WEBVTT 00:00.000 --> 00:04.160 Hello, this is Virginia Swain from Imagine Worcester and the World. 00:04.160 --> 00:10.760 Today I have a Worcester native who has gone into the world in a very unusual way. 00:10.760 --> 00:12.880 Let's start with Worcester Erica Aisey. 00:12.880 --> 00:13.880 Welcome. 00:13.880 --> 00:17.000 Welcome to my show. 00:17.000 --> 00:19.000 Thank you for having me, Virginia. 00:19.000 --> 00:23.480 Now tell us what you did in Worcester before you left to go into the world. 00:23.480 --> 00:24.480 Well, let's see. 00:24.480 --> 00:31.720 I wasn't born in Worcester, but I was raised here and after I graduated college I did my 00:31.720 --> 00:36.280 bachelor's degree in New York City at New York Institute of Technology. 00:36.280 --> 00:40.240 And then I was a teacher in Worcester Public Schools for six years. 00:40.240 --> 00:46.200 I taught high school English 9 through 12 and some level throughout the years for six 00:46.200 --> 00:48.400 years. 00:48.400 --> 00:52.880 And I knew you when you were doing that because I was at Burncoat High School appointed by 00:52.880 --> 00:56.400 the Attorney General of Massachusetts as a mediator. 00:56.400 --> 01:02.400 And you were a former peer mediator trained by that same program. 01:02.400 --> 01:08.960 And so we became friends and learned a lot about you and your hopes and dreams. 01:08.960 --> 01:11.600 And now I see them coming true, Erica. 01:11.600 --> 01:13.220 It's very exciting. 01:13.220 --> 01:18.520 Tell us how it all started that you ended up changing your career from being a Worcester 01:18.520 --> 01:23.400 public school teacher to a broadcast journalist. 01:23.400 --> 01:29.200 I think we met, let's see, 2003 when you were the peer mediator coordinator. 01:29.200 --> 01:33.560 And I remember my classroom was near there and I saw you and there was still a poster, 01:33.560 --> 01:39.800 I think, of us, the peer mediators back in the 90s when I was at Burncoat. 01:39.800 --> 01:45.280 And I told you I used to be a peer mediator and that's how we connected through peer mediation. 01:45.280 --> 01:51.360 I was always referring students to you either to be a peer mediator or to be on the other 01:51.360 --> 01:55.560 side of the table and mediate a situation peacefully. 01:55.560 --> 01:59.640 So I enjoyed that and I enjoyed being a teacher. 01:59.640 --> 02:02.240 I really love teenagers and I still do. 02:02.240 --> 02:09.920 I think they're a fun, vivacious group of people who are in a constant work in progress. 02:09.920 --> 02:13.400 So I enjoyed my career as a teacher. 02:13.400 --> 02:20.120 But I also realized that at some point, for my own professional growth, I was becoming 02:20.120 --> 02:25.800 a bit stagnant and I knew I didn't want to be the teacher who didn't want to be there. 02:25.800 --> 02:30.320 And it was time to give up my seat to the next young person or older person or whoever 02:30.320 --> 02:32.800 wanted to come in and be a teacher. 02:32.800 --> 02:40.560 Because I think teachers are in a position to mold and really challenge the way a person 02:40.560 --> 02:42.180 thinks. 02:42.180 --> 02:46.840 So I think there's a huge value not in the country and in the world. 02:46.840 --> 02:51.240 So if the passion wasn't there for me to do it, it was time to leave. 02:51.240 --> 02:52.800 So I wanted to change my career. 02:52.800 --> 02:59.480 And after teaching for six years and working with a very diverse population with students 02:59.480 --> 03:07.400 from a wide range of socioeconomic backgrounds, I had a wealth of stories from students and 03:07.400 --> 03:13.520 how they grew up and wealth of experiences as a professional. 03:13.520 --> 03:15.080 I wanted to tell them. 03:15.080 --> 03:20.640 I wanted to tell the world stories of how people live. 03:20.640 --> 03:24.080 And I realized, you know, I never went to school to be a teacher to begin with. 03:24.080 --> 03:27.720 I went to school to be a broadcast journalist and I never did it. 03:27.720 --> 03:28.720 I never did it. 03:28.720 --> 03:34.520 So at a certain point in time, I said, all right, now I have nothing to lose. 03:34.520 --> 03:36.940 I'm going to do it. 03:36.940 --> 03:37.940 So I quit. 03:37.940 --> 03:43.040 I quit my nice salary for, you know, a young woman. 03:43.040 --> 03:46.560 I had a nice car, a nice, you know, I was comfortable. 03:46.560 --> 03:48.880 I didn't have to do anything that I'm doing now. 03:48.880 --> 03:49.880 I didn't have to do it. 03:49.880 --> 03:55.000 But I chose to challenge myself and take myself out of my comfort zone and go after a career 03:55.000 --> 04:00.520 of telling stories of how people live across the world. 04:00.520 --> 04:05.320 And last year when I was giving a program at the United Nations, you came and broadcast 04:05.320 --> 04:08.400 that show, didn't you, with your team from your school. 04:08.400 --> 04:14.720 It was fascinating to watch you operate, Erica, and to see this other side of you. 04:14.720 --> 04:18.160 And since then, you've gone to Ghana to work for a television show. 04:18.160 --> 04:24.080 Tell us about how that happened and you were there for about a year, right? 04:24.080 --> 04:26.080 And was it ETV? 04:26.080 --> 04:27.080 ETV News? 04:27.080 --> 04:32.560 So you were on the web all the time and I'd love to hear all about that. 04:32.560 --> 04:35.840 Well, first I'll backtrack a little bit. 04:35.840 --> 04:41.200 It was easy to say I just jumped into journalism and I didn't because when I was looking at 04:41.200 --> 04:47.120 jobs I realized I don't have any of this experience, what they were looking for in terms of qualifications. 04:47.120 --> 04:50.320 And that's the power of education is that the doors are always open and you can always 04:50.320 --> 04:52.560 go back and that's what I did. 04:52.560 --> 04:56.760 So I went back to school and I got my master's in broadcast journalism. 04:56.760 --> 05:01.520 And while I was in school in New York City, back to my alma mater, New York Institute 05:01.520 --> 05:08.360 of Technology, I had internships and really tried to broaden my experience because graduate 05:08.360 --> 05:09.680 degrees is not that long. 05:09.680 --> 05:11.600 I did it in a year and a half. 05:11.600 --> 05:17.280 So I really had to broaden my experiences and get as many internships and new qualifications 05:17.280 --> 05:22.040 in a short amount of time so I could be marketable at the time of graduation. 05:22.040 --> 05:26.200 So while I was in school, we connected at the UN, I think twice. 05:26.200 --> 05:30.080 One time I reported for you, but the other time I attended your conference. 05:30.080 --> 05:38.000 And I just really, it's a dream to even step foot in the UN, especially if you consider 05:38.000 --> 05:41.160 yourself a global citizen as both of us do. 05:41.160 --> 05:44.760 So then to have a second opportunity to report there was great. 05:44.760 --> 05:50.320 And I asked my professors if I could take a cameraman and a sound person with me. 05:50.320 --> 05:56.000 And it was great to really have that experience and use my practical skills that I learned 05:56.000 --> 05:59.560 at school and actually put them into a professional place. 05:59.560 --> 06:04.240 So it was a great experience to be in the General Assembly and just the whole day was 06:04.240 --> 06:05.240 really, really good. 06:05.240 --> 06:12.080 And I think maybe a semester or two after I did that with you, I'll even backtrack 06:12.080 --> 06:13.080 a little bit more. 06:13.080 --> 06:19.840 Maybe a year and a half ago while I was in school, I realized that if I wanted to be 06:19.840 --> 06:27.120 cutting edge and if I wanted to really challenge myself, I really had to have something solid 06:27.120 --> 06:32.080 on my resume that would make me stand out from other people that had the same career 06:32.080 --> 06:33.520 aspirations. 06:33.520 --> 06:39.920 So natively, my parents are from Ghana, West Africa, and we had family that was connected. 06:39.920 --> 06:45.920 And I connected with family that knew the head of a company called ETV Ghana. 06:45.920 --> 06:47.880 It was a brand new TV station. 06:47.880 --> 06:54.120 We made some phone calls and I asked if I could be there as an intern for a month and 06:54.120 --> 06:55.240 try it out. 06:55.240 --> 06:59.520 So I went for a month and it was college credit and it was great to take everything I learned 06:59.520 --> 07:02.760 in New York City and bring it to Africa. 07:02.760 --> 07:07.640 And I practiced as a journalist as an intern for a month. 07:07.640 --> 07:12.200 And I was at the end of the month, I was asked if I would like to come back and work as a 07:12.200 --> 07:16.540 full-time employee upon my graduation. 07:16.540 --> 07:22.440 So I really took some time to think about it and spoke with my mentors at Fox News and 07:22.440 --> 07:27.400 NBC and they both said, you go, you have nothing to lose. 07:27.400 --> 07:28.400 So why not? 07:28.400 --> 07:33.880 And they said, that's going to give you an edge, you're going to have a great experience, 07:33.880 --> 07:35.120 go ahead. 07:35.120 --> 07:38.880 So I left, I packed and left. 07:38.880 --> 07:41.440 I think that's a habit of mine. 07:41.440 --> 07:42.960 I packed and leave. 07:42.960 --> 07:50.120 But I packed and I left and I was working as a broadcast journalist in Africa for a 07:50.120 --> 07:54.240 year and it was an interesting experience to stay released. 07:54.240 --> 08:01.400 Well, at the end of this show, we'll have a segment of one of your broadcasts so our 08:01.400 --> 08:08.840 viewers can see what you saw in some of the situations that you went into. 08:08.840 --> 08:15.960 I want to backtrack a little and ask you what you would say to your English students now 08:15.960 --> 08:18.680 that you've done what you've done. 08:18.680 --> 08:25.360 Do you have any advice for them in Worcester, some of your students from Burn Code and then 08:25.360 --> 08:29.400 you were taught at the Worcester Vocational High School, didn't you? 08:29.400 --> 08:31.800 Sure, and I see them all the time. 08:31.800 --> 08:34.320 There's several that I'm still in communication with. 08:34.320 --> 08:39.640 And a funny story is when I was in Ghana for my internship, I was walking through security 08:39.640 --> 08:43.880 and I was on my way back at the airport in Ghana and I'm walking, you know, about to 08:43.880 --> 08:47.200 board my flight and I hear, Miss A.E.C. 08:47.200 --> 08:52.280 So it is a small world indeed because I saw two students at the airport in Ghana. 08:52.280 --> 08:55.040 And we were on the same flight. 08:55.040 --> 08:58.760 Yeah, there were two students from Worcester Technical High School. 08:58.760 --> 09:04.160 So yeah, you're a teacher for life. 09:04.160 --> 09:15.360 So if I could say anything to inspire them, I would say one is to dream big. 09:15.360 --> 09:16.640 Dream big. 09:16.640 --> 09:24.080 And whatever your big dream is, multiply it times 100 and make it bigger and go after 09:24.080 --> 09:28.960 it and know that you are only on this planet one time. 09:28.960 --> 09:31.560 You're on this planet one time to do it big. 09:31.560 --> 09:34.920 So dream really, really, really, really big. 09:34.920 --> 09:38.280 Instead of being the nurse, be the nurse practitioner, then be the doctor. 09:38.280 --> 09:42.960 Instead of being the paralegal and being the legal secretary, be the lawyer, then run your 09:42.960 --> 09:44.200 own law firm. 09:44.200 --> 09:48.320 Dream big, as big as possible and go after it. 09:48.320 --> 09:55.000 And secondly, I would say is to challenge yourself, especially after high school. 09:55.000 --> 09:57.480 Take yourself out of your comfort zone. 09:57.480 --> 10:01.840 Worcester will always be here and if you leave and come back, everything will probably be 10:01.840 --> 10:03.960 just the same. 10:03.960 --> 10:09.200 So dream big and take yourself out of your comfort zone to really challenge yourself. 10:09.200 --> 10:12.120 And I think that builds character because you can dream big. 10:12.120 --> 10:16.680 And if you go to a place where all the resources are laid out for you, it makes it easy. 10:16.680 --> 10:20.040 But when I was in Africa, I mean, I had my struggles daily. 10:20.040 --> 10:26.480 I mean, even within the first 48 hours, I wanted to come back. 10:26.480 --> 10:32.000 So whatever your dream is, imagine doing it in a third world country and then ask yourself 10:32.000 --> 10:34.280 how bad you really want it. 10:34.280 --> 10:37.840 So dream big and take yourself out of your comfort zone. 10:37.840 --> 10:45.600 So you are dreaming big right now and you've just been accepted at NBC, National Broadcasting 10:45.600 --> 10:48.440 Company, Erika, and you see from Worcester. 10:48.440 --> 10:50.920 Yay, come and tell us about that. 10:50.920 --> 10:57.480 Well, I won't divulge all the details yet, but I am relocating, packing up and moving 10:57.480 --> 10:59.480 again as a journalist does. 10:59.480 --> 11:00.480 You're always on the go. 11:00.480 --> 11:07.040 So I'll be moving back to New York City and I'll be with NBC and I will just say stay 11:07.040 --> 11:08.040 tuned. 11:08.040 --> 11:10.880 Well, this is very exciting. 11:10.880 --> 11:12.840 I know you have even bigger aspirations. 11:12.840 --> 11:16.560 Do you want to say anything about your biggest one? 11:16.560 --> 11:18.160 Yeah. 11:18.160 --> 11:31.800 Ultimately, I aspire to be, and I think I'm in the progress of doing it, an international 11:31.800 --> 11:39.960 news journalist, but I don't always want to cover the crisis, especially in Africa. 11:39.960 --> 11:48.200 Actually, that's the easiest thing to do and I think media often portrays a negative stereotypical 11:48.200 --> 11:49.200 side of Africa. 11:49.200 --> 11:52.360 And I'm not going to say that those things aren't true. 11:52.360 --> 12:00.280 A lot of it is true, but in order to challenge yourself, find the good, especially when you're 12:00.280 --> 12:07.280 working in a place where there are a lot of setbacks. 12:07.280 --> 12:11.640 I haven't traveled all over the world, but I think probably two of the most difficult 12:11.640 --> 12:17.600 places to be, a woman and a journalist, probably in Africa and the Middle East, who chooses 12:17.600 --> 12:25.880 by choice to go to these places? 12:25.880 --> 12:32.880 I think as a woman, it's really difficult to gain respect and not be just the pretty 12:32.880 --> 12:33.880 face. 12:33.880 --> 12:39.680 I've trained not in only public speaking and writing and directing, but I know how to do 12:39.680 --> 12:40.680 camera work. 12:40.680 --> 12:42.720 Everything she's doing, I can do. 12:42.720 --> 12:49.600 And it's difficult to be amongst, it's a man's business, especially in Africa. 12:49.600 --> 12:54.240 So to tell a man, I'll do my own camera work. 12:54.240 --> 12:59.000 They're a bit taken aback and think you don't know how to do it or want to coddle you a 12:59.000 --> 13:00.000 bit. 13:00.000 --> 13:05.280 So you really have to take a stand and show that you do know how to do your work, even 13:05.280 --> 13:11.840 as a woman, that you're not the pretty girl and really stand up for yourself. 13:11.840 --> 13:18.640 But you also have to realize there's cultural barriers and differences in how women are 13:18.640 --> 13:19.640 perceived. 13:19.640 --> 13:24.400 In America, you want to be a strong, independent woman. 13:24.400 --> 13:25.400 That's the motto. 13:25.400 --> 13:31.040 You stand up for your rights if somebody makes you feel bad, you tell them that you were 13:31.040 --> 13:32.040 hurt. 13:32.040 --> 13:38.840 In other countries, it's almost being a strong, independent woman can kind of hold you back 13:38.840 --> 13:43.640 if you come off too strong, because they're not used to that. 13:43.640 --> 13:49.920 They can be the role of woman, I think, is a bit different, especially in media. 13:49.920 --> 13:56.920 In Ghana, I found that you'll see women presenting the news as anchors at the desk, but you don't 13:56.920 --> 14:05.360 see as many women out in the field, interviewing, getting the work done, carrying the equipment. 14:05.360 --> 14:08.760 You don't see as many women doing that. 14:08.760 --> 14:15.840 So even at times, if I'm interviewing various government officials, when they see me, I 14:15.840 --> 14:18.840 felt like they didn't take me seriously. 14:18.840 --> 14:25.040 So tell us one of your favorite stories that you covered. 14:25.040 --> 14:31.440 Perhaps introduce us to the one we're going to show right now after we finish. 14:31.440 --> 14:36.480 My personal favorite is one I did in, I think I did it in the beginning of March or so. 14:36.480 --> 14:41.640 It was right in the middle of the conflict in Libya. 14:41.640 --> 14:46.920 So this story was on the Ghanaian government actually going to get the native Ghanaian 14:46.920 --> 14:49.400 citizens from Libya and bring them back. 14:49.400 --> 14:53.440 And it was a big controversy, because it was all so fast, and they wanted them, obviously, 14:53.440 --> 14:56.360 to be safe and come back safe upon their return. 14:56.360 --> 15:02.520 But some of these Ghanaians, they left Ghana 15, 20, 25 years ago and had been estranged 15:02.520 --> 15:03.520 from their family. 15:03.520 --> 15:08.840 And they were told by the Ghanaian government, you have to come back safe and not. 15:08.840 --> 15:11.880 Things were very hot in Libya at that time. 15:11.880 --> 15:15.400 And they came back, and it just wasn't organized. 15:15.400 --> 15:16.400 People had left their belongings. 15:16.400 --> 15:20.400 There were complaints that the government wasn't fully helping them reconnect with their 15:20.400 --> 15:21.400 family. 15:21.400 --> 15:24.800 Some were just coming with clothes and their bags never left the flight. 15:24.800 --> 15:30.720 So there was a, I believe the government had good intentions, but upon their return, there 15:30.720 --> 15:32.360 was a lot of chaos. 15:32.360 --> 15:35.080 And then also, they didn't want to be back. 15:35.080 --> 15:40.240 I mean, they were in Libya making money due to oil and other various industries there. 15:40.240 --> 15:41.240 Now they're back in Ghana. 15:41.240 --> 15:42.680 They haven't been there in years. 15:42.680 --> 15:44.760 So it was like, now what? 15:44.760 --> 15:47.160 So personally, I think that's my personal best. 15:47.160 --> 15:50.400 And I enjoyed the challenge of doing it. 15:50.400 --> 15:55.320 Every story you see that you'll show in your program, whether it's the one in Libya or 15:55.320 --> 16:00.440 another one you choose to show, mind you, I'm working in 120 degree weather every single 16:00.440 --> 16:02.320 day. 16:02.320 --> 16:07.400 Every single, by 10 a.m., it's about 110, 120 degrees. 16:07.400 --> 16:09.200 And humid and hot. 16:09.200 --> 16:14.920 And the trip from, the one from Libya, they were in a big park called Elwak, there were 16:14.920 --> 16:19.320 maybe 500 people there that day when I went to interview them. 16:19.320 --> 16:24.520 And they hadn't showered, and it stunk. 16:24.520 --> 16:28.160 You know, and that's what I mean, you know, taking yourself out of your comfort zone. 16:28.160 --> 16:29.160 And you never know. 16:29.160 --> 16:30.160 And oh, it's rough. 16:30.160 --> 16:37.680 And working in that weather was really challenging. 16:37.680 --> 16:42.360 So I hope you enjoy that one and watch it. 16:42.360 --> 16:48.080 Yeah, it's going to be wonderful for our viewers to see another side of you, especially those 16:48.080 --> 16:51.920 who know you, Erica, because many, many people here know you. 16:51.920 --> 16:54.440 How big is the Ghanaian community here in Western? 16:54.440 --> 17:01.680 I don't have an exact number, but it's pretty huge, even when I grew up here in Western 17:01.680 --> 17:06.400 in the early 90s, I remember going to college in New York and coming back and realizing, 17:06.400 --> 17:12.680 wow, Ghana really has a huge community and a huge base here. 17:12.680 --> 17:18.640 Now I see so many little stores that weren't here before, and Ghanaian homeownership and 17:18.640 --> 17:20.160 entrepreneurship. 17:20.160 --> 17:26.840 So I think Worcester has a very vibrant Ghanaian community, and I'm a first generation Ghanaian. 17:26.840 --> 17:31.880 So yeah, I'm very happy to be a part of it. 17:31.880 --> 17:35.000 Well, Erica, we'll watch you with great interest. 17:35.000 --> 17:37.440 We'll watch your career with great interest. 17:37.440 --> 17:41.200 And we'll stop now because we want to show this clip. 17:41.200 --> 17:46.960 But please come back again when you're rich and famous and tell us about your travels. 17:46.960 --> 17:54.440 And we're really curious to see where you go, because one thing that really sticks out 17:54.440 --> 17:58.920 in my mind about you, Erica, is your courage. 17:58.920 --> 18:02.600 When you dream big, you have to have a lot of courage to go with that, and you have huge 18:02.600 --> 18:03.600 amount of courage. 18:03.600 --> 18:07.320 So I want to thank you so much for being on the show today. 18:07.320 --> 18:09.320 We'll look forward to seeing the clip. 18:09.320 --> 18:13.840 Thank you, Erica IUC, NBC News. 18:13.840 --> 18:18.040 Thank you, Virginia, and it's been a pleasure knowing you for all these years and having 18:18.040 --> 18:25.000 the opportunity for you to see my growth and see things that come full circle. 18:25.000 --> 18:28.560 You've been a part of this journey with me. 18:28.560 --> 18:32.680 So thank you. 18:32.680 --> 18:33.680 Thank you very much. 18:33.680 --> 18:37.960 This is Virginia Swain for Imagine Worcester and the World. 18:37.960 --> 18:43.800 This government sign, this makeshift cardboard sign indicates the severity of this issue, 18:43.800 --> 18:51.480 but yet the quality of the sign shows us how seriously the AMA is taking on this issue. 18:51.480 --> 18:55.480 Cleaning clean and tidy is obviously not what you see here. 18:55.480 --> 19:00.960 Now what are the possible health implications with cholera spreading rampant in Ghana? 19:00.960 --> 19:05.680 Street hawkers on the road is so commonplace that after April 1st, their absence is really 19:05.680 --> 19:07.000 going to be felt. 19:07.000 --> 19:13.240 Perhaps the AMA is overlooking the huge economic factor in imposing this new policy. 19:13.240 --> 19:17.000 Not only is there no running water in the toilets, but also here in the showers. 19:17.000 --> 19:21.120 Take a look. 19:21.120 --> 19:27.840 Completely dry, nothing, and this is the same place where our women are having their babies. 19:27.840 --> 19:31.800 More Ghanaians are arriving from Libya and they are expressing their disappointment with 19:31.800 --> 19:33.600 the Ghanaian government. 19:33.600 --> 19:38.280 Although the administration has evacuated over 1,300 nationals since the crisis in Libya 19:38.280 --> 19:43.320 began, they say they are being abandoned by the government upon their arrival. 19:43.320 --> 19:49.800 I think from our journey to Tunis, we stood up good the whole night the day before yesterday 19:49.800 --> 19:54.640 with neighbors just to get our flat back to our country because Libya is very hot. 19:54.640 --> 20:01.400 They were shooting us, throwing us bombs here and there, and we managed to cross through 20:01.400 --> 20:02.400 this Tunis border. 20:02.400 --> 20:04.400 We stood up till the whole night. 20:04.400 --> 20:08.440 There was no water for us to drink as well as food. 20:08.440 --> 20:12.480 So we just had like a hanging bat. 20:12.480 --> 20:17.520 Waiting in lines with excessive heat and no food, these nationals are famished and dismayed 20:17.520 --> 20:22.960 at the lack of organizational structure in trying to reintegrate back into the country. 20:22.960 --> 20:29.360 Now they are sharing some money for us for transportation and at the same time we are 20:29.360 --> 20:31.080 waiting here for our bags. 20:31.080 --> 20:35.320 Now behind me is a fifth batch of Ghanians to arrive from Libya and they say they were 20:35.320 --> 20:38.800 forced to sleep outside here in the park last night. 20:38.800 --> 20:43.480 They also say their belongings are scattered and unmarked and that the majority of their 20:43.480 --> 20:48.040 assistance has come from the UN and not from the Ghanaian government. 20:48.040 --> 20:51.040 I believe it is not Ghana, a Ghana government that brought us here. 20:51.040 --> 20:53.400 It is the UN that sympathizes. 20:53.400 --> 20:55.200 So that is the situation now. 20:55.200 --> 20:58.800 The process of organizing the last minute belongings that the Ghanaian workers could 20:58.800 --> 21:02.320 take with them from Libya is a tenuous task. 21:02.320 --> 21:07.160 Now we want Ghana government to have the mercy and sympathy to go and bring our blood violence 21:07.160 --> 21:11.480 that has still a triple E there so that we can all be cheered up together. 21:11.480 --> 21:15.800 So that is what I am pleading to Ghana government to do for us. 21:15.800 --> 21:27.720 Reporting for ETV News, I'm Erica Eise. 21:27.720 --> 21:32.720 Ghana's 54th Independence celebration is under threat of being disrupted by following angry 21:32.720 --> 21:36.120 nationwide demonstrations by teachers. 21:36.120 --> 21:40.480 Hundreds of teachers protested at Nat Hall and literally sacked the competing students 21:40.480 --> 21:41.480 out of the hall. 21:41.480 --> 21:46.680 I think it is good for them because they have children and they have to take care of their 21:46.680 --> 21:48.720 wives and children, pay rent and all that. 21:48.720 --> 21:51.600 So you are not paying them good. 21:51.600 --> 21:54.920 I don't really know how they are going to survive. 21:54.920 --> 21:58.000 But not all of the students were in favor of their aggressive approach. 21:58.000 --> 22:01.840 This time we should get out so it is not because of the teachers. 22:01.840 --> 22:05.560 We have no what we are coming to do so we should get out. 22:05.560 --> 22:10.480 Some of them also use canes on us so we run away from the hall. 22:10.480 --> 22:15.200 Dressed in black and red to show their solidarity, teachers protested against the single spine 22:15.200 --> 22:19.600 salary structure in which they say is unjust. 22:19.600 --> 22:23.080 Today we are getting something less, less, less. 22:23.080 --> 22:27.080 We are worse off, we can't even educate our children, we can't feed our families, we can't 22:27.080 --> 22:32.040 even do anything and then attract any decent life in the society. 22:32.040 --> 22:33.880 You know everybody is mocking at the teacher. 22:33.880 --> 22:37.600 Meanwhile we are producing the human resource need of this country. 22:37.600 --> 22:42.240 If a graduate teacher, a graduate teacher who has served for more than 10 years is taking 22:42.240 --> 22:48.120 450 Ghana cities, which is 4.5 million old Ghana cities, and a police constable, we are 22:48.120 --> 22:54.120 not making comparison, by a police constable we have decided to make the comparison because 22:54.120 --> 23:00.640 a police constable is taking 750, which is 7.5 million, who is using BSE certificate. 23:00.640 --> 23:06.760 Then you think teachers don't have a case, we have a case. 23:06.760 --> 23:11.480 The teachers threatened to interrupt traditions of the 6th March Independence Day Parade by 23:11.480 --> 23:14.080 not showing up with their school children. 23:14.080 --> 23:16.480 This Sunday we are not going to the 6th March. 23:16.480 --> 23:18.280 We will not change our position. 23:18.280 --> 23:22.240 Although the police made their presence, there were no arrests made and the mob of teachers 23:22.240 --> 23:28.400 escorted them out and away. 23:28.400 --> 23:32.200 These teachers here today are passionate and they are angry and they are saying they are 23:32.200 --> 23:35.000 not going to support the Independence Day Parade. 23:35.000 --> 23:38.520 They will not support the government until they see some type of change. 23:38.520 --> 23:48.840 Reporting for ETV News, I'm Erika Ayesi. 23:48.840 --> 23:50.440 Welcome back to Be Bold. 23:50.440 --> 23:55.840 Now this is the segment for The Diaspora and we have Erika Ayesi in studio with us. 23:55.840 --> 23:57.200 Thank you very much for joining us Erika. 23:57.200 --> 23:58.200 Thank you for having me. 23:58.200 --> 24:03.440 Yes, and we just saw your story, a bit about education and how did you come about doing 24:03.440 --> 24:04.440 that story? 24:04.440 --> 24:05.440 Why did you think it was necessary? 24:05.440 --> 24:09.920 I thought it was necessary because there is a voice of the young people in Ghana in terms 24:09.920 --> 24:10.920 of their education. 24:10.920 --> 24:16.720 I think sometimes the culture can lead people to believe that young people don't have a 24:16.720 --> 24:19.520 voice and that they are to be seen and not heard. 24:19.520 --> 24:24.040 And these are growing adults who have choices and opinions and I think their voice in regard 24:24.040 --> 24:27.200 to education was a concern. 24:27.200 --> 24:30.560 This is Virginia Swain from Imagine Worcester and the World. 24:30.560 --> 24:31.920 Today I'm greeting four people. 24:31.920 --> 24:36.720 Normally I can fit two in my show but now I have four people and I'm so excited today 24:36.720 --> 24:42.280 because we have the Women's Worcester History Project, a special program called the Women's 24:42.280 --> 24:50.220 Oral History Project and two authors of the Voices of Worcester Women, 160 Years After 24:50.220 --> 24:56.520 the First National Women's Rights Convention by Charlene Martin, Maureen Ryan Doyle. 24:56.520 --> 24:58.480 Sorry about that. 24:58.480 --> 25:04.280 So first of all Charlene, tell us about yourself and how you ended up writing a book called 25:04.280 --> 25:06.560 Voices of Worcester Women. 25:06.560 --> 25:12.680 Well, I guess it goes back to my involvement with the Worcester Women's History Project 25:12.680 --> 25:19.680 and being invited to be on the steering committee along with Maureen and Linda Rosenlin asked 25:19.680 --> 25:23.560 us to co-chair the Oral History Project a few years ago. 25:23.560 --> 25:30.240 So I believe we came to the mutual conclusion after reading many, many of the oral histories 25:30.240 --> 25:34.760 that are part of the project that these stories really needed to be more accessible to our 25:34.760 --> 25:36.560 Worcester community. 25:36.560 --> 25:42.600 We do have the repository of all of the files at the Schlesinger Library at Harvard but 25:42.600 --> 25:46.280 not too many people are going to drive down to Cambridge to read through them so we thought 25:46.280 --> 25:52.320 that putting them in a book format with excerpts from various women's stories would be a fun 25:52.320 --> 25:56.760 project to work on together. 25:56.760 --> 25:59.000 And Maureen, would you like to add to that? 25:59.000 --> 26:00.000 I would. 26:00.000 --> 26:06.360 I also would like to add that many of these oral histories are available on our website 26:06.360 --> 26:10.600 so if someone wanted to read a transcript in full you could go to our website and access 26:10.600 --> 26:14.560 that. 26:14.560 --> 26:19.680 So you have divided this book and the oral histories into four areas, right? 26:19.680 --> 26:24.600 Tell us about the areas and why you did that. 26:24.600 --> 26:29.640 Well originally the Worcester Women's History Project was formed to commemorate the 1850 26:29.640 --> 26:34.360 convention that was held here in Worcester, the first national women's rights convention. 26:34.360 --> 26:40.720 So the issues of that time that were discussed by men and women of the time were education, 26:40.720 --> 26:45.880 work, health, and politics or community involvement. 26:45.880 --> 26:49.480 So we decided that that would be a good place to start. 26:49.480 --> 26:55.440 We did the chapters according to those four main issues that were discussed in 1850 and 26:55.440 --> 27:01.720 we wanted to show how some of the issues may be the same, how things have changed in that 27:01.720 --> 27:02.760 time. 27:02.760 --> 27:07.160 And we decided to add a fifth chapter too called Uniquely Worcester Remembrances and 27:07.160 --> 27:12.440 we did that because almost every woman included some story about growing up in Worcester or 27:12.440 --> 27:16.880 their life in Worcester so we decided to include a fifth chapter on there. 27:16.880 --> 27:23.680 Hey Maureen, was there a theme that you found that was an overarching theme of all the women 27:23.680 --> 27:26.520 or themes that you could talk about? 27:26.520 --> 27:28.720 Yes we did. 27:28.720 --> 27:36.480 I think one of the themes was one of resilience, that every story we read was compelling on 27:36.480 --> 27:37.960 some level. 27:37.960 --> 27:44.640 And what was very difficult for us was choosing 69 of these stories we placed in the book. 27:44.640 --> 27:50.240 We have 250 moral histories so that was very difficult, very, very difficult. 27:50.240 --> 27:56.160 But each story is just so darn interesting. 27:56.160 --> 28:03.120 Another common component was the whole fact of balancing life and I think women have been 28:03.120 --> 28:09.720 balancing, doing this balancing act probably since time began and we saw that in just about 28:09.720 --> 28:16.360 every story, trying to find time for personal life, trying to find time for family, finding 28:16.360 --> 28:18.360 time for your career. 28:18.360 --> 28:25.080 I think these are issues that every woman faces. 28:25.080 --> 28:30.360 And Charlene, tell our viewers how they could buy this book. 28:30.360 --> 28:35.640 Well the book can be purchased on the Amazon site. 28:35.640 --> 28:40.000 We also have our own blog that has further information about the book and how to buy 28:40.000 --> 28:48.200 the book and that's at voicesofwisterwomen.blogspot.com so you'll find much more about the book, 28:48.200 --> 28:52.440 about us, about the project and how to buy the book. 28:52.440 --> 29:01.840 Why don't you hold it up so our viewers can see it and we can get a close up of it. 29:01.840 --> 29:05.000 The cover design is by my niece. 29:05.000 --> 29:10.200 We believe strongly in supporting women as much as we possibly can so she's a graphic 29:10.200 --> 29:13.800 designer so we gave her an opportunity to design the cover. 29:13.800 --> 29:17.800 Name's Brianna Goodwin. 29:17.800 --> 29:27.040 Well the conversation bubbles are to depict women's voices and what they have to say. 29:27.040 --> 29:33.240 She puts some of the occupations of the women that are included in here such as caregiver, 29:33.240 --> 29:36.960 teacher, mother, lawyer, artist. 29:36.960 --> 29:39.480 We have many, many different kinds of women in the book. 29:39.480 --> 29:40.480 We have nuns. 29:40.480 --> 29:41.480 We have priests. 29:41.480 --> 29:42.480 We do. 29:42.480 --> 29:43.480 Yes. 29:43.480 --> 29:49.840 It's a very interesting story. 29:49.840 --> 29:56.960 At the time of her interview she was 27 years old and she felt a calling from God that she 29:56.960 --> 29:59.400 was called to ministry. 29:59.400 --> 30:07.560 And she loves her job and she even talks about how difficult it is to find clergy apparel 30:07.560 --> 30:14.040 that will fit her correctly because clothes are not really made for female priests yet. 30:14.040 --> 30:19.600 Do you find that most of the women you interview have a calling? 30:19.600 --> 30:24.360 A calling? 30:24.360 --> 30:27.040 I don't know if they necessarily talk about it that way. 30:27.040 --> 30:32.600 I think to us when we hear it and read it, it can come across that way, whether it's 30:32.600 --> 30:36.920 an occupation or if they're talking about raising children. 30:36.920 --> 30:43.120 I think that they give 100 percent, if not more than 100 percent to what they do. 30:43.120 --> 30:46.200 And like Maureen said, it's often not just one thing that they're doing. 30:46.200 --> 30:48.800 They're balancing many things. 30:48.800 --> 30:53.840 Occupations, motherhood, caregiving, volunteering. 30:53.840 --> 30:59.240 So I think that it has to be a calling of some sort if they're doing that much and with 30:59.240 --> 31:03.240 that much devotion. 31:03.240 --> 31:07.120 Did you both attend the 2000 conference? 31:07.120 --> 31:13.760 I'll ask the others about that. 31:13.760 --> 31:20.560 I actually went and I just loved it and I'll ask you two more about that. 31:20.560 --> 31:26.040 But it was very important for women, I think, in Worcester to know of our history here 31:26.040 --> 31:34.360 and to have Evie Kelly Foster and others who were suffragettes as well as abolitionists 31:34.360 --> 31:38.560 in our history. 31:38.560 --> 31:42.520 And I think that's a lot of history to be proud of in Worcester. 31:42.520 --> 31:47.760 And I think sometimes Worcesterites might have a bit of a complex that Worcester is 31:47.760 --> 31:53.640 in Boston, but if you delve into the history of Worcester, we have a lot to be proud of. 31:53.640 --> 31:59.840 And I think that's part of what we're hoping to bring forth with this book. 31:59.840 --> 32:03.960 And I think that when you talk to Linda and Heather Lynn, you'll find out a lot about 32:03.960 --> 32:08.800 that Women 2000 conference and why they put it together and how we're marking history 32:08.800 --> 32:11.520 and the importance of history in Worcester. 32:11.520 --> 32:17.000 And I think the oral history project started that way too so that we can begin to document 32:17.000 --> 32:20.280 current day history for future historians. 32:20.280 --> 32:26.040 But I think Maureen and I feel that this book also and the oral history project also develops 32:26.040 --> 32:30.720 a sense of community, that by listening to other women's stories that we're developing 32:30.720 --> 32:37.240 community that we can all identify with something in almost any story that we read. 32:37.240 --> 32:42.040 And even if our lives aren't similar to the women that we're reading about, there's often 32:42.040 --> 32:45.360 a challenge that we can admire or that inspires us. 32:45.360 --> 32:50.720 So I think that the oral history project and this book does a pretty good job of inspiring 32:50.720 --> 32:51.720 community. 32:51.720 --> 33:00.440 I'm sure there are names of people who aren't here in this interview who should be named. 33:00.440 --> 33:02.040 And I noticed them in the book. 33:02.040 --> 33:08.800 So I just wanted to know if you'd like to name them before you stop and go to the signing. 33:08.800 --> 33:15.000 I think Maureen and I are just very appreciative and thankful of all the support that the main 33:15.000 --> 33:18.920 organization, the Western Women's History Project, has given us. 33:18.920 --> 33:23.560 The past president, the current president, Heather Lynn Haley, all have been very, very 33:23.560 --> 33:28.400 supportive of both the oral history project and our work on this book. 33:28.400 --> 33:32.440 And I think we'd also want to thank our own oral history project committee very, very 33:32.440 --> 33:37.240 much because they've been great about supporting us in this book project. 33:37.240 --> 33:40.480 You're going to put me on the spot. 33:40.480 --> 33:47.080 If I name them, I'm sure to forget someone. 33:47.080 --> 34:06.280 Well Arlene Vadum, Gina Edmonds, Nancy Lemmeres, Stephanie Yule, Judy Bask, Nancy Johnson was 34:06.280 --> 34:11.160 the one that was escaping me. 34:11.160 --> 34:14.440 Lisa is no longer part of the oral history project, but thank you for mentioning her 34:14.440 --> 34:21.040 because Lisa was a big part of starting the oral history project and setting us on a way. 34:21.040 --> 34:26.160 Lisa is a true oral historian who is a professor at Worcester State University and she was 34:26.160 --> 34:27.160 a big help. 34:27.160 --> 34:32.200 And Linda might be able to fill you in a little bit more on the start up of that when she 34:32.200 --> 34:34.760 was of such help to us. 34:34.760 --> 34:41.320 Well, it's been wonderful to see that the Worcester media is reflecting this great achievement. 34:41.320 --> 34:46.800 It's been great to see all the interviews you've had and great interviews. 34:46.800 --> 34:50.680 And I look forward to attending this event tonight. 34:50.680 --> 34:52.360 We'll be filming it. 34:52.360 --> 34:56.240 So we'll let our viewers see what's happening and listen to you. 34:56.240 --> 34:57.640 And I want to thank you. 34:57.640 --> 35:02.880 I know you have to go along and get ready, but we still have Linda and Heather Lynn to 35:02.880 --> 35:03.880 interview. 35:03.880 --> 35:05.040 And thank you so much. 35:05.040 --> 35:07.040 And we'll look forward to later. 35:07.040 --> 35:09.080 Thank you for coming. 35:09.080 --> 35:11.280 We appreciate this very much. 35:11.280 --> 35:12.280 Thank you so much. 35:12.280 --> 35:13.280 We'll see you later. 35:13.280 --> 35:17.360 So now we have Linda Rosenblum. 35:17.360 --> 35:18.680 Linda, hi. 35:18.680 --> 35:23.980 Linda is someone I've known for many years and I'm so thrilled that you're on the show 35:23.980 --> 35:28.180 now and can talk about the oral history project that you started for the Women's Worcester 35:28.180 --> 35:29.180 History Project. 35:29.180 --> 35:30.180 Please. 35:30.180 --> 35:37.180 Okay, well the Worcester Women's History Project, as we know, was founded by a small group of 35:37.420 --> 35:44.420 women in 1994, and each year, or maybe every two or three years, the steering committee 35:46.620 --> 35:52.900 meets and reviews what has been done and what can be done in the future to really sustain 35:52.900 --> 35:59.900 the project and become and stay a resource for the city of Worcester. So back in 2004, 36:00.820 --> 36:07.820 the steering committee started to wonder what can be done next, and the group of women decided 36:09.980 --> 36:16.380 that an oral history project would really fit into the mission of documenting the contributions 36:16.380 --> 36:23.380 of Worcester women. So we decided to do a fundraiser in the year 2005. It was very well 36:25.700 --> 36:32.700 attended at Union Station, and that provided seed money to hire an actual professional 36:34.180 --> 36:40.700 consultant, and that was Lisa Krissoff-Bing, who was a history professor at Worcester State, 36:40.700 --> 36:47.700 at that time college, not university. And Lisa was instrumental in preparing the project 36:47.940 --> 36:54.100 and organizing it in a professional way, because people think that, a lot of people think, 36:54.100 --> 36:58.380 and I was one of those people, that, well how hard can this be? Just go out and interview 36:58.380 --> 37:05.100 people, document it, and then you're on your way. But you actually need quite a few parameters, 37:05.100 --> 37:10.740 you need consent forms and deed of gifts, and all those things that people really don't 37:10.740 --> 37:17.740 think about, so that we can use the words for future programming, and such as this book. 37:17.740 --> 37:24.740 So you have been guiding this project since then, for almost 10 years? 37:25.740 --> 37:32.460 Well, it started in 2005. I was a past president of the Worcester Women's History Project, 37:32.460 --> 37:38.300 so when I was president, I think that was from 2003 through 2005, that's when it was 37:38.300 --> 37:44.700 decided to undertake the Oral History Project. And from there I became the founding chair 37:44.700 --> 37:51.700 of the Oral History Project. And I did that for about two years, and then, a stroke of 37:52.100 --> 37:58.540 bad fortune, Maureen and Charlene joined the steering committee and took over the project 37:58.540 --> 38:05.540 at that time. I still sit on the committee, but they're guiding the project. 38:05.540 --> 38:10.100 And are there any themes that you found in the oral history narratives of the interviews 38:10.100 --> 38:17.100 that are important for you to mention, and maybe it goes back to why you wanted to do 38:17.100 --> 38:22.100 it in the first place? Why is it important to have oral history? 38:22.100 --> 38:29.100 Well, as I mentioned in the preface of the book, or the foreword, Maureen and Charlene 38:29.100 --> 38:34.100 had asked me to write that. So when I started to reflect on really why I thought this was 38:34.100 --> 38:39.100 important, I was brought back to my grandmother and my great-grandmother on my mother's side. 38:39.100 --> 38:44.100 And my great-grandmother had emigrated here from Italy at the turn of the century, and 38:44.100 --> 38:50.100 she did not know how to read or write. So when I got involved with genealogy, I realized 38:50.100 --> 38:56.100 I am not going to be one of those people that could ever find a journal or a diary. 38:56.100 --> 39:03.100 So I believe strongly in the oral tradition, and this project was developed with the idea 39:03.100 --> 39:12.100 that we're not interested in only the women that are doing wonderful public things in 39:12.100 --> 39:17.100 the community. We're also interested in the ordinary people, the people that often say, 39:17.100 --> 39:21.100 why do you want to talk to me? I don't really have anything to share, because we know that's 39:21.100 --> 39:29.100 not true. They're balancing their work at their home, their families, very often their 39:29.100 --> 39:34.100 activists in their community, and oftentimes they have the glue that holds the community 39:34.100 --> 39:38.100 together. And I think, as Maureen had stated before, 39:38.100 --> 39:47.100 Worcester has a lot to be proud of. And many people don't know that. They don't know the 39:47.100 --> 39:53.100 history of the city. They don't know that it was a hotbed of reform in the 1850s. We 39:53.100 --> 39:59.100 have a lot to be proud of here, and we continue. I mean, we have many, many immigrants that 39:59.100 --> 40:05.100 come to make Worcester their home, and we try to document that in this project as well. 40:05.100 --> 40:11.100 Well, that's great. I know that you have a role to play tonight that you have to get 40:11.100 --> 40:16.100 ready for. So I just want to say thank you so much for this personal interview, and we'll 40:16.100 --> 40:22.100 be down to listen to you and to film the whole thing in just a little while. Thank you so 40:22.100 --> 40:28.100 much. Thank you very much, Virginia. We really, really appreciate it. 40:28.100 --> 40:35.100 Okay, now I'm greeting Heather Lynn Haley, who is the president of the Women's Worcester 40:35.100 --> 40:39.100 History Project, among many other things, many other houses. But today we're talking 40:39.100 --> 40:44.100 about that. And Heather, do you prefer Heather Lynn or just Heather? 40:44.100 --> 40:47.100 Heather Lynn. Okay. Heather, please tell us more about the 40:47.100 --> 40:53.100 goals of the project and some of the things that you're working on at the present time. 40:53.100 --> 41:00.100 Sure. Thank you, Virginia. As you've heard already, listening to people talk about the 41:00.100 --> 41:06.100 Oral History Project, that's one of our large initiatives right now. And we are still building 41:06.100 --> 41:11.100 the Oral History Project. We have a higher education collaborative that's part of the 41:11.100 --> 41:16.100 project. I think Linda was modest in describing her role in putting this together. It's really 41:16.100 --> 41:22.100 very complex, the way that they collect the histories by working with different colleges 41:22.100 --> 41:29.100 and professors at different colleges, teaching in different courses, use the Oral History 41:29.100 --> 41:35.100 Project as an assignment for their students to give them the opportunity to collect firsthand 41:35.100 --> 41:41.100 information. And then those interviews are shared with us and added to our collection. 41:41.100 --> 41:46.100 So all those people are using a common set of questions. So there's a pretty active committee 41:46.100 --> 41:53.100 as they describe that works on that initiative. In the past, we've done other projects. For 41:53.100 --> 42:03.100 example, have you been to Mechanics Hall? Yes. So if you go to Mechanics Hall, it looks 42:03.100 --> 42:10.100 like your ordinary hall with lots of giant oil paintings of rich and famous people. But 42:10.100 --> 42:15.100 it's not just men. There were women up there as well who were very influential in the way 42:15.100 --> 42:20.100 shaping the way that we live today. And that's something that was an initiative of the Worcester 42:20.100 --> 42:26.100 Women's History Project to raise the funds and commission the artists to create works 42:26.100 --> 42:33.100 of art that were of comparable value to the ones that were already up there of the men, 42:33.100 --> 42:40.100 high quality artwork. We've also put plaques on various buildings to help people know about 42:40.100 --> 42:47.100 women's history as it relates to women's rights in Worcester. And there's a trail guide that 42:47.100 --> 42:54.100 we also have put together that shows us a few different walking paths around the city 42:54.100 --> 43:01.100 and highlighting historically significant homes and public buildings that were relevant 43:01.100 --> 43:07.100 to the story of women's rights around 1850. So those are several of the different things 43:07.100 --> 43:14.100 we've done in the past. We do outreach now locally at the Start on the Street festivals 43:14.100 --> 43:20.100 in the spring and the fall. You'll often find us on the Common during the summer on Fridays 43:20.100 --> 43:27.100 at the city's concert series. We often set up a table where we offer free quilling, which 43:27.100 --> 43:34.100 is an interactive activity that we do with kids all over the city to help them learn 43:34.100 --> 43:41.100 a skill that's easy to do and has historic meaning to it. It's easy to do and it's 43:41.100 --> 43:47.100 easily transferred and you can use recycled materials. And so I think that's one of the 43:47.100 --> 43:52.100 places where people see us in the community now is at those events. And while we're showing 43:52.100 --> 43:58.100 the kids the arts and crafts, we're also educating the families about the history of 43:58.100 --> 44:03.100 Worcester and sharing some of the materials that we've developed over time. We also sponsor 44:03.100 --> 44:10.100 a play about Abby Kelly Foster called Yours for Humanity, Abby, where we sponsor a wonderful 44:10.100 --> 44:16.100 actress named Lynn McKenney Lydeck. Several of our past steering committee members wrote 44:16.100 --> 44:24.100 the play based on texts written by Abby in letters back and forth with her daughter as 44:24.100 --> 44:27.100 she was traveling the country fighting for women's rights. 44:27.100 --> 44:36.100 Okay, Abby Kelly Foster is one of our local heroes. You may know there's a school named 44:36.100 --> 44:41.100 after her. So many people have heard of her because of the Abby Kelly Foster school, but 44:41.100 --> 44:46.100 they're not really sure what she did and why they named a school after her. Well, Abby 44:46.100 --> 44:52.100 Kelly Foster was around in the 1850s when people were fighting for a women's right to 44:52.100 --> 44:59.100 vote. It was also the time where they were fighting for the rights of Africans, Americans. 44:59.100 --> 45:05.100 And so she was involved with both of those movements. She was very active, she was vocal, 45:05.100 --> 45:11.100 and she was not afraid. She would stand and speak her mind and tell people what she thought 45:11.100 --> 45:17.100 was right or not right and try to make a difference so that there would be equality for all people 45:17.100 --> 45:26.100 regardless of age or gender or race. And so she was really a pioneer at a time when women 45:26.100 --> 45:32.100 weren't allowed to speak publicly. She went out and spoke publicly and she got a lot of 45:32.100 --> 45:38.100 flack for it. People yelled at her for speaking in front of a promiscuous audience, which 45:38.100 --> 45:42.100 at the time meant a crowd that was men and women together in the same crowd. That was 45:42.100 --> 45:48.100 something that was frowned upon in those days. She was kicked out of a church in Connecticut 45:48.100 --> 45:58.100 for spreading her, I don't know, she was really causing a ruckus. And she's actually going 45:58.100 --> 46:03.100 back, Abby, our actress, is going back to that same church in Connecticut next year 46:03.100 --> 46:09.100 and she's going to give the play for the congregation there and talk about how things have changed 46:09.100 --> 46:16.100 since the end of slavery. I do not remember the name of the town, but you'll be able to 46:16.100 --> 46:23.100 find out on our webpage. We have a very active web presence. We have a Facebook page also, 46:23.100 --> 46:29.100 but if you go to our website, which is www.hp.org, which stands for Worcester Women's History 46:29.100 --> 46:37.100 Project, www.hp, you'll find that you can access documents for almost all of what happened 46:37.100 --> 46:43.100 in 1850 at the first National Women's Rights Convention held here in Worcester. We have 46:43.100 --> 46:50.100 transcripts of what everyone said, so if you want to read Abby's speech, you can. We have 46:50.100 --> 46:58.100 many other supporting documents. We have curriculum packets for use in the schools. We have access 46:58.100 --> 47:04.100 to all the oral histories, so you can read those. Some of the oral histories were actually 47:04.100 --> 47:11.100 conducted through Holy Cross and their Deaf Studies Department with people who are deaf. 47:11.100 --> 47:19.100 I believe you can watch the video of the interviews being done in sign language and then students 47:19.100 --> 47:26.100 translated from the sign language into English. There's all kinds of neat stuff on the webpage 47:26.100 --> 47:32.100 that you can see. We really welcome you to go and learn more about our organization. 47:32.100 --> 47:38.100 We have an events committee that's pretty active. We sponsor oral history workshops 47:38.100 --> 47:44.100 for the community, as well as those tables out at community events that I told you about 47:44.100 --> 47:52.100 earlier. We also sponsor reading by local women authors, which used to happen every 47:52.100 --> 47:58.100 February. We're moving it to March this year in celebration of Women's History Month, 47:58.100 --> 48:04.100 which is in March. You'll find details about that on our webpage as well. We have really 48:04.100 --> 48:11.100 interesting authors lined up for the 2012 version. I think I've probably spoken long 48:11.100 --> 48:16.100 enough. Let me ask you, who were the founders? It was a small group of people that founded 48:16.100 --> 48:22.100 the Women's Worcester. I'd like to know their name. The founders of the Worcester Women's 48:22.100 --> 48:29.100 History Project. I can tell you it began with Lisa Connolly Cook, who was a student at Clark. 48:29.100 --> 48:34.100 She read in a textbook that the first National Women's Rights Convention was held in Worcester 48:34.100 --> 48:40.100 in 1850. She was amazed. She grew up in Worcester and was a history fan. How could she not have 48:40.100 --> 48:45.100 known that? She decided that there really should be an organization that spread the 48:45.100 --> 48:52.100 word so that other people would know that this was part of Worcester's history. She 48:52.100 --> 48:59.100 worked together with a really dynamic, amazing group of women. I was not involved at that 48:59.100 --> 49:05.100 time. I don't know that I could list all of them. You can go on the website and read 49:05.100 --> 49:10.100 all about the history of the organization itself. Many of the names that you'll see 49:10.100 --> 49:15.100 there are people that you'll know from other community groups. I think our steering committee 49:15.100 --> 49:23.100 at various times has included faculty from most, if not all, of the local colleges. Several 49:23.100 --> 49:30.100 of the local nonprofit and social service agencies. I believe Linda Cavioli from the 49:30.100 --> 49:38.100 YWCA was involved at the founding, as was Judy Kirk, who's now at the Boys and Girls 49:38.100 --> 49:45.100 Club. You may know some of the names on that list. 49:45.100 --> 49:51.100 I was actually at the weekend. It was a wonderful weekend. I do know Lisa very well. Lisa is 49:51.100 --> 49:57.100 kind of like that amazing woman. I want to thank you so much, Heather, Lynn, Haley, for 49:57.100 --> 50:05.100 coming to the show today and for being the guiding light for this group right now. It's 50:05.100 --> 50:11.100 a wonderful presence in Worcester, and we look forward to seeing you downstairs at the 50:11.100 --> 50:12.100 signing. 50:12.100 --> 50:16.100 Yes, I can't wait. It's such an interesting book. I haven't even finished it yet. I just 50:16.100 --> 50:22.100 got my copy, but it's terrific. If you haven't got your copy yet, you can go to Amazon or 50:22.100 --> 50:32.100 to the voicesofworcesterwomen.blogspot.com. I'm pretty sure it was. Sure, terrific. Thanks. 50:32.100 --> 50:35.100 Thank you very much. 50:35.100 --> 50:40.100 Good afternoon. My name is Linda Rosenlund. I've been involved with the Worcester Women's 50:40.100 --> 50:45.100 History Project for quite some time. I'm the founding chair of the Oral History Project, 50:45.100 --> 50:52.100 and it brings me great pride to be here tonight to introduce Charlene Martin and Maureen Ryan 50:52.100 --> 50:59.100 Doyle. First of all, I'd like to welcome Joe Keddie, our mayor-elect, in the back of the 50:59.100 --> 51:07.100 room. Thank you, Joe, for coming in. 51:07.100 --> 51:13.100 It would take me many, many minutes to introduce all of the people that I'm looking at right 51:13.100 --> 51:18.100 now. All of you have been tremendous supporters of the Women's History Project, and we're 51:18.100 --> 51:24.100 very thankful for your support, your friendship, and your commitment. I do want to call attention. 51:24.100 --> 51:36.100 I do see one past president of the Women's History Project here, Fran Langille. 51:36.100 --> 51:44.100 And the current president, Heather Lynn Haley, she's in the back of the room beyond the mayor-elect. 51:44.100 --> 51:55.100 And I'd also like to welcome the representative of the Mass Cultural Council. Thank you. 51:55.100 --> 52:02.100 What a fun event this will be tonight. We're here tonight to celebrate the work of two 52:02.100 --> 52:08.100 remarkable women who have researched the oral history transcripts of women who were interviewed 52:08.100 --> 52:14.100 as part of the Worcester Women's Oral History Project and compiled these excerpts into a 52:14.100 --> 52:20.100 book. Charlene and Maureen have given central Massachusetts a wonderful gift. Together, 52:20.100 --> 52:27.100 these stories underline the importance of preserving memories as well as providing a 52:27.100 --> 52:34.100 glimpse into the voices of a community in vivid, plainly spoken terms. Charlene, Maureen, 52:34.100 --> 52:41.100 and I share a special bond through our Assumption College connection. We are alumnae. We've 52:41.100 --> 52:47.100 worked at the college, and it was fun to discover that Charlene had been employed as a work 52:47.100 --> 52:53.100 study student for Maureen in the 70s in the Public Relations Office, and I was a work 52:53.100 --> 53:01.100 study student for Charlene in the Continuing Ed office in the 1980s. So instead of using 53:01.100 --> 53:07.100 my own words to introduce tonight's authors, I thought that I would go back to their own 53:07.100 --> 53:14.100 transcripts. They were interviewed back in 2008, and they were too humble to include 53:14.100 --> 53:21.100 those in the book, so I thought that that's what I would do, and I hope that's okay. Maureen 53:21.100 --> 53:27.100 Ryan Doyle graduated from Assumption College in what was the first class of women. She's 53:27.100 --> 53:35.100 an entrepreneur, owning her own freelance writing business and property management company. 53:35.100 --> 53:41.100 So those were my words. These are their words. So Maureen says, well, perhaps I should speak 53:41.100 --> 53:46.100 to my experience as the first class of woman at Assumption. That was kind of an interesting 53:46.100 --> 53:53.100 time in general to be in college. There are similarities to what you are all experiencing 53:53.100 --> 53:58.100 now because of the backdrop of the current war, but the Vietnam War was when I was in 53:58.100 --> 54:04.100 college. There was a difference in that we had a draft, so there was tension circling 54:04.100 --> 54:10.100 around campus. In terms of being a woman, the first class of woman as we arrived on 54:10.100 --> 54:15.100 campus, we were greeted by upperclassmen. Then because there were only men, they were 54:15.100 --> 54:22.100 offering each of us a red rose. Now that would never happen today, and I'm sure in a way 54:22.100 --> 54:31.100 it seemed so little house on the prairie-ish, but it was very sweet. I have a freelance 54:31.100 --> 54:38.100 writing business. I have a variety of customers. I do work for nonprofits. I do work for construction 54:38.100 --> 54:44.100 companies. I do work for architectural companies. I work for churches doing newsletters, brochures, 54:44.100 --> 54:50.100 that type of thing. And with the property management, I own several properties and I 54:50.100 --> 54:54.100 manage those properties. For instance, if there was ever a problem, a question, I'm 54:54.100 --> 54:59.100 the person who arranges whatever needs to be done. What I found is that it's difficult 54:59.100 --> 55:04.100 to balance both businesses, but also with family life because it's always a juggling 55:04.100 --> 55:10.100 act and it is for everybody. And there's no instruction manual on how to do it. And you 55:10.100 --> 55:14.100 know if you have a deadline and have two kids sick with the chicken pox, you have to find 55:14.100 --> 55:20.100 to balance the act. Not only balancing, but keeping a happy home life and realizing this 55:20.100 --> 55:28.100 is life and life's not a destination but a journey. Charlene Longy Martin spent most 55:28.100 --> 55:34.100 of her professional career at Assumption in the Continuing Education Department, and after 55:34.100 --> 55:39.100 filling a series of positions, she became dean of the program. She developed the first 55:39.100 --> 55:45.100 online courses for the college and she founded the Worcester Institute Senior Education, 55:45.100 --> 55:53.100 known as WISE. In her words, she said, I decided a couple of years ago that I was approaching 55:53.100 --> 55:58.100 50 that because I spent my whole professional life at Assumption, maybe it was time to do 55:58.100 --> 56:04.100 something different. And if I was going to do it at all, it seems a good time to do it. 56:04.100 --> 56:09.100 But I still loved, I actually always loved my job. There was no reason I had to leave, 56:09.100 --> 56:15.100 but it felt like the right time to be challenged in a new way. When I left Assumption, I decided 56:15.100 --> 56:20.100 to open my own business and I do, excuse me, I do work with, well I call it Pathfinders 56:20.100 --> 56:27.100 Retirement Innovations. So I still do work with older adults, educational programs and 56:27.100 --> 56:35.100 that kind of things. I do seminars for baby boomers who are approaching retirement. It's 56:35.100 --> 56:41.100 going to be different for baby boomers today because of longevity. We live much longer 56:41.100 --> 56:48.100 now than a couple of generations ago, so if you did in fact retire at say 60 or 65, you 56:48.100 --> 56:55.100 could conceivably have another 30 years to look forward to. She also says, I think for 56:55.100 --> 57:00.100 me success is being challenged with what I'm doing. It's more the challenge of doing 57:00.100 --> 57:05.100 something interesting and helping someone else. And I always felt about education while 57:05.100 --> 57:11.100 working at Assumption that I was helping adult students get their livestock on track and 57:11.100 --> 57:16.100 retooled to get a new career. And then later with older students, I really felt like I 57:16.100 --> 57:21.100 was making a difference in the latter halves of their lives. They would tell me things 57:21.100 --> 57:26.100 like, I don't know what I'd be doing if I didn't have WISE to come to. So for me it 57:26.100 --> 57:33.100 was to be able to offer something to other people and to help people. That's what I like 57:33.100 --> 57:40.100 to do. So please join me in giving a warm welcome to Charlene and Molly. 57:40.100 --> 57:56.100 Thank you Linda for those very kind remarks. Over the past year and a half, as Charlene 57:56.100 --> 58:02.100 and I have been researching writing this book, one of the most frequently asked questions 58:02.100 --> 58:09.100 that we have encountered is, why write a book about the lives of Worcester women? Well to 58:09.100 --> 58:14.100 answer thoroughly and completely, we need to delve a bit into the history of the women's 58:14.100 --> 58:21.100 movement and into the history of Worcester itself. In the mid-19th century, Worcester 58:21.100 --> 58:28.100 was a hotbed of religious and political activity. Abolitionists and those embracing the 58:28.100 --> 58:34.100 temperance movement spoke regularly from the podiums here in the city. Women did not have 58:34.100 --> 58:40.100 the votes and as a result had little voice and little control over their lives and their 58:40.100 --> 58:46.100 destinies. Yet it was in Worcester that the first National Women's Rights Convention 58:46.100 --> 58:55.100 was held in 1850. This was the very first organized national call to action. Attendance 58:55.100 --> 59:01.100 was estimated at over 1,000 people, including delegates from many states and some European 59:01.100 --> 59:09.100 countries. The final resolution of the convention called for equality before the law without 59:09.100 --> 59:17.100 distinction of sex or color. Despite controversy, outrage by critics and belittlement by opponents, 59:17.100 --> 59:23.100 the organized movement for women's rights began its long struggle and it began right 59:23.100 --> 59:31.100 here on Main Street in Brinley Hall. In October of 2000, the Worcester Women's History Project 59:31.100 --> 59:39.100 held a national three-day conference to commemorate the 150th anniversary of that convention. 59:39.100 --> 59:44.100 It was decided that work should continue to raise awareness of the convention and of Worcester's 59:44.100 --> 59:50.100 role in the history of women's rights. Then in 2005, the Worcester Women's Oral History 59:50.100 --> 59:58.100 Project began, recording and documenting the lives of ordinary women, women whose voices 59:58.100 --> 01:00:05.100 may have previously been left out of the historical record. We at OHP received invaluable assistance 01:00:05.100 --> 01:00:11.100 from local college students who conduct and transcribe oral histories for coursework and 01:00:11.100 --> 01:00:18.100 then turn their files over to OHP. We now have over 250 oral histories of Worcester area 01:00:18.100 --> 01:00:25.100 women. Our permanent repository is the Schlesinger Library on the History of Women in America 01:00:25.100 --> 01:00:34.100 on the campus of Radcliffe Institute at Harvard University. So why did we write this book? 01:00:34.100 --> 01:00:40.100 Because it is our contention that one way to build community is by sharing stories, 01:00:40.100 --> 01:00:48.100 and in this case, women's stories. We owe gratitude to the men and women from the 1850 convention 01:00:48.100 --> 01:00:54.100 who fought the comfortable conformity of their age and envisioned a new and brighter world 01:00:54.100 --> 01:01:02.100 of equality, opportunity, and respect. With this in mind, the first four chapters of our 01:01:02.100 --> 01:01:10.100 book reflect the four major themes that emerged from that 1850 convention, education, work, 01:01:10.100 --> 01:01:17.100 health, politics, and community involvement. There is a fifth chapter entitled Uniquely 01:01:17.100 --> 01:01:24.100 Worcester Remembrances. As we explore some of the stories of today's women, you may ask 01:01:24.100 --> 01:01:30.100 yourself how the experience of these women are like your own, or in what ways are their 01:01:30.100 --> 01:01:37.100 challenges different from what you've encountered? How far have we come, and how far do we still 01:01:37.100 --> 01:01:39.100 need to travel? 01:01:50.100 --> 01:01:57.100 I am not an oral historian, but I love to listen to people's stories. As a child, I 01:01:57.100 --> 01:02:03.100 listened to my mother and my aunt's stories around the kitchen table. As a sociology major 01:02:03.100 --> 01:02:09.100 in college, I learned about the value of studying different kinds of groups of people. My favorite 01:02:09.100 --> 01:02:15.100 group to study was always women, and when it came to selecting between using a statistical 01:02:15.100 --> 01:02:22.100 method of research or one that involved interviewing people, I chose the latter every time. So you 01:02:22.100 --> 01:02:28.100 can understand that when I was asked by Linda to co-chair the Worcester Women's Oral History 01:02:28.100 --> 01:02:35.100 Project a few years ago, it was easy for me to say yes. I love to study the lives of women, 01:02:35.100 --> 01:02:42.100 and I guess I'm a voyeur at heart. As I went through the process of editing the many oral 01:02:42.100 --> 01:02:47.100 history transcripts collected by the Oral History Project, I came to realize that there 01:02:47.100 --> 01:02:52.100 was not one I didn't enjoy reading. There wasn't one that I just tossed aside saying, 01:02:52.100 --> 01:02:58.100 well, that woman's life is boring. Quite the opposite. I started thinking about writing 01:02:58.100 --> 01:03:04.100 this book because although you can drive to Cambridge and hang around the Schlesinger Library 01:03:04.100 --> 01:03:11.100 archives and read all 250 of our stories, or you could go to our website to read the 01:03:11.100 --> 01:03:17.100 full transcripts, I thought that a book would be much more accessible. But I kept getting 01:03:17.100 --> 01:03:22.100 bogged down thinking about I don't know anything about finding a publisher until one day I 01:03:22.100 --> 01:03:27.100 just woke up and I realized I could just write the book. I just wanted to create a book of 01:03:27.100 --> 01:03:32.100 excerpts from these wonderful stories. So I started to plot an outline of how to begin 01:03:32.100 --> 01:03:36.100 when Maureen mentioned to me one day that she thought a book should be written too, and 01:03:36.100 --> 01:03:41.100 that sealed the deal. We began the project together. 01:03:41.100 --> 01:03:45.100 The first chapter gives an overview of what the Worcester Women's History Project is all 01:03:45.100 --> 01:03:50.100 about and how the Oral History Project came to be. You can read all about it, but I want 01:03:50.100 --> 01:03:55.100 to tell you that the women in this organization have done a wonderful job of reminding the 01:03:55.100 --> 01:04:00.100 people of Worcester and even beyond Worcester that the first National Women's Rights Convention 01:04:00.100 --> 01:04:07.100 was held in the city in 1850, something I never learned in any history book. That is 01:04:07.100 --> 01:04:12.100 an event that Worcester can be proud of. And the organization continues to showcase the 01:04:12.100 --> 01:04:18.100 role of women through various programs, including the Oral History Project. We see the Oral 01:04:18.100 --> 01:04:25.100 History Project as a way to document the lives of today's women for tomorrow's historians. 01:04:25.100 --> 01:04:31.100 But it is, as Maureen mentioned, also a way to create community. As we read or listen 01:04:31.100 --> 01:04:39.100 to these stories, we make connections. That, I believe, is the power of the story. We may 01:04:39.100 --> 01:04:44.100 find we share a common experience, or even if our lives are very different, we can find 01:04:44.100 --> 01:04:51.100 something to admire or inspire. When women say to our interviewers, and they almost always 01:04:51.100 --> 01:04:58.100 do, why would you want to hear my story? We say, why wouldn't we? And we're going to 01:04:58.100 --> 01:05:03.100 take, we're going to go back and forth tonight between the chapters and share a few of the 01:05:03.100 --> 01:05:09.100 excerpts. And the first chapter is education. Having worked in higher ed for about 30 years, 01:05:09.100 --> 01:05:15.100 I loved researching the education chapter. The opening reminds us how different things 01:05:15.100 --> 01:05:21.100 were for women in earlier years. Women were discouraged from getting an education, and 01:05:21.100 --> 01:05:27.100 some doctors even claimed that pursuing intellectual activities could physically harm women's 01:05:27.100 --> 01:05:37.100 lives and even prevent them from having children. Over 160 years later, we've come a long way. 01:05:37.100 --> 01:05:43.100 Women's educational opportunities have expanded, but even when college campuses opened up to 01:05:43.100 --> 01:05:49.100 women, we learned that equal access did not necessarily mean equal experiences. Some of 01:05:49.100 --> 01:05:54.100 the women I chose to include in this chapter tell stories of what their elementary, high 01:05:54.100 --> 01:06:01.100 school, or college experiences were like. Others, like Donna Connolly, Hannah Laibson, 01:06:01.100 --> 01:06:07.100 and Agretta McNeil, are included because they became teachers, counselors, or professors 01:06:07.100 --> 01:06:14.100 in schools and colleges. Nora Antoon Hakim was a teacher in the Japanese internment camps 01:06:14.100 --> 01:06:20.100 during World War II. Others talk about their experiences as an African American student, 01:06:20.100 --> 01:06:27.100 an immigrant student, an older student, a deaf student. Claire Quintal and Betty Hoskins 01:06:27.100 --> 01:06:33.100 share what it was like to be among the first female professors at formerly all-male or 01:06:33.100 --> 01:06:40.100 predominantly male colleges. It was difficult to select just 16 excerpts for this chapter, 01:06:40.100 --> 01:06:46.100 and it's even more difficult to pick just a couple to share with you tonight. I'll start 01:06:46.100 --> 01:06:51.100 with a woman who didn't feel she had many other options except to become a teacher. 01:06:51.100 --> 01:06:56.100 She becomes a powerful force in not only sharing the importance of women's issues within her 01:06:56.100 --> 01:07:03.100 own family, but with her students and community. So the first excerpt is about Linda Miller, 01:07:03.100 --> 01:07:11.100 who was interviewed in 2007 by Caitlin McDonald of the College of the Holy Cross. 01:07:11.100 --> 01:07:18.100 My mother came here when she was 17 from Brazil to marry my father. Mom was, I think, an amazing 01:07:18.100 --> 01:07:25.100 woman in that she never had a college education, but she was self-educated. She read voraciously. 01:07:25.100 --> 01:07:30.100 She had an inquiring mind. My father came here from Lebanon when he was seven, so his 01:07:30.100 --> 01:07:35.100 formative years were spent there, but then he went to junior high and high school here 01:07:35.100 --> 01:07:41.100 in Worcester. He decided to become a doctor. So he had a great value for education, and 01:07:41.100 --> 01:07:46.100 my mother did because she didn't have it formally. So it was always assumed that the three of 01:07:46.100 --> 01:07:51.100 us would go to college. My brother went to Williams. My sister went to Smith, so they 01:07:51.100 --> 01:07:58.100 set very high standards. I was the third. I went to Bates College in Lewiston, Maine. 01:07:58.100 --> 01:08:03.100 It was understood that we should all have a liberal arts education. My parents felt 01:08:03.100 --> 01:08:08.100 that was very important, no matter what you did afterwards. Bates wasn't my first choice, 01:08:08.100 --> 01:08:13.100 she laughs, to be very honest, but I received a fine education at Bates. I met some classmates 01:08:13.100 --> 01:08:18.100 there who were still friends over 40 years later. The professors were excellent. It was 01:08:18.100 --> 01:08:23.100 sort of understood in my family that you went to college to study, to learn, so I pretty 01:08:23.100 --> 01:08:28.100 much kept my nose to the grindstone. I think if I were to do it over again, I would have 01:08:28.100 --> 01:08:33.100 gone to a bigger university, but Bates was a fine, small college, and I'd say I got a 01:08:33.100 --> 01:08:40.100 good education. It got me into Harvard Graduate School of Education. I taught for 27 years 01:08:40.100 --> 01:08:46.100 total, middle school, eighth grade mostly. In my generation, and it was going to begin 01:08:46.100 --> 01:08:52.100 to change soon after, women didn't have all the options they have now. I didn't have all 01:08:52.100 --> 01:08:58.100 the options. My father wanted me and my sister to be nurses, but we didn't want to do that. 01:08:58.100 --> 01:09:03.100 Initially, we both became teachers. She went on to publishing from there, and I remained 01:09:03.100 --> 01:09:08.100 a teacher. When I first got into teaching, the Women's Liberation Movement had just begun. 01:09:08.100 --> 01:09:13.100 Betty Ferdinand had just written The Feminine Mystique, and so I got into this. Well, I 01:09:13.100 --> 01:09:18.100 went to the library to get my son some books, and I found books that said, Men are pilots, 01:09:18.100 --> 01:09:26.100 Women are stewardesses, Men are doctors, Women are nurses, Very blatant sexism. Well, I went 01:09:26.100 --> 01:09:30.100 to the Holden Library and found those books, and I raised the issue with the librarians 01:09:30.100 --> 01:09:35.100 at the same time and pointed this out. Even though I didn't have a daughter, it was important 01:09:35.100 --> 01:09:41.100 to me to show that girls could do anything. It was never suggested to me that I could 01:09:41.100 --> 01:09:47.100 be anything else but a nurse or teacher, or possibly a librarian. Now in my life, I see 01:09:47.100 --> 01:09:52.100 that I have strengths that suggest I could have been other things, not that I would have 01:09:52.100 --> 01:09:57.100 necessarily because I love to teach. It's been such a learning experience to learn from 01:09:57.100 --> 01:10:04.100 one's students. For the most part, I had wonderful students. That was Linda Miller. 01:10:04.100 --> 01:10:12.100 Another favorite of mine is Hilda Hein, who was interviewed at the age of 77 in 2009 by 01:10:12.100 --> 01:10:17.100 Laura Kass, who was a community volunteer for our project while she was a graduate student 01:10:17.100 --> 01:10:23.100 at Simmons College. Hilda Hein was born in Germany and was the first tenured female faculty 01:10:23.100 --> 01:10:32.100 member at Holy Cross. She was a professor of philosophy from 1970 until 1999. And then 01:10:32.100 --> 01:10:37.100 we came here to Worcester. By that time, I had just had my third child. I thought I would 01:10:37.100 --> 01:10:43.100 stay home, but after three weeks of that, she laughs, I decided I don't think I want 01:10:43.100 --> 01:10:49.100 to stay home. And so I tried to tuss for a while, but that didn't lead to a full-time 01:10:49.100 --> 01:10:54.100 job, so then I went to Holy Cross, which is how I ended up in Worcester. I was the first 01:10:54.100 --> 01:11:01.100 female professor at College of the Holy Cross to get tenured. Holy Cross went coed in 1972. 01:11:01.100 --> 01:11:07.100 I remember being asked in an elevator by one of the priests once, what do they, meaning 01:11:07.100 --> 01:11:18.100 women students, eat? Seriously. So of course I responded, cottage cheese and rye crisps. 01:11:18.100 --> 01:11:23.100 There was a fear that the presence of women would mean that all sorts of unspeakable things 01:11:23.100 --> 01:11:28.100 were turned up in the plumbing system, and there would be full-length mirrors in the 01:11:28.100 --> 01:11:35.100 bathrooms. And it was very strange. I thought they were absurd, and I said so, she laughs. 01:11:35.100 --> 01:11:41.100 I mean, I didn't go out on a campaign to prove that women were human beings, but essentially 01:11:41.100 --> 01:11:48.100 I did, I guess, because it was very much an old boy network. I taught a course on philosophy 01:11:48.100 --> 01:11:53.100 of women. Nobody would have thought of it before going coed. And actually the people 01:11:53.100 --> 01:11:58.100 who objected the most were not the faculty, but the students. It was a very conservative 01:11:58.100 --> 01:12:04.100 bunch of students, and they thought that this would just be a frill course, so I made it 01:12:04.100 --> 01:12:10.100 tough. And so I got 75 students in that class, which the majority were women, but the women 01:12:10.100 --> 01:12:16.100 were all freshmen, and that upset the men in the class, because the women, because of 01:12:16.100 --> 01:12:21.100 their number and because the course was relevant to women, it sort of gave them a position 01:12:21.100 --> 01:12:27.100 of power. Well, the men went berserk over that. You have to realize this was something 01:12:27.100 --> 01:12:32.100 that was going on all over the country at that time. I mean, this was late 60s, early 01:12:32.100 --> 01:12:37.100 70s. A lot of this kind of political exploration was going on. And so I was only doing what 01:12:37.100 --> 01:12:42.100 was happening everywhere else in my own eyes, but not in the eyes of either the administration 01:12:42.100 --> 01:12:48.100 or the students at Holy Cross. I think that nobody expected women to achieve the level 01:12:48.100 --> 01:12:53.100 of representation, both on the faculty and among the students, their significance. I 01:12:53.100 --> 01:12:57.100 just don't think that anybody imagined that. I think that all of the schools that went 01:12:57.100 --> 01:13:02.100 co-ed at the time made that decision not motivated by human rights issues or equality issues, 01:13:02.100 --> 01:13:08.100 but largely financial issues, because an increased pool from which you could select students, 01:13:08.100 --> 01:13:13.100 and it meant that you could get better students. But I don't think they understood, I don't 01:13:13.100 --> 01:13:18.100 think anybody understood the quality of change. How is this going to impact what we actually 01:13:18.100 --> 01:13:23.100 do here? I don't think they got it. And I think it happened at Holy Cross as it happened 01:13:23.100 --> 01:13:29.100 everywhere else. Women, young women now, more than older women my age, have a sense of entitlement. 01:13:29.100 --> 01:13:35.100 Of course the world is going to be there to provide their needs. That wasn't true then. 01:13:35.100 --> 01:13:41.100 It simply didn't enter into anyone's consciousness. And that did change over time. I just don't 01:13:41.100 --> 01:13:46.100 think that we can relax and say, okay, we've done it, we're there. I mean, I think that 01:13:46.100 --> 01:13:50.100 right now women are in a fairly good place, but I also don't want women to just become 01:13:50.100 --> 01:13:55.100 assimilated. I mean, I think that we need to change the world, not become a part of 01:13:55.100 --> 01:14:00.100 it the way it is, and we're not there yet. So that was from Hilde Heine. Now Maureen 01:14:00.100 --> 01:14:05.100 is going to read some selections from her chapter on work. 01:14:05.100 --> 01:14:11.100 As Charmaine mentioned, one of the most difficult tasks we faced was choosing which oral histories 01:14:11.100 --> 01:14:17.100 to include in excerpt form in each chapter, and then selecting the very few to share with 01:14:17.100 --> 01:14:24.100 you this evening. In the chapter on work, we see a gradual and profound evolution take 01:14:24.100 --> 01:14:31.100 place. Those oral histories from women coming of age in the 1930s to the 1960s speak of 01:14:31.100 --> 01:14:37.100 their job opportunities in the fields of nursing, teaching, and secretarial work. And while 01:14:37.100 --> 01:14:43.100 many women flourished in those careers, it was evident that no other career paths were 01:14:43.100 --> 01:14:49.100 open to them. They lived in a time when the help wanted section of newspapers were clearly 01:14:49.100 --> 01:14:56.100 divided into help wanted male and help wanted female. So this chapter contains the stories 01:14:56.100 --> 01:15:01.100 of nurses, such as Mildred Cummings, who states that one of the best decisions of her entire 01:15:01.100 --> 01:15:07.100 life was to become a nurse. We hear from Gail Nigrosh, a teacher who received her master's 01:15:07.100 --> 01:15:14.100 degree from Clark and her doctorate from Brown University. We also encounter Sister Carol 01:15:14.100 --> 01:15:22.100 Skihan, a motorcycle riding nun. Kathleen O'Connor, a teacher who later decided to become an 01:15:22.100 --> 01:15:29.100 intern. Gail England, whose career led her to the Worcester juvenile court, who had the 01:15:29.100 --> 01:15:35.100 distinction of being interviewed by her own daughter. And Jean Microdera Hill, who thought 01:15:35.100 --> 01:15:42.100 she was going to be a high school science teacher, but found her true calling as a writer. 01:15:42.100 --> 01:15:50.100 This is the story of Jill Barton. I have a bachelor's, bachelor of arts in English 01:15:50.100 --> 01:15:56.100 literature and theater performance. I also have a master's in divinity from Virginia 01:15:56.100 --> 01:16:04.100 Theological Seminary. I took a year off between college and getting my master's degree. You 01:16:04.100 --> 01:16:10.100 quickly find out that a bachelor's degree doesn't mean as much as it used to. At one 01:16:10.100 --> 01:16:16.100 point, I was going to marry a man who was going to be a minister. I was going to be 01:16:16.100 --> 01:16:24.100 a minister's wife and work in Christian education. But my call just changed and I sensed that 01:16:24.100 --> 01:16:34.100 God was calling me. It is not a usual thing for a woman to be a priest. I felt very much 01:16:34.100 --> 01:16:38.100 that there needed to be a younger female voice in priesthood saying that it doesn't always 01:16:38.100 --> 01:16:44.100 have to be older men who are relating to God. Women can relate to that instantly as well 01:16:44.100 --> 01:16:50.100 and God speaks to all of God's children, male and female. So having someone specifically 01:16:50.100 --> 01:16:57.100 to represent them, that became important to me. In the Episcopal Church, you go through 01:16:57.100 --> 01:17:04.100 a year-long discernment process. If you get through that process and many people agree 01:17:04.100 --> 01:17:10.100 that you are called to ministry, you pursue a master's degree. When you finish school, 01:17:10.100 --> 01:17:17.100 you look for a job. I now work at St. Francis Church in Holden. St. Francis is my home parish 01:17:17.100 --> 01:17:22.100 so I didn't think that I would be coming home. I thought I would be someplace in the 01:17:22.100 --> 01:17:29.100 South. But the rector reached out and said, you know, we want a younger female type. I'm 01:17:29.100 --> 01:17:37.100 the first female priest St. Francis has had. I love what I do. I get to preach the Gospel 01:17:37.100 --> 01:17:44.100 and hopefully reach a different group of people. I work closely with Pastoral Care and specifically 01:17:44.100 --> 01:17:50.100 Pastoral Care for Women. Since the Episcopal Church has a very liturgical tradition, I 01:17:50.100 --> 01:17:55.100 dress in an alb and stole for church. They don't even make priest clothes very well 01:17:55.100 --> 01:18:01.100 for women yet. And there are all these little girls in my congregation who have probably 01:18:01.100 --> 01:18:05.100 never seen a woman dressed like that standing up and presiding at the element and preaching 01:18:05.100 --> 01:18:12.100 a sermon, a sermon that I hope is relatively balanced between being emotional, educational, 01:18:12.100 --> 01:18:24.100 theological, and intellectual. I never saw that growing up and now they can. 01:18:24.100 --> 01:18:32.100 The next story is the oral history of Carrie Johnson. So I was able to go to college in 01:18:32.100 --> 01:18:38.100 California. I majored in journalism and really didn't know what I wanted to do, but somebody 01:18:38.100 --> 01:18:42.100 said that I was a good writer, so I started writing for the newspaper. And in college, 01:18:42.100 --> 01:18:49.100 I worked as a public relations person for the Community Youth Gang Services Project. When 01:18:49.100 --> 01:18:55.100 somebody got killed or we had to talk to gang members, here I am talking to these guys and 01:18:55.100 --> 01:18:58.100 trying to figure out where they're coming from and where they're going, getting them 01:18:58.100 --> 01:19:04.100 on television programs, getting people to know them, and do public service announcements. 01:19:04.100 --> 01:19:10.100 And it was a challenge, but I guess I was young enough to jump in and idealistic enough 01:19:10.100 --> 01:19:16.100 to fit in and make a difference. I was there for about two years before I moved back to 01:19:16.100 --> 01:19:22.100 Massachusetts. I wanted to work for the Metro, excuse me, I went to work for the Metro West 01:19:22.100 --> 01:19:28.100 Daily News as their first black reporter. Here I am, their first black reporter, and 01:19:28.100 --> 01:19:33.100 they were walking around on eggshells at first, tripping over themselves, trying not to offend 01:19:33.100 --> 01:19:38.100 or say the wrong thing. I feel I'm good at bringing people around and we all work well 01:19:38.100 --> 01:19:44.100 together. I went from there to the Telegram and Gazette. I ended up leaving the Telegram 01:19:44.100 --> 01:19:51.100 and Gazette because I started a cleaning company. I actually started it to make some extra money, 01:19:51.100 --> 01:19:57.100 and I started making more money there than I did at the Telegram and Gazette. It grew 01:19:57.100 --> 01:20:05.100 to be a three and one half million dollar company, and I had 165 employees. It probably 01:20:05.100 --> 01:20:10.100 could have gotten a lot bigger had we really known what we were doing. Watch the industry 01:20:10.100 --> 01:20:15.100 like you're supposed to. I'm very good at teaching business planning now, and I use 01:20:15.100 --> 01:20:24.100 my company Sparkle Cleaning as a case study. We were women in a male dominated industry. 01:20:24.100 --> 01:20:31.100 Women clean well, but men are masters at making money from it. And then here we come, trying 01:20:31.100 --> 01:20:37.100 to call ourselves competitors. So we walked into a conference room with 12 guys in business 01:20:37.100 --> 01:20:43.100 suits, 12 white men in business suits, and everybody's jaws would kind of drop to the 01:20:43.100 --> 01:20:49.100 ground, including ours. It was tough getting into corporate America because they weren't 01:20:49.100 --> 01:20:56.100 kicking the doors open for us. So we got involved in the AA program, which is a program to help 01:20:56.100 --> 01:21:03.100 minority businesses compete in getting government contracts. We worked with the Small Business 01:21:03.100 --> 01:21:09.100 Administration and ended up doing quite well. We did Hansel and Mary Force Base, Fort Devons, 01:21:09.100 --> 01:21:15.100 and Newport for the Navy. We did federal buildings in Maine, and we did a lot of post offices. 01:21:15.100 --> 01:21:23.100 We were in four states, Maine, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island. 17 years 01:21:23.100 --> 01:21:30.100 later, we sold it. Sparkle is still going on. It helped me grow as a person. It helped me 01:21:30.100 --> 01:21:36.100 to feel like I was worth something. I sent two kids to college, bought a house, bought 01:21:36.100 --> 01:21:43.100 a real car, and took my kids on vacation. I wrote a book about my experience, and it's 01:21:43.100 --> 01:21:49.100 called From the Pits to the Path. I started teaching at the Center for Work and Enterprise 01:21:49.100 --> 01:21:55.100 a long time ago, and I just love it. I do a 14-week business planning course. And then 01:21:55.100 --> 01:22:01.100 I said that I wanted to try college, and I met Quintzigamon Community College. They started 01:22:01.100 --> 01:22:06.100 me out with business ethics, and it's a great time to teach business ethics with all the 01:22:06.100 --> 01:22:13.100 material that's out there. There are two quotes that are all about everything that I value, 01:22:13.100 --> 01:22:22.100 that I try to convey in talking to women because we just need it. One is, the greatest glory 01:22:22.100 --> 01:22:28.100 is not in ever falling, but in rising every time you fall. And the other is from Henry 01:22:28.100 --> 01:22:35.100 Ford. Whether you think you can or you think you can't, you're right. 01:22:35.100 --> 01:22:48.100 For the health chapter, I wanted to include three categories of life stories. First from 01:22:48.100 --> 01:22:54.100 women who entered the healthcare field, such as Dr. Linda Young, who went to medical school 01:22:54.100 --> 01:22:59.100 when women were still a rarity there, and who is now president of the Massachusetts 01:22:59.100 --> 01:23:05.100 Medical Society. And Mary Alexewicz, who became a nurse because it was either that or a teacher 01:23:05.100 --> 01:23:12.100 or a secretary, and who is now a high-level healthcare administrator. The second category 01:23:12.100 --> 01:23:17.100 includes women like Laura Connolly and Ann Klunk, who took on the caretaking role for 01:23:17.100 --> 01:23:25.100 six spouses, elderly parents, grandchildren, and sometimes, like Pat Masiello, all of the 01:23:25.100 --> 01:23:33.100 above. Caretaking often falls to women. The third category is women who face their own 01:23:33.100 --> 01:23:40.100 health challenges. Now women in 1850 had some of the same diseases that we still have today, 01:23:40.100 --> 01:23:46.100 but they also dealt with a lack of female doctors and with the restrictions of the modesty 01:23:46.100 --> 01:23:51.100 of the times that kept them from seeing male doctors or discussing personal matters with 01:23:51.100 --> 01:23:57.100 them. Some of the health issues that women talk about in this book may have been around 01:23:57.100 --> 01:24:04.100 160 years ago, but they weren't discussed. So in this book, I salute the women who courageously 01:24:04.100 --> 01:24:10.100 share the stories of their own health issues, especially ones that were taboo not that long 01:24:10.100 --> 01:24:18.100 ago, like Ann McCarron's story of sexual abuse and Wilma Sanchez's story of drug addiction. 01:24:18.100 --> 01:24:22.100 Both women not only give a voice to these issues, but went on to help others with the 01:24:22.100 --> 01:24:29.100 same problems. Another woman in this last category is Sue Lewandowski. She was interviewed 01:24:29.100 --> 01:24:38.100 in 2009 by Erin Murchette and Eileen Finn of Assumption College. My only challenges 01:24:38.100 --> 01:24:44.100 were related to the eating disorder. When you develop an eating disorder, it takes over 01:24:44.100 --> 01:24:50.100 your life. It interferes with your emotional health, physical health, psychological health, 01:24:50.100 --> 01:24:55.100 your ability to concentrate on a job or your studies, and it's very difficult to recover 01:24:55.100 --> 01:25:03.100 from. I suffered from bulimia for 25 years. I developed it at 19 within a few weeks after 01:25:03.100 --> 01:25:09.100 the death of my father, and I have only been recovered since 1999, so I wasted about 25 01:25:09.100 --> 01:25:15.100 years of my life. For all practical purposes, there were several times I should have died. 01:25:15.100 --> 01:25:23.100 I have survived, and I have a voice that can help. I did it very well for the first 10 01:25:23.100 --> 01:25:29.100 years I had it. The word bulimia hadn't even, well I'm sure it existed, but it had never 01:25:29.100 --> 01:25:36.100 been in the public eye. My eating disorder started in January of 1974, at least the bulimia 01:25:36.100 --> 01:25:41.100 did. It was in the 80s when I first heard the word, when I realized that I was not the 01:25:41.100 --> 01:25:46.100 only one in the world that had this horrible problem. But by then it was so enmeshed in 01:25:46.100 --> 01:25:53.100 my everyday living that I couldn't stop, and I stopped trying to stop. An eating disorder 01:25:53.100 --> 01:26:00.100 doesn't just happen on a diet. It's like a puzzle. The pieces here and there come together, 01:26:00.100 --> 01:26:06.100 and you start poking in certain directions, and the pieces fill in maladaptive behaviors. 01:26:06.100 --> 01:26:11.100 In my case, my mother had cancer when I was growing up. She had depression because of 01:26:11.100 --> 01:26:17.100 it, which turned into mental illness. So my mother's relationship in mine is very difficult. 01:26:17.100 --> 01:26:22.100 And then when my ex-husband came into the picture, I was torn and torn into again. So 01:26:22.100 --> 01:26:27.100 when you are already down that path, you already have problems with relationships. And when 01:26:27.100 --> 01:26:33.100 every minute is spent thinking about food, or eating, or finding the bathroom to throw 01:26:33.100 --> 01:26:38.100 it up, it gets really difficult to maintain relationships, especially when you don't 01:26:38.100 --> 01:26:45.100 want anybody to know. I look at things as a jigsaw puzzle, and I have a lot of pieces. 01:26:45.100 --> 01:26:50.100 While in my own recovery during the process of that 25 years, I developed alcoholism. 01:26:50.100 --> 01:26:55.100 I was a pretty hard alcoholic for about five years, and I've been sober now for 16 and 01:26:55.100 --> 01:27:00.100 a half years. And in sobriety, I've learned how to cope with life on life's turns, and 01:27:00.100 --> 01:27:06.100 gradually rebuild the puzzle of my life. There are no facilities in Worcester County that 01:27:06.100 --> 01:27:11.100 treat eating disorders. There are maybe four or five nutritionists, maybe five or six therapists. 01:27:11.100 --> 01:27:16.100 I have yet to find a primary care physician that specializes in eating disorders. And 01:27:16.100 --> 01:27:21.100 so my goal is to bring services to Worcester County to treat people with eating disorders, 01:27:21.100 --> 01:27:28.100 because they are most successfully treated with early diagnosis. I think I have to help. 01:27:28.100 --> 01:27:34.100 I have no choice. You know, there's just no question about it. I have a voice now, and 01:27:34.100 --> 01:27:41.100 I'm not going to let these young kids spend 25 years doing what I did. Sue told me recently 01:27:41.100 --> 01:27:46.100 that she just completed her master's in health education in eating disorders, and she does 01:27:46.100 --> 01:27:53.100 she's lobbied several times in Washington, D.C. to help with those suffering from eating 01:27:53.100 --> 01:28:01.100 disorders. Our youngest interviewee in the Oral History Project and in this book is a 01:28:01.100 --> 01:28:07.100 young woman who has let no health challenge stop her. Samantha Veo was 18 when she was 01:28:07.100 --> 01:28:13.100 interviewed in 2008 by Kimberly Powell of the College of the Holy Cross, who was assisted 01:28:13.100 --> 01:28:19.100 by two interpreters of American Sign Language, Rebecca Barton and Caitlin Scott of Northeastern 01:28:19.100 --> 01:28:28.100 University. I go to the Learning Center. It is a school for deaf kids. My favorite class 01:28:28.100 --> 01:28:34.100 would have to be math. I really love solving problems. My mom didn't find out I was deaf. 01:28:34.100 --> 01:28:38.100 I think I was around 10 months old when my parents found out. So, you know, they don't 01:28:38.100 --> 01:28:44.100 know if I was born deaf or if it was right after I became really sick. I was born with 01:28:44.100 --> 01:28:50.100 CP, cerebral palsy. My parents told me I was born with CP, and I went to the doctors and 01:28:50.100 --> 01:28:56.100 physical therapy, and they told me I would probably never walk. So I proved them all 01:28:56.100 --> 01:29:03.100 wrong, because I can walk. I like to play. I can do everything. I've been involved with 01:29:03.100 --> 01:29:10.100 the Special Olympics since 1997, and I started competing in 98. I do gymnastics. I do soccer, 01:29:10.100 --> 01:29:16.100 bowling, baseball and basketball. I have two favorites. The first is bowling and the second 01:29:16.100 --> 01:29:22.100 is gymnastics. My mom first told me about modeling. She asked me if I wanted to go and 01:29:22.100 --> 01:29:27.100 be in Seventeen magazine, and I was like, of course I do. So I filled out the application 01:29:27.100 --> 01:29:32.100 and I sent it in with my picture, and they wrote me back, and they said yes, they wanted 01:29:32.100 --> 01:29:38.100 me to go. They picked five girls out of 250 girls in the United States. So of course I 01:29:38.100 --> 01:29:43.100 was excited. I couldn't wait to go. So I went to New York, and I was there for two days, 01:29:43.100 --> 01:29:49.100 and it was so much fun. Right now, I actually work in Boston as a model. And actually, a 01:29:49.100 --> 01:29:55.100 little update, Samantha's mom who came tonight explained that Samantha couldn't be here with 01:29:55.100 --> 01:30:00.100 us tonight, because she is now a student at Rochester Institute of Technology in New York 01:30:00.100 --> 01:30:03.100 studying engineering. 01:30:03.100 --> 01:30:23.100 I can honestly say that while Charlene and I researched the original oral history transcripts 01:30:23.100 --> 01:30:28.100 at the Schlesinger Library at Harvard, there was not a single story that I didn't find 01:30:28.100 --> 01:30:36.100 compelling on some level. Women's lives are interesting. Chapter five focuses on politics 01:30:36.100 --> 01:30:42.100 and community involvement. Here you'll encounter Dr. Mary Lou Anderson, who grew up in an 01:30:42.100 --> 01:30:47.100 extremely political family, where she was taught how to stand up for herself and question 01:30:47.100 --> 01:30:53.100 authority. Sarah Robertson, the first female mayor of Worcester, city councilor Barbara 01:30:53.100 --> 01:31:00.100 Howell. Virginia Swain, director of the Institute of Global Leadership, as well as Melanie Demarison, 01:31:00.100 --> 01:31:07.100 Elizabeth Dean, two women who were very involved with the League of Women Voters. Here is the 01:31:07.100 --> 01:31:11.100 story of Harriet Chandler. 01:31:11.100 --> 01:31:17.100 This was a very late career goal. I started as a teacher when that was one of the few 01:31:17.100 --> 01:31:22.100 jobs I could have gotten when I graduated from college. I went on to get a master's degree 01:31:22.100 --> 01:31:29.100 from Clark and they allowed me to do a doctorate, a PhD in international relations and government. 01:31:29.100 --> 01:31:36.100 I taught at Clark, WPI, and Tufts. I took a job as the executive director of the national 01:31:36.100 --> 01:31:44.100 witness committees at Brandeis. Then I decided I wanted my MBA, so I had a variety of jobs. 01:31:44.100 --> 01:31:51.100 That is not typical for someone my age. We never expected to work full time. Careers were 01:31:51.100 --> 01:31:57.100 not really expected. It was great concern in 1990 about the fact that the schools were 01:31:57.100 --> 01:32:03.100 so bad that realtors were having some trouble selling homes. I thought that maybe I could 01:32:03.100 --> 01:32:10.100 be of some help, so I decided to run for school committee. The rest is history, as they say. 01:32:10.100 --> 01:32:16.100 I served one and a half terms on the school committee. I later served three terms in the 01:32:16.100 --> 01:32:24.100 state house of representatives and then I ran for Senate. It was a brutal race. It proved 01:32:24.100 --> 01:32:31.100 to me you could do anything if you really want to, if you work hard enough. I served 01:32:31.100 --> 01:32:36.100 five terms in the Senate. I was the first woman to run from Western and win a Senate seat. 01:32:36.100 --> 01:32:42.100 I've loved every moment of it. I love helping people. What better way of helping people 01:32:42.100 --> 01:32:48.100 than changing some of the laws under which they live? I've been very interested in senior 01:32:48.100 --> 01:32:57.100 citizens because the face of poverty for seniors is women. Women are very hesitant to run for 01:32:57.100 --> 01:33:02.100 office. They start thinking about how much money they have to raise. They start wondering 01:33:02.100 --> 01:33:06.100 if they have enough of a base. They ask themselves if they have the right set of talents. Do 01:33:06.100 --> 01:33:12.100 they have the right degrees? We as women think we can solve everything by going to school 01:33:12.100 --> 01:33:18.100 and getting another degree. The truth of the matter is men don't think this way at all. 01:33:18.100 --> 01:33:23.100 They graduate from college and if they want to run, they run. But women don't think that 01:33:23.100 --> 01:33:29.100 way. It's all got to be more carefully planned out. About a quarter of the legislature are 01:33:29.100 --> 01:33:37.100 women and that is the same percentage we've had for the entire 16 years up in there. There 01:33:37.100 --> 01:33:42.100 are some bills you deal with and you really agonize over them. And there are others when 01:33:42.100 --> 01:33:48.100 you know that you did the right thing. My room of thumb in bills involving conscience, 01:33:48.100 --> 01:33:54.100 I have to feel I can get up in the morning, look myself in the mirror and say, this is 01:33:54.100 --> 01:34:00.100 the reason I voted the way I did and I'm comfortable with that. If I can't say that, I can't vote 01:34:00.100 --> 01:34:07.100 that way. And there are always bills like that. Okay, this is Virginia Swain from Imagine 01:34:07.100 --> 01:34:13.100 Worcester and the World saying thank you to Heather Lynn Haley who is the president of 01:34:13.100 --> 01:34:17.100 the Worcester Women's History Project, for Linda Rosenlund who is the founder of the 01:34:17.100 --> 01:34:23.100 Women's Worcester History Project Oral History Project, and for Charlene Martin and Maureen 01:34:23.100 --> 01:34:32.100 Doyle, the co-authors of Voices of Worcester Women presented tonight at the Worcester Library, 01:34:32.100 --> 01:34:37.100 Worcester Public Library, Sax Room to an overflowing crowd of Worcester women. What an exciting 01:34:37.100 --> 01:34:43.100 event it was and is and shall be. For those who are interested in learning more, please 01:34:43.100 --> 01:34:49.100 go to the website of Voices of Women's History, Voices of Worcester Women and Women's Worcester 01:34:49.100 --> 01:34:55.100 Women's Worcester History Project and it's my pleasure to thank them for their appearance 01:34:55.100 --> 01:35:23.100 on the show. So I'll say good night for Imagine Worcester and the World from Virginia Swain. 01:35:25.100 --> 01:35:47.100 Thank you for your interest in saving energy. Hi, I'm Nick Stavropoulos with National Grid. 01:35:47.100 --> 01:35:53.100 We know that rising energy costs are taking a bite out of your budget. By taking steps 01:35:53.100 --> 01:35:59.100 to use energy more wisely, you can save money, make your home more comfortable, and reduce 01:35:59.100 --> 01:36:27.100 your environmental impact. Well, it's important for us to... 01:36:27.100 --> 01:36:45.100 Hi, I'm Nick Stavropoulos with National Grid. We know that rising energy costs are taking 01:36:45.100 --> 01:36:52.100 a bite out of your budget. By taking steps to use energy more wisely, you can save money, 01:36:52.100 --> 01:36:57.460 home more comfortable and reduce your environmental impact. While it's important for us to all 01:36:57.460 --> 01:37:03.340 take action, remember that we are your partner in energy efficiency. National Grid offers 01:37:03.340 --> 01:37:09.940 rebates to qualifying customers who install certain high efficiency measures such as insulation, 01:37:09.940 --> 01:37:15.540 heating and water heating equipment, and ENERGY STAR windows and thermostats. We also partner 01:37:15.540 --> 01:37:22.540 with local agencies to deliver services for income eligible customers. Visit us at www.thinksmartthinkgreen.com 01:37:25.580 --> 01:37:29.540 or call the number on your National Grid bill to learn more about the many ways we can help 01:37:29.540 --> 01:37:36.100 you save. In the video you're about to watch, you'll learn about small changes in your behavior 01:37:36.100 --> 01:37:41.340 and low cost investments that can provide immediate results with your home energy expenses. 01:37:41.340 --> 01:37:46.660 From installing new energy saving light bulbs to adjusting your hot water thermostat or 01:37:46.660 --> 01:37:51.860 just covering plots on the stove, there are many little things you can do to save. That's 01:37:51.860 --> 01:37:58.860 the power of action. 01:38:05.060 --> 01:38:10.540 Want to become an energy sleuth in your home? This video will show you how to reduce your 01:38:10.540 --> 01:38:16.500 energy costs, increase the performance of your home, and create a healthier and more 01:38:16.500 --> 01:38:21.740 comfortable living space. When it comes to energy efficiency, it's helpful to think of 01:38:21.740 --> 01:38:28.740 your home as a three part system, shell of home, heating and cooling systems, and appliances 01:38:31.540 --> 01:38:37.140 and lighting. The idea is to get all three parts working together and you'll be on your 01:38:37.140 --> 01:38:43.140 way to better efficiency and money saved. For more information, please download the 01:38:43.140 --> 01:38:50.140 tip sheet, Easy Ways to Save Energy and Money at Home, found on our website. Here are some 01:38:53.500 --> 01:39:00.500 simple tips to help you save energy at home. 01:39:00.500 --> 01:39:07.500 Lighting makes up about 10% of the average household's energy costs. Aside from simply 01:39:08.100 --> 01:39:14.260 turning off unneeded lights, consider replacing old halogen or incandescent bulbs with energy 01:39:14.260 --> 01:39:21.260 efficient lamps such as compact fluorescents or CFLs. CFLs come in all shapes and sizes. 01:39:22.140 --> 01:39:27.900 Be sure to choose Energy Star qualified lighting. They use about one-fifth the electricity and 01:39:27.900 --> 01:39:34.900 can last up to 10 times as long as standard bulbs. Heating and cooling your home consumes 01:39:36.340 --> 01:39:43.340 about 45% of the average household's energy budget. Here are some simple tips to help 01:39:43.460 --> 01:39:49.140 you save heating costs. If you have a furnace, ensure that ducts do not have leaks and are 01:39:49.140 --> 01:39:56.140 sealed and insulated. Check your furnace filter each month and clean or replace as needed. 01:39:58.660 --> 01:40:03.820 If you have a boiler, insulate your basement water or steam pipes to avoid heat loss. You 01:40:03.820 --> 01:40:10.820 can purchase foam insulation at your local hardware store and easily install yourself. 01:40:10.960 --> 01:40:17.960 Keep drapes and furniture away from vents or radiators and keep them free of dust. If 01:40:17.960 --> 01:40:24.960 you have a fireplace, make sure the flue is tightly sealed when not in use. In the summer, 01:40:36.000 --> 01:40:43.000 close windows and draw blinds in the morning to keep the house cooler. Use fans to stay 01:40:43.000 --> 01:40:50.000 cool. Keep air conditioner filters clean. Maximize your energy savings without sacrificing 01:40:51.440 --> 01:40:57.960 your comfort by installing an Energy Star programmable thermostat. You can save approximately 01:40:57.960 --> 01:41:04.160 10% a year on your heating bill by turning your thermostat back 10 to 15% for 8 hours 01:41:04.160 --> 01:41:11.160 a day, such as when you're away or asleep. Water heating accounts for about 13% of the 01:41:13.960 --> 01:41:20.960 average household's energy use. Check that your water heater is set to about 120 degrees 01:41:21.400 --> 01:41:27.760 Fahrenheit. Water that's too hot can pose a danger of scalding and it wastes energy. 01:41:27.760 --> 01:41:32.440 Turn your gas water heater to vacation mode if you're leaving your house for an extended 01:41:32.440 --> 01:41:39.440 period of time. Install low-flow shower heads and limit showers to 5 minutes or less. Run 01:41:52.080 --> 01:41:58.600 only full loads of laundry. Use cold water for washing clothes. Clean the dryer's lint 01:41:58.600 --> 01:42:05.600 screen after every load. Line dry clothes when possible. Use microwaves or toaster ovens 01:42:16.280 --> 01:42:21.480 instead of the conventional oven or stove top when you can. Avoid opening the oven door 01:42:21.480 --> 01:42:28.500 when baking as the temperature will drop 25 to 30 degrees each time. Use pots that 01:42:28.500 --> 01:42:35.500 match the size of your burners and cover pots to reduce heat loss. Use the energy saving 01:42:35.500 --> 01:42:42.500 mode on your dishwasher and only run full loads. In the refrigerator, uncovered foods 01:42:50.720 --> 01:42:56.940 release moisture and make the compressor work harder. Cover them tightly. Set your refrigerator 01:42:56.940 --> 01:43:03.080 to the recommended setting on the dial. Consider removing your second refrigerator from the 01:43:03.080 --> 01:43:09.480 garage or basement. A refrigerator or freezer that's 20 years old could use 2 to 4 times 01:43:09.480 --> 01:43:16.480 more electricity than a new, efficient model. Set your computer to energy saving sleep mode 01:43:16.480 --> 01:43:23.480 or turn it off when not in use. Use a power strip to turn off home electronics. Many DVD 01:43:23.480 --> 01:43:23.480 players, cable boxes and computers can still draw power even if they're powered off. Unplug 01:43:23.480 --> 01:43:30.480 phone chargers as they still draw power even if no phone is attached. Turn off the TV if 01:43:30.840 --> 01:43:37.840 no one's watching. Turn on the TV when you're not in use. Turn off the TV when you're not 01:43:37.840 --> 01:43:44.840 in use. Unplug phone chargers as they still draw power even if no phone is attached. Turn 01:43:46.880 --> 01:43:53.880 off the TV if no one's watching it. A big new plasma TV could be consuming as much electricity 01:43:53.960 --> 01:44:00.960 as your refrigerator. On a cold day, you can really feel where drafts are coming through 01:44:00.960 --> 01:44:07.000 your windows and doors. Before you even turn on the heat this winter, make sure storm windows 01:44:07.000 --> 01:44:12.560 are properly in place. Using storm windows and doors in the winter can reduce your heat 01:44:12.560 --> 01:44:19.560 loss by 25 to 50 percent. Clean windows and keep blinds open in the day to let the warm 01:44:19.560 --> 01:44:26.560 sun in. Install rope cock or plastic window insulation kits on drafty windows. Examine 01:44:26.560 --> 01:44:32.640 the weather stripping around your doors and windows and repair as necessary. When you 01:44:32.640 --> 01:44:38.520 determine that it's time to replace your windows, look for the ENERGY STAR label. It is very 01:44:38.520 --> 01:44:43.480 important that they are properly installed to prevent air and water from seeping in around 01:44:43.480 --> 01:44:48.480 the frame. Check with your utility to see if rebates are available for high efficiency 01:44:48.480 --> 01:44:55.480 windows. Weatherization, also known as insulation and air sealing, is a key component to your 01:45:05.800 --> 01:45:11.560 whole house system. Installing good weatherization is one of the best investments you can make 01:45:11.560 --> 01:45:17.080 to save energy and make your home more comfortable year round. While there are small things you 01:45:17.080 --> 01:45:23.360 can do yourself, we recommend you find a qualified contractor on major projects. Check with your 01:45:23.360 --> 01:45:30.360 utility to see if you're eligible for a rebate to help defray the cost of your investment. 01:45:39.560 --> 01:45:45.320 If you have older insulation, consider upgrading it. Only 20 percent of homes built before 01:45:45.320 --> 01:45:52.320 1980 are well insulated. In the northeast, it is recommended that you use insulation 01:45:52.680 --> 01:45:59.680 rated R38 or greater in your attic. If you have R22 or less, upgrading could save 20 01:45:59.960 --> 01:46:06.960 percent on your heating and cooling costs. If your attic is readily accessible, carefully 01:46:07.720 --> 01:46:14.460 inspect the condition and type of insulation. Check for gaps or voids. If your insulation 01:46:14.460 --> 01:46:21.460 is discolored or has dirty spots, you may need air sealing. Air sealing helps reduce 01:46:22.120 --> 01:46:27.960 the overall leakage of air in a house. The most common areas for air leakage in a home 01:46:27.960 --> 01:46:34.960 are the basement and attic. Use pliable caulk to seal leaks around your home's foundation. 01:46:35.600 --> 01:46:39.960 Install gaskets behind electrical outlets and check the weather stripping on windows 01:46:39.960 --> 01:46:46.960 and doors. Whether buying a clothes washer, boiler, or even a TV, remember that it has 01:46:56.440 --> 01:47:03.440 two price tags, what you pay up front and what you pay for the energy and water it uses. 01:47:04.560 --> 01:47:09.000 Look for the government's ENERGY STAR label to know that you're getting a more efficient 01:47:09.000 --> 01:47:16.000 model. ENERGY STAR qualified devices use 10 to 50 percent less energy and water than standard 01:47:16.160 --> 01:47:23.160 models, saving you over the life of the equipment. Also look for the yellow ENERGY GUIDE label. 01:47:24.760 --> 01:47:31.520 This label estimates how much energy an appliance uses, compares energy use of similar products, 01:47:31.520 --> 01:47:38.520 and lists approximate annual operating costs. Exact costs will vary. ENERGY STAR qualified 01:47:48.440 --> 01:47:54.640 lighting, such as compact fluorescents or CFLs, provide bright, warm light at a fraction 01:47:54.640 --> 01:48:00.400 of the cost of traditional bulbs. CFLs come in many shapes and sizes, and some are even 01:48:00.400 --> 01:48:06.000 more nimble. Visit your local hardware store to learn more about lamps and lighting controls 01:48:06.000 --> 01:48:13.000 that can save on operating costs while providing light where and when you need it. 01:48:13.720 --> 01:48:20.080 We hope this video has given you some new ideas of ways to save energy at home and reminded 01:48:20.080 --> 01:48:25.800 you of simple changes you can make every day. Check with your utility company to see if 01:48:25.800 --> 01:48:30.840 there are rebates available when it's time to upgrade your heating or water heating equipment 01:48:30.840 --> 01:48:36.680 or weatherize your home. Remember, there are a full range of options for saving energy 01:48:36.680 --> 01:48:42.160 at home, so pick the ones that align with your budget today and plan ahead for savings 01:48:42.160 --> 01:48:49.160 tomorrow. Somebody took it away from me and blink of an eye, in less than a month, this 01:49:01.800 --> 01:49:06.980 woman destroyed what I had worked for for 15 years. I mean your credit score is basically 01:49:06.980 --> 01:49:11.440 all you have. I was mugged, they got my information. It can really negatively affect your life. 01:49:11.440 --> 01:49:15.400 Then they went off with the information and it basically became me. I feel this loss of 01:49:15.400 --> 01:49:19.800 control that someone's out there pretending to be you and doing things in your name that 01:49:19.800 --> 01:49:24.800 can come back to haunt you. Somebody was using my name and all my personal data. They've 01:49:24.800 --> 01:49:29.800 done it all. I just didn't even know where to start. They had a long record. It's a terrible 01:49:29.800 --> 01:49:35.520 feeling. Identity theft. It happens when your personal information is stolen and used without 01:49:35.520 --> 01:49:40.920 your knowledge. It's a serious crime that can cost you time and money, ruin your credit, 01:49:40.920 --> 01:49:45.200 and destroy your good name. When I was a victim of identity theft, my mail had been stolen. 01:49:45.200 --> 01:49:52.200 I was shopping at a grocery store and someone took my wallet. I think I made a purchase 01:49:52.200 --> 01:49:58.200 and they stole all my debit card information. My briefcase had been tampered with and when 01:49:58.200 --> 01:50:02.000 I looked in and I saw that my passport and my driver's license, which I had in there, 01:50:02.000 --> 01:50:06.200 had been taken. Identity theft happens when someone takes information about you and then 01:50:06.200 --> 01:50:11.920 uses it to commit fraud. Identity theft is very serious. We know that identity fraud 01:50:11.920 --> 01:50:16.240 in its various forms has affected 10 million people in any given year. What that means 01:50:16.240 --> 01:50:22.420 in dollars is that it's lost to businesses of about $50 billion. On top of that, victims 01:50:22.420 --> 01:50:29.240 of identity theft have spent $5 billion trying to undo this harm. Everyone needs to be conscious 01:50:29.240 --> 01:50:34.040 that identity theft is real. When you get news that your identity has been potentially 01:50:34.040 --> 01:50:38.200 stolen, it's sort of this open-ended problem that has occurred and you don't know what's 01:50:38.200 --> 01:50:42.920 going to come of it. No one's immune, which isn't to say that we're powerless. There's 01:50:42.920 --> 01:50:49.920 a lot we can do to deter, detect, and defend ourselves. My identity was stolen when I was 01:50:55.200 --> 01:51:01.400 mugged. It is pretty dramatic, especially how it happened to me. They got my information 01:51:01.400 --> 01:51:06.640 and it happened. Then they went off with the information and basically became me when they 01:51:06.640 --> 01:51:11.720 went to charging items in stores. Identity thieves can only take advantage of you if 01:51:11.720 --> 01:51:14.800 you give them information or if they obtain information about you. So what you want to 01:51:14.800 --> 01:51:19.440 do is take steps to make it less likely that your information falls into the wrong hands. 01:51:19.440 --> 01:51:22.640 There are many ways that you can do that. The first is to stop and look in your wallet. 01:51:22.640 --> 01:51:25.520 What are you carrying around? And if you lose your wallet, are you giving somebody else 01:51:25.520 --> 01:51:30.400 an opportunity to commit identity theft? So avoid carrying around any identification that 01:51:30.400 --> 01:51:34.440 has your Social Security number on it in your wallet because that can be used very easily 01:51:34.440 --> 01:51:38.040 and efficiently by identity thieves. They can have your name, they can have your birth 01:51:38.040 --> 01:51:42.480 date, but if they don't have your Social Security number, they're not going to get very far. 01:51:42.480 --> 01:51:46.880 But all they really need is a Social Security number and they can misspell your name and 01:51:46.880 --> 01:51:50.360 still get credit. The only place that Social Security card number should be is in your 01:51:50.360 --> 01:51:54.560 head and protect it somewhere at home where you keep your other valuables. If someone 01:51:54.560 --> 01:51:59.760 asks you to provide a Social Security number, ask them why they need it, how they're going 01:51:59.760 --> 01:52:02.640 to keep it, how they're going to safeguard it because you don't want that number to fall 01:52:02.640 --> 01:52:09.160 into the wrong hands. I had an incident that I thought was a valid reason to give out information 01:52:09.160 --> 01:52:14.480 until they asked for my Social Security number. I went as far as the first three digits. They 01:52:14.480 --> 01:52:20.280 don't need that. This is a crime. You have to think when you're at home, protect your 01:52:20.280 --> 01:52:24.520 identity. Don't leave around your personal documents, your data, somebody could come 01:52:24.520 --> 01:52:29.080 into your home and have immediate access to that information. You also have to be careful 01:52:29.080 --> 01:52:34.040 about your trash. Now a lot of people routinely receive things in the mail, maybe bank statements, 01:52:34.040 --> 01:52:37.240 credit card statements or health insurance forms and if they don't need them, they just 01:52:37.240 --> 01:52:41.700 throw them away in the trash. They shouldn't do that. Everyone should invest in a shredder. 01:52:41.700 --> 01:52:46.040 So before they dispose of these critical documents, you shred them. Identity thieves, don't worry 01:52:46.040 --> 01:52:49.920 about getting their hands dirty. They will go through your trash to retrieve these documents. 01:52:49.920 --> 01:52:55.120 They go where the information is. They'll steal your mail, they will steal your trash, 01:52:55.120 --> 01:52:59.560 they'll steal your wallet and that's how they get information about you. Deter identity 01:52:59.560 --> 01:53:05.120 theft. Protect your Social Security number. Shred financial documents and paperwork with 01:53:05.120 --> 01:53:09.880 any personal information before you throw them out. Never give out personal information 01:53:09.880 --> 01:53:18.880 on the phone or internet unless you know who you are dealing with. My name is Nicole M. 01:53:19.240 --> 01:53:23.960 Robinson. The woman who stole my identity, her name is Nicole A. Robinson. She stole 01:53:23.960 --> 01:53:28.240 my information from the pharmaceutical company that she worked for. After this happened, 01:53:28.240 --> 01:53:33.000 it devastated my financial life. I ordered my credit reports and I received a credit 01:53:33.000 --> 01:53:39.160 report in the mail that was 54 pages long. It had over 170 accounts, 140 of them were 01:53:39.160 --> 01:53:45.240 in collections. It had 42 different names and 65 different addresses on it. Not only 01:53:45.240 --> 01:53:51.360 was somebody else reaping the benefits of my good credit, I could no longer have access 01:53:51.360 --> 01:53:56.160 to my own good credit and I cried. I cried every day for three months. On top of the 01:53:56.160 --> 01:54:00.920 financial and the time that people spend in resolving these issues, it's an emotional 01:54:00.920 --> 01:54:07.160 burden on victims. My life before the identity theft case was wonderful. In less than a month, 01:54:07.160 --> 01:54:13.480 this woman destroyed what I had worked for for 15 years. She got my life. If an identity 01:54:13.480 --> 01:54:18.480 thief uses, for example, your Social Security number and applies for new credit in your 01:54:18.480 --> 01:54:25.040 name as opposed to rating an existing account, there may be no way for you to know about 01:54:25.040 --> 01:54:30.160 it unless you've checked your credit report and you see that a new account that you didn't 01:54:30.160 --> 01:54:35.600 even know about has been opened in your name. That's why it's very important to monitor 01:54:35.600 --> 01:54:42.600 your credit report regularly. Detect identity theft. Check your credit report at annualcreditreport.com. 01:54:43.520 --> 01:54:47.720 Federal law gives you the right to a free credit report every year from the three national 01:54:47.720 --> 01:54:53.200 consumer reporting companies. Review your financial accounts regularly. Look for charges 01:54:53.200 --> 01:55:00.200 you did not make. When someone realizes that they're a victim of identity theft, it's 01:55:01.960 --> 01:55:05.880 like getting a kick in the gut. You know, you feel paralyzed for a moment, but it's 01:55:05.880 --> 01:55:10.480 really essential for victims to move quickly and deliberately and starting to resolve the 01:55:10.480 --> 01:55:14.800 problems that arise from identity theft. I did what everybody knows to do and that's 01:55:14.800 --> 01:55:20.240 call your credit card companies and cancel your credit cards. However, that's not enough. 01:55:20.240 --> 01:55:26.480 There was one major bit of information I did not have and that was to call the three major 01:55:26.480 --> 01:55:33.320 credit bureaus and I did not do that and what happened was this person then went back, she 01:55:33.320 --> 01:55:40.320 was able to reopen the credit cards that I canceled. She was also able to open new credit 01:55:40.720 --> 01:55:44.640 cards in my name. If you find you've become a victim of identity theft, the first thing 01:55:44.640 --> 01:55:48.800 you need to do is contact one of the three major credit reporting agencies and have them 01:55:48.800 --> 01:55:53.000 put a fraud alert on your file. You gotta take it seriously. You even suspect that you 01:55:53.000 --> 01:55:56.920 gotta put fraud alerts on. You gotta take the steps to protect yourself and you gotta 01:55:56.920 --> 01:56:01.320 inform yourself about what to do so that when it does happen to you, you can do it quickly 01:56:01.320 --> 01:56:06.120 because time is critical. You next wanna contact each of the creditors or other institutions 01:56:06.120 --> 01:56:10.800 where your information has been misused. Then you follow up in writing and distribute these 01:56:10.800 --> 01:56:16.520 accounts and get a letter from them resolving these disputed fraudulent accounts. The FTC 01:56:16.520 --> 01:56:20.960 has an affidavit which in my case I used to write out your explanation of what happened 01:56:20.960 --> 01:56:24.680 that you can then use to submit to creditors trying to collect on fraudulent accounts. 01:56:24.680 --> 01:56:28.080 When you're trying to tell them, look, my identity was stolen, it helps prove it to 01:56:28.080 --> 01:56:33.120 them. You next wanna contact your local police department, report the crime and get a copy 01:56:33.120 --> 01:56:39.720 of the police report. You should contact the police immediately because otherwise you have 01:56:39.720 --> 01:56:44.400 no proof that there was a crime. It's very important that you report it to the police 01:56:44.400 --> 01:56:48.360 because there are certain agencies that you need or we recommend that you contact and 01:56:48.360 --> 01:56:53.040 they're probably gonna refer you back to the police department to see if you have a police 01:56:53.040 --> 01:56:58.920 report or not. And finally you need to contact the Federal Trade Commission online at ftc.gov 01:56:58.920 --> 01:57:07.040 slash idtheft or call us toll free at 877-ID-THEFT to report this to us. Defend against identity 01:57:07.040 --> 01:57:12.440 theft. Call the three credit reporting companies and place a fraud alert on your credit report. 01:57:12.440 --> 01:57:17.200 Then ask for the free credit report you're entitled to. Close any accounts that you suspect 01:57:17.200 --> 01:57:22.000 have been tampered with or opened fraudulently. Start by calling the security or fraud department 01:57:22.000 --> 01:57:27.480 of each company. Follow up in writing and include copies of supporting documents. File 01:57:27.480 --> 01:57:34.000 a police report. Contact the FTC. Your information also helps law enforcement officials across 01:57:34.000 --> 01:57:40.560 the country to track down and stop ID thieves. Let's treat our personal information as we 01:57:40.560 --> 01:57:46.520 would our cash. Let's safeguard it whether we're at home, whether it's in our purse or 01:57:46.520 --> 01:57:52.640 our wallet or at our office. Your personal information is cash and in the wrong hands 01:57:52.640 --> 01:57:57.560 it can destroy your life. The FTC plays a central role in helping victims avoid and 01:57:57.560 --> 01:58:02.360 recover from identity theft. So we have developed substantial consumer education material that's 01:58:02.360 --> 01:58:09.160 available on our website at ftc.gov slash ID theft. Identity theft is serious but even 01:58:09.160 --> 01:58:13.440 if your identity has been stolen and there has been fraudulent accounts opening your 01:58:13.440 --> 01:58:17.840 name you can defend yourself and get those resolved in your favor. There are times when 01:58:17.840 --> 01:58:23.360 you just do not want to finish and you just want to say forget it I can't do this anymore 01:58:23.360 --> 01:58:27.160 but you have to find that way inside of you to just keep going because this is something 01:58:27.160 --> 01:58:31.600 that if you don't clear it definitely affects the rest of your life. What I want is for 01:58:31.600 --> 01:58:38.600 us to create a culture of security for our personal information so that this crime in 01:58:38.600 --> 01:59:02.320 the future will be diminished greatly.