Dr. Kathleen Casey, Professor of History and Director of the Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies Program at Furman University, a small liberal arts college in South Carolina, studies how everyday objects can reveal deeper stories about culture, identity, and history.

A purse isn’t just an accessory. It can be a story, a statement, and sometimes even a lifeline. In her book The Things She’s Carried: A Cultural History of the Purse in America, Dr. Casey explores how this seemingly ordinary object reflects powerful connections to gender, identity, privacy, and survival.

In this episode, we discuss how purses have intersected with major moments in American history, from the civil rights movement to workplace struggles and personal memory, revealing how a simple item people carry every day can hold a rich tapestry of cultural meaning.