or
say rather than I feel I'm going to bring people around me and we all work well
together I wait for their actions how grand is that. I ended up leaving the tower
and because I started cleaning company I actually started it snakes extra money and
I started making more money there than I didn't tell a friend that. He grew to be
a really and one half million dollar company and I had one hundred sixty five plays
probably could have gotten
a lot bigger every really know what we were doing and why she uses really are
supposed to do I'm very good it changing business planning now and I use my
company's sparkle clean as a paid setting. We were winning it and then I was on
a dead end street. With clean well but men are Nasser's and make money from it.
And then here we come trying to collar Self Matters So we walked into
a conference room with twelve guys in business suits twelve white men in business
suits and everybody's just kind of dropped to the ground including ours. It was
talkin to you says corporate America because they were in the doors open for us so
we got involved in a program which is
a program to help minorities. This is peace and getting government contracts. We
work with the Small Business Administration and have do quite well we didn't cancel
the Air Force Base or that it was
a new port for the Navy we did federal buildings in name and we did
a lot of post offices we were in four states Maine New Hampshire Massachusetts and
Rhode Island. Seventeen years later we still that sparkle is still going on
it helped me grow as
a person it hope you feel like I was worth something I said to the kids to college
bought a house bought a real car and took my kids on vacation. I wrote
a book about my experience it's called from the pits to the basement. As are you
teaching at the center to work an enterprise
a lot of time down and I just love it I do it fourteen the business plan for it.
And then I said I want to try college and I met considered in the community college
they served me out of business ethics and it's
a great time to teach business ethics with commentary element out there. There are
two quotes that are all about everything that I value that I tried to convey
talking to women because we just need one hand. The greatest glory is
not and never find but arriving at
a time bomb. And the other is from having to report. With these things in hand
or you think you can't you're right in the end.
When that hope chapter I wanted to include three character or is
a place stories first from a woman who entered the health care field such
a struggle to win the young when she medical school when women were still rare into
their arms and who is now. President of the Massachusetts Medical Society and Mary
alas away from him America speakers it was either that or a teacher or
a secretary it was now
a high level health care administrator. The second category includes women Michael
or Connelly and company to the clinic here taking home for six spouses elderly
parents grandchildren and sometimes bypass and see
a lot of the about caretaking. And models of women.
Been very category as women base their own health challenges now women and eighteen
fifty had some of the same diseases that still have today but they also don't know
where the lack of female doctors and with the restrictions of the modesty of the
times that kept them from seeing male doctors or discussing personal matters with
down. Some of the health issues that women talk about in this book and you know
been around one hundred sixty years ago but they weren't discussed so in this book
I salute the women who courageously share the stories of their own health issues
especially ones that were taboo not that long ago. By the enemy here in story of
sexual abuse and well as Sanchez
a story of drug addiction both women not only are the voice to these issues so when
I'm sick of others with the same problems another woman has last count Corey Sulu
when jealousy she was interviewed in two thousand and nine by Ariel Sharon and I
only fan of Assumption College. My only challenges were
related to the eating disorder when you develop an eating disorder it tastes OK
you're buying IT engineers and your emotional health physical health psychological
health your ability to concentrate on
a job or your studies and it's very difficult to recover from I suffered from.
Believe me of for twenty five years I developed it nineteen within
a few weeks after the death of my father and I have only been three hundred since
one thousand nine hundred eighty nine so I always did about twenty five years of my
life for all practical purposes there were several times I should have died I have
survived and I have
a voice that can help. And very well for the first well the president hears and
counted the word believe me and had an event Well I'm sure it existed but it had
never been in the public eye my eating disorder storage in January of nine hundred
seventy four at least to believe me I did it was in the eighty's when I first heard
the word when I realized that I was not the only one in the world to have this
horrible problem but by then it was so it matched in my everyday living that I
couldn't start and I stopped trying to stop. And even disorder doesn't just happen
on a diet it is that it's like
a puzzle the pieces here and here come together and you start poking in certain
directions and the pieces still end maladaptive behaviors in my case my mother had
cancer when I was growing up a hundred pressure because of it which turned into
a mental illness some my mother's relationship and mine is very difficult and then
when my ex-husband came into the picture I was torn in twenty two again so when you
are already down there half you already have problems with relationships and
wanting every minute is spent thinking about food or eating or finding the bathroom
to throw it out because it's really difficult to maintain relationships especially
when you don't mind anybody you know. I look at things as
a jigsaw puzzle and I have
a lot of pieces while in my own recovery during the process of that twenty five
years I developed alcoholism I was
a pretty hard alcoholic for about five heroes and I've been sober now for sixteen
and
a half years and in some great. He and I have learned how to cope with life on life's
terms and gradually build up the puzzle of my life. There are no facilities in
Worcester County the treaty disorders there may be more fire contrition and maybe
five or six there are as I've yet to find
a primary care physician that specializes in eating disorders and so my goal is to
bring these services to
a strict County to treat people with eating disorders because they are most
successfully treated with early diagnosis and I think I have to tell I have no
choice you know there is there's just no question about it I have
a voice now and I'm not going to let these young kids spend twenty five years doing
what I. Told me recently that she has cleared her master's and called education
eating disorders and she does she's a live in several times in Washington D.C.
And how her help those with those suffering from eating disorders. Are
youngest interviewed we in the oral history project he ended this thought as
a young woman who has led no health challenge stop. Me on the day I was eighteen
when she was interviewed in two thousand and eight by Ken really how all of the
College of the Holy Cross has assisted right to interpreters of American Sign
Language for back of our case and Skyler Northeastern University.
I go to the Learning Center it is
a school for deaf kids maintainer class would have to be ma'am I really love
solving problems my mom to find out I was down I think I was around ten months old
when my parents found out so you know they don't know I was born in town or it was
right after I became really is that I was born with C.P.
Several hours a night here is to me I was born with C.P.
And I went to the doctors and physical therapy and they told me I would probably
never walk so I include them all wrong because I could. I'm locked I ran into the
club I can do everything. I've been involved with the Special Olympics and say nine
hundred ninety seven and I started competing in ninety eight I do gymnastics they
do soccer goalie baseball and basketball I have to be
a good support is just bowling in the second string they asked. My mom first tell
me about modeling she asked me if I wanted to go and be in Seventeen magazine and I
was like Of course they didn't know where you go so you have
a patient and I sent it in with my picture and they wrote me back and they said yes
they wanted me to go they could find girls out of two hundred fifty girls in the
United States of course I was excited and couldn't wait to go out and so went to
New York and I was there for two days and stuff so much fun right now I actually
worked in Boston as a model and actually
a little dated so many of those mom who came tonight explained that something of it
couldn't be here with us tonight because she is now in the studio at Rochester
Institute of Technology in New York setting engineering.
We.
I can honestly say it was Charlene and I researched the original for all history
transcripts of the substantive liar at Harvard and without
a single story that I didn't find compelling on some level. Women's lives are
interesting. Chapter five focuses on politics
a community involvement here you'll encounter
a documentary Landers and who grew up and extremely political family which in this
time could stand up for herself and question authority Sarah ROBERTSON The first
e-mail there was her city has where Barbara Howard. Play director of the Institute
. Global Leadership as well as Melody American wisdom Dean's two women who were
very involved with the League of Women Voters. To hear the story of Harriet
Chandler. This one's
a very late career because. I started as
a teacher when that was one of the few jobs I did not when I graduated from college
I was going to master's degree from bar and they allowed me to do
a doctorate that he should be international relations in governance I tried to bar
W P I and tots I said Good job is the executive director of the National Women's
committees at Brandeis. Then I decided that one of my in the egg so I'm going to
arrive at jobs. That is not simple at all for someone my age who never expected to
work full time careers were not really accepted. It was great concern in ninety
nine to about half the schools were so bad there realtors laddies and trouble
selling homes I thought that maybe I could be good somehow so I decided to run for
school and. The rest is history and this and. I served
a lot of parents terms of the school and. I later served three terms in state House
of Representatives and then I ran for Senate. It was
a brutal race. Is crucially you can do anything if you really want to
if you work hard enough. I served five terms in the Senate I was the first woman to
run for Mr and when Sensi I've loved every moment of it I love helping people.
What better way of helping people than changing some of the laws under which it
live. I've been very interested in senior citizens because face of poverty
for seniors women. Women are very hesitant to run for office start thinking
about how much money they have raised to start wondering if they have enough to
base they ask themselves if they have the right set of downs do they have the right
agree. We are winning think they are everything by going to school and getting an
honor to bridge. The shoes of the now there is no this is
a good way off to graduate from college that wants to run they run. But women don't
think that way are going to be more carefully planned out. About
a quarter of the legislature are women and that is the same percent rehab the
entire sixteen years that. There is some dealers you deal with and you really
advertiser them and there are others when you know that you didn't write that. My
rule of fun and Bill is involved in conscience I I have to feel I have to get up in
the morning look myself in there and say this is reason I voted the way I did and
I'm comfortable with that if I can't say that I can vote that way. And they're
always feels like. OK this is for two new Swaim for Madge and west around the world
. Saying thank you to Heather Lynn Haley who is the president of the Western
women's health history project for Linda Rosen Lund who is the founder of the
women's Western History Project oral history project and for Charlene Martin and
more enjoy the co-authors of voices of western women presented
tonight at the wester library Westra public library Saks from to an overflowing
crowd of western women what an exciting event it was and is and shall be for those
who are interested in learning more please go to the website of voices of women's
history Weiss's of western women and women's history history project and it's my
pleasure to thank them for their appearance on the show so often
a good night for Madge and Westron the world from Virginia Swain.
The
bearer
. Of the last.
Two hours. The
big
. Thank you for your interest in saving energy on next abruptness with National
Grid we know there was an energy cost taking
a bite out of your budget by kicking steps that you and I G more wisely you can
save money make your home more comfortable and reduce your environmental and while
it's important for us to.
Thank you for your interest in saving energy high on NEXT of raw Plus with National
Grid we know that rising energy costs like taking
a bite out of your budget by taking steps to use energy more wisely you can save
money make your home more comfortable and reduce your environmental and while it's
important for us to all take action remember that we are your partner in energy
efficiency National Grid offers rebates to qualifying customers who install certain
high efficiency measures such as insulation heating and water heating equipment and
Energy Star windows and thermostat We also partner with local agencies to deliver
services for income eligible customers visit us at W W W dot Think Smart think
green dot com or call the number on your national grid build to learn more about
the many ways we can help you say. In the video you're about to watch you'll learn
about small change to the newer behavior in low cost investments that can provide
immediate results with your home energy expenses from installing new energy saving
light bulbs to adjusting your hot water thermostat or just covering pots on the
stove there are many little things you can do to say that's the power of actually.
Want to become an energy in your home this video will show you how to reduce your
energy costs increase the performance of your home and create
a healthier and more comfortable living space when it comes to energy efficient way
it's helpful to think of your home as
a three part system chale of how. Heating and cooling systems.
And appliances and lighting the idea is to get all three parts working together and
you'll be on your way to better missions the and money saved for more information
please. Easy ways to save energy and money at home found on our website.
Simple tips to help you save energy at home.
Makes up about ten percent of the average household energy costs aside from turning
off unneeded lights consider replacing old halogen or incandescent bulbs with
energy efficient lamps such as compact fluorescent or C.F.L. . C.F.L.
It's come in all shapes and sizes Be sure to choose Energy Star qualified lighting
they use about one electricity and can last up to ten times as long as standard
ball. And cooling your home consumes about forty five
percent of the average household energy but. Here are some simple tips to help you
save heating costs if you have
a furnace and ensure that ducks do not have leaks and are sealed insulated. Check
your furnace filter each month and clean or replace as needed. If you have
a boiler insulate your basement water or steam pipes to avoid loss you can purchase
foam insulation at your local hardware store and easily install yourself. Keep the
drapes and furniture away from vents or radiators and keep them free of dust.
If you have
a fireplace make sure the flue is tightly sealed when not in use. In
the summer clothes windows and draw blinds in the morning to keep the house cooler
. Use fans to stay cool. Keep air conditioner filters
clean. And maximize your energy savings without sacrificing your comfort by
installing an Energy Star programmable thermostat you can save approximately ten
percent
a year on your heating bill by turning your thermostat back ten to fifteen percent
for eight hours
a day such as when you're away or asleep. Water
heating accounts for about thirteen percent of the average household.
Check that your water heater is set to about one hundred twenty degrees Fahrenheit
water that's too hot can pose
a danger of scalding and it wastes energy turn your gas water heater to vacation
mode if you're leaving your house for an extended period of time. Install
a low flow showerheads and limit showers to five minutes or less.
Run only full loads of laundry use cold water for washing clothes clean the dryers
lint screen after every load. Line dry clothes one possible.
Use microwaves or toaster oven instead of the conventional oven or stove top when
you can avoid opening the oven door when baking as the temperature will drop twenty
five to thirty degrees each time. You use pots that match the size of your burners
and cover pots to reduce heat loss. Use the energy saving mode on your dishwasher
and only run full load.
In the refrigerator uncovered foods release more star and make the compressor work
harder cover them tightly set your refrigerator to the recommended setting on the
dial considering moving your second refrigerator from the garage or basement I
refrigerator or freezer that's twenty years old could use two to four times more
like tricity than
a new efficient model. That
your computer to energy saving sleep mode or turned it off when not a new use
a power strip to turn off home electronics many D.V.D.
Players cable boxes and computers can still draw power even if there powered off.
Unplug phone chargers as they still draw power even if no phone is attached. Turned
off the T.V. If no one's watching it a big new plasma T.V.
Could be consuming add much electricity as your refrigerator.
On
a cold day you can really feel where droughts are coming through your windows and doors
before you even turn on the heat this winter make sure storm windows are properly
in place using storm windows and doors in the winter can reduce your heat loss by
twenty five to fifty percent clean windows and keep blinds open in the day to let
the warm sun in. Install rope caulk or plastic window insulation kits on draft UN
does examine the weather stripping around your doors and windows and repairs
necessary when you determine that it's time to replace your windows look for the
Energy Star label it is very important that they are properly installed to prevent
air and water from seeping in around the frame check with your utility to see of
rebates are available for high efficiency windows.
Weatherize ation also now known as insulation and air sealing is
a key component to your whole house system install and good weather as ation is one
of the best investments you can make to save energy and make your home more
comfortable year round Well there are small things you can do yourself we recommend
you find
a qualified contractor on major projects check with your utility to see if you're
eligible for
a rebate to help defray the cost of your investment. If
you have older insulation consider upgrading it only twenty percent of homes built
before nine hundred eighty are well insulated. In the Northeast it is recommended
that you use insulation rated R thirty eight or greater in your attic if you have
are twenty two or less upgrading could save twenty percent on your heating and
cooling costs. If your attic is readily accessible carefully
inspect the condition and type of insulation check for gaps or voids if your
insulation is discolored or has dirty spots you may need air sealing.
Air sealing helps reduce the overall leakage of air in
a house the most common areas for air leakage in
a home are the basement and attic use pliable caulk to seal leaks around your
home's foundation install gaskets behind electrical outlets and check the weather
stripping on Windows and Doors.
On. Whether buying
a clothes washer boiler or even a T.V.
Remember that it has to price tags what you pay upfront and what you pay for the
energy and water it uses. Look for the government Energy Star label to know that
you're getting
a more efficient model Energy Star qualified devices used ten to fifty percent less
energy and water than standard models saving you over the life of the equipment.
Also look for the yellow energy guide label this label estimates how much energy an
appliance uses compares energy use of similar products and lists approximate annual
operating costs exact costs will very.
Energy Star qualified lighting such as compact fluorescents or C.F.L.
Provide bright warm light at
a fraction of the cost of traditional bulbs see ourselves come in many shapes and
sizes and some are even dimmable. Visit your local hardware store to learn more
about lamps and lighting controls that can save on operating costs while providing
light where and when you need it. We hope this video has given you some new
ideas of ways to save energy at home and reminded you of simple changes you can
make every day check with your utility company to see if there are rebates
available when it's time to upgrade your heating oil water heating
a quick man or weatherize your home. Remember there are. At
home so pick the ones that align with your budget today and. Tomorrow.
Somebody took it away from me in a blanket in less than
a mom this moment of joy when I worked over fifteen years I mean your credit score
is basically all you have I was maad they got my information they can really
negatively affect your life and they went off with the information they basically
became a true it's
a loss of control that someone is out there trying to be you. Doing things in your
name that can cause. Once you know somebody was using my name I know my peers on
that day they down and I just didn't even know where to start they had
a long record if you didn't vote for me identity and it happens when your personal
information is stolen and used without your knowledge it's
a serious crime the can cost you time and money ruin your credit and destroy your
good name when I was
a victim I did have my mail had been stolen I was shopping at it at
a grocery store and. Someone took my wallet and he made
a purchase and they all my debit card information on my briefcase and I've been
tampered with and I know when I looked in and I saw that my passport and my
driver's license which I had in there had been taken identity theft happens when
someone takes information about you and then uses it to commit fraud identity theft
is very serious We know that identity fraud in its various forms has affected ten
million people in any given here and what that means in dollars is that it's
a loss to businesses of about fifty billion dollars on top of that victims of
identity theft to spend five hundred billion dollars trying to undo this harm
everyone needs to be conscious that identity theft is real when you get news that
your identity has been potentially stone it's very it's sort of this open ended
problem that has occurred and you don't know what's going to come of it no one's in
you which isn't to say that we're powerless there's
a lot we can do to deter the tactic and defend ourselves.
My identity was stolen when I was mobbed and it is pretty dramatic especially how
it happened to me they got my information and it happened then they went off with
the information and they basically became me when they went to charging items and
stores identity thieves can only take advantage of you if you give them information
or if they obtain information about you so what you want to do is take steps to
make it less likely that your information falls into the wrong hands there are many
ways that you. You know that the first is to stop and look in your wallet What are
you carrying around and if you lose your wallet or you're getting somebody else an
opportunity to commit identity theft solenoid carrying around any identification
that has your Social Security number on it in your wallet because that can be used
very easily and efficiently by identity thieves they can have your name they can
have your birthday but if they don't have theirs your social security number
they're not going to get very far but all they really need is
a social security number and they can misspell your name is still their credit the
only place that Social Security card number should be is in your head and protect
it somewhere at home where you keep your other valuables in if someone asks you to
provide
a Social Security number and ask them why they need it on the how they're going to
keep it how they're going to safeguard it because you don't want that number to
fall into the wrong hands I had that I thought was of valid reason to give out
information that till the last rush Social Security Number one is foreigners and
first three did is to do the deed that. This is
a crime you have to think when you're off but they're your identity don't just
personal documents did their birth somebody to come into your home and how do you
media access to that information you also have to be careful about your trash now
a lot of people who team
a wrist see things in the mail maybe bank statements credit card statements or
health insurance forms and if they don't need them and they just throw them away in
the trench we shouldn't do that everyone should invest in
a shredder so before they dispose of these critical documents you shred them
identity thieves don't worry about getting their hands dirty they will go through
your trash to retrieve these documents to go where the information is they'll steal
your mail they will steal your trash they'll steal your wallet and that's how they
get information about you deter identity theft protect your social security number
shred financial documents and paperwork with any personal information before you
throw them out never give out personal information on the phone or internet unless
you know who you are dealing with. My
name is Nicole M. Robinson. The woman who stole my identity Her name is Nicole
a Robinson she stole my information from the pharmaceutical company that she worked
for after this happened it devastated my financial life I want to my credit reports
and I received
a critter of four in the mail that was fifty four pages long and had over one
hundred seventy accounts one hundred forty of them were in collections forty two
different names and sixty five different addresses on it not only was somebody else
reaping the benefits of my the credit I could no longer have access to my own the
credit and I cried and cried every day for three months on top of the financial and
the time that people spend in resolving these issues it's an emotional burden on
tipped him smile before he added that the case was wonderful and less than
a mom this moment astroid what I had worked for for fifteen years she got my life.
And identity thief uses for example your social security number and applies for new
credit in your name as opposed to raiding an existing account there may be no way
for you to know about it unless you've checked your credit report and you see that
a new account that you didn't even know about has been opened That's why it's very
important to monitor your credit report regularly detect identity theft check your
credit report at Annual Credit Report dot com federal law gives you the right to
a free credit report every year from the three national consumer reporting
companies review your financial accounts regular look for charges you did not make
. When someone realizes that their victim of
identity theft it's like getting
a kick in the got you know you feel paralyzed from the moment but it's really
essential for victims to move quickly and deliberately and starting to resolve the
problems that arise from identity theft I did what everybody knows to do and that's
call your credit card companies and cancel your credit cards however that's not
enough. There was one major bit of information I did not have and that was to call
the three major credit bureaus and I did not do that and what happened was this
person then went back she was able to reopen the credit cards that I canceled she
was also able to open a new credit card in my name if you find you've become
a victim of identity theft the first thing you need to do is contact one of the
three major credit reporting agencies and have them put
a fraud alert on your file you've got to take it seriously you really suspect
you've got to put fraud alerts on you've got to take the steps to protect yourself
and you got inform yourself about what to do so that when it does happen to you you
can do it quickly because time is critical you next want to contact each of the
creditors or other institutions where your information has been misused then you
follow up in writing and dispute these accounts and get
a letter from them resolving these disputed fraudulent accounts the F.T.C.
Has an affidavit which in my case I used to write out your explanation of what
happened and then you used to submit to creditors trying to collect on Project
accounts when you're trying to tell them look my identity was stolen it helps prove
it to you next want to contact the local police department for the crime and get
a copy of the mission to contact the police immediately because otherwise. You
have no proof that there was
a crime very important that you reported to the police because there are certain
ages use that you need
a we recommend that you contact and they're probably going to refer you back. To
the bottom of the C.D.R.
Liberties with or not and finally need to contact the Federal Trade Commission
online at F.T.C. Dot gov slash I.D.
Theft or call us toll free at eight seven seven ID theft to report this to us
defend against identity theft call the three credit reporting companies and place
a fraud alert on your credit report then ask for the free credit report your
intitled to close any accounts that you suspect have been tampered with or opened
fraudulent me start my. Call in the security or fraud department of each company
follow up in writing and include copies of supporting documents file
a police report contact the F.T.C.
Your information also helps law enforcement officials across the country to track
down and stop ID the news let's treat our personal information as we would our cash
let's safeguard it whether we're at home whether it's in our person or an office
your personal information is OK and in the wrong hands it can destroy your life the
F.T.C. Plays
a central role in helping victims avoid and recover from identity theft so we have
developed substantial consumer education material it's available on our website at
F.T.C.
Dot gov slash ID theft identity theft is serious but even if your identity has been
stolen and there has been no fraudulent comes over to your name you can defend
yourself and get those results are your favorite There are times when you just do
not want to finish and you just want to say you know forget I can't do this anymore
. But you have to find that way inside of you to just keep going because this is
something that if you don't clear it definitely affects the rest of your life but I
want is for us to create
a culture of security for our personal information. So that this crime in the
future will be diminished greatly.