Special Lady Day

In this episode, Caitlin and Jessica get into the festive spirit with a late January Special La-Holi-Day extravaganza! First, Jessica explores special ladies of the past with a story about the rise of female santas during World War II. Next, Caitlin covers special lady of the present Representative Debra Haaland's recent nomination for Secretary of the Department of the Interior. Finally, they look into the special ladies of the future, Shana Grant and Maimouna Ndaiye.

Act One: Check in with your friends and loved ones! 

Special Ladies of the Past:

• Smithsonian Magazine: "In World War 2 America, Female Santas Take the Reins,” by Greg Daughtery

Special Lady of the Present: Representative Debra Haaland

• Rep. Haaland's Congressional Office
• Washington Post: "With historic picks, Biden puts environmental justice front and center," by Juliet Eilperin, Dino Grandoni, and Brady Dennis. 

Special Ladies of the Future: Shana Grant and Maimouna Ndaiye 

• Population Education: “Civics in Action: These Five Youth Activists Will Leave You Inspired” by Rafeal Woldeab
• Washington Post: "12 kids who are changing their communities and our world" by Washington Post staff and contributors

Special Lady Shoutouts 

• Agatha Christie's Midwinter Murder 
• The Nation: "Somewhere Real" by Shira Erlichman
• The Secret Lives of Church Ladies by Deesha Philyah

Jessica tells the  story of the Texan political pioneer Barbara Jordan, and Caitlin covers Fatima al-Fihri, founder of the world's first university.

Pre-Ramble: Caitlin's Gel Face Mask

Act 1:  Fair Fight

Barbara Jordan:

• NBC News: “16 Queer Black Pioneers Who Made History,” by Gwen Aviles and Ariel Jao
• Biography.com: “Barbara Jordan Biography” 
• History, Art & Archives: United States House of Representatives: “Jordan, Barbara Charline”
• NBC News: “The Story of Black Women in Politics: How We Got To Kamala Harris’ Ascent,” by Janell Ross 

Fatima al-Fihri:

• “The true story of Fatima al-Fihri, the founder of the world’s first known university” by Anna-Marie Crowhurst, Stylist
• “Fatima al-Fihri: Founder of the world's oldest university,” Deutsche Welle
• “Al-Qarawiyyin, world’s oldest, continually operating university, was founded by a Muslim woman,” ed. YASEMIN NICOLA SAKAY, Daily Sabah
• “Fatima al-Fihri: Founder of the world’s first university,” by Rebecca Mortimer, Manchester University Press
• “Fatima Al-Fihri: The Mother of Moroccan Intellectuals,” by Abdellah Boussouf, Morocco World News 

Special Lady Shout Outs:

• Chairani
• Simone Gordon, aka "The Black Fairy Godmother" 

In what has become an October tradition, Caitlin and Jessica tell the terrifying tales of some very spooky ladies. This year, Caitlin covers Jennifer and June Gibbons, known as "The Silent Twins," and Jessica covers the Brown Lady of Raynham Hall.

Leave the lights on for this one!

Sources

Act 1: Vote Save America

Jennifer and June Gibbons, "The Silent Twins"

• "The Silent Twins," Snap Judgement, hosted by Glynn Washington
• "We Two Made One," The New Yorker, by Hilton Als
• "Horrifying Facts About June And Jennifer Gibbons, The 'Silent Twins,'" Ranker, by Erin Wisti
• "The Strange Story Of June And Jennifer Gibbons, The ‘Silent Twins’ Who Only Spoke To Each Other," All That's Interesting, by Katie Serena

The Brown Lady of Raynham

• "The Brown Lady of Raynham," Hoaxes.org
• "15 Tales of Female Ghosts," Mental Floss, by Kristy Puchko

Special Lady Shout Outs: Check out child skateboarding prodigy Sky Brown take on the "Mega Ramp"

In this episode, Caitlin tells us the story of Henrietta Wood, who sued the U.S. federal government for reparations and won. Then, Jessica explores the life of Black American sculptor Edmonia Lewis.

Act I

• Vote Save America
• Rebuild the Ahliah School community in Beirut, Go Fund Me

Episode Sources

• “In 1870, Henrietta Wood Sued for Reparations—and Won” by W. Caleb McDaniel, The Smithsonian Magazine
• “The Former Slave Who Sued for Reparations, and Won” by W. Caleb McDaniel, New York Times Opinion
• “The Backstory: The little known story about a former slave who sued her captor and won” by Nicole Carroll, USA TODAY 
• “Henrietta Wood, won the first reparations lawsuit” by Herb Boyd, Amsterdam News
• "15 Incredible Historic Women You Should Know," Mental Floss 
• The Smithsonian American Art Museum: Edmonia Lewis
• Google Arts and Culture: Edmonia Lewis Exhibit   

Reparations Information

• The Case For Reparations, by Ta-Nehisi Coates, The Atlantic
• Sonya Renee Taylor and #buybackblackdebt

Other Links

• Sistah Scifi
• Smithsonian Podcast: Finding Cleopatra
• American Hysteria Podcast

Jessica and Caitlin complete part two of their series covering the lives of LGBTQ+ rights activists Marsha P. Johnson and Sylvia Rivera.

Act 1: Merci Mack

Sources:

Marsha P. Johnson
NYT’s Overlooked on Marsha P. Johnson, written by Sewell Chan
The Death and Life of Marsha P. Johnson (Available to watch on Netflix)
Podcast unearths earliest known recordings of trans icons Marsha P. Johnson and Sylvia Rivera, CBC Radio
Pay It No Mind - The Life and Times of Marsha P. Johnson
Street Transvestite Action Revolutionaries, Lavender & red, part 73, Workers World by Leslie Feinberg
Marsha P. Johnson Institute
Human Rights Campaign: New Report on Youth Homeless Affirms that LGBTQ Youth Disproportionately Experience Homelessness

Sylvia Rivera
Sylvia Rivera, Biography.com
Sylvia Rivera Changed Queer and Trans Activism Forever by Elyssa Goodman, Them
Sylvia Rivera Was More Than Stonewall, CT Trans History and Archives
A Woman for Her Time" by Riki Wilchins, The Village Voice 
I Have to Go Off: Activist Sylvia Rivera on Choosing to Riot at Stonewall," The Guardian

The Stonewall Uprising
"An Amazing 1969 Account of the Stonewall Uprising" by Garance Frankie-Ruta, The Atlantic
"History Has Overlooked the Gay Liberation Front's Role in Stonewall...Until Now" by Mark Segal, LGBTQ Nation
"The Stonewall You Know Is a Myth. And That's O.K." by Shane O'Neill, The New York Times

Outro
Northwest Youth Services
Mental Health Resources

Jessica and Caitlin are back! Fresh off a mini-summer break, they bring you the first half of a two-part series covering the lives of LGBTQ+ rights activists Marsha P. Johnson and Sylvia Rivera.

Act 1: Breonna Taylor
Visit https://justiceforbreonna.org/ and click on "take action." 

Episode Sources:

Introduction

• "At Least 18 Transgender People Killed in 2020, Advocacy Group Says" by Erin Donaghue, CBS NEWS

Marsha P. Johnson

NYT’s Overlooked on Marsha P. Johnson, written by Sewell Chan

The Death and Life of Marsha P. Johnson, written by David France and Mark Blane, directed by David France (Available to watch on Netflix)

“Podcast unearths earliest known recordings of trans icons Marsha P. Johnson and Sylvia Rivera,” CBC Radio

Pay It No Mind - The Life and Times of Marsha P. Johnson by Michael Kasino on YouTube

“Street Transvestite Action Revolutionaries”, Lavender & red, part 73, Workers World by Leslie Feinberg

Marsha P. Johnson Institute

Human Rights Campaign: “New Report on Youth Homeless Affirms that LGBTQ Youth Disproportionately Experience Homelessness”

Sylvia Rivera

"Sylvia Rivera," Biography.com

"Sylvia Rivera Changed Queer and Trans Activism Forever" by Elyssa Goodman, Them

"Sylvia Rivera Was More Than Stonewall," CT Trans History and Archives

"A Woman for Her Time" by Riki Wilchins, The Village Voice 

"'I Have to Go Off': Activist Sylvia Rivera on Choosing to Riot at Stonewall," The Guardian

The Stonewall Uprising

"An Amazing 1969 Account of the Stonewall Uprising" by Garance Frankie-Ruta, The Atlantic 

"History Has Overlooked the Gay Liberation Front's Role in Stonewall...Until Now" by Mark Segal, LGBTQ Nation

"The Stonewall You Know Is a Myth. And That's O.K." by Shane O'Neill, The New York Times

"Two Transgender Activists Are Getting a Monument in New York" by Julia Jacobs, The New York Times

Jessica and Caitlin cover the real life ghostbuster and spook sleuth Rose Mackenberg and Isabella Stewart Gardner, Boston's rule breaking art matron.

https://minnesotafreedomfund.org/

https://blacklivesmatter.com/

https://thelovelandfoundation.org/

https://www.naacp.org/

https://www.splcenter.org/

In this episode, Caitlin takes us to the South China Sea to learn about Ching Shih, the world's most successful pirate, and Jessica covers the surrealist photographer, war correspondent, and gourmet chef, Lee Miller.

In this episode of Special Lady Day, Caitlin and Jessica discuss the luminous American screenwriter Frances Marion and Hatshepsut, the Egyptian queen who became king.

They also brainstorm ways we can care for each other during social distancing, and are joined by a tiny stuffed bear that somehow managed to crash both their weddings. 

Caitlin and Jessica explain why episode 8 hasn't arrived yet. Also, they miss you all so much!!!

https://www.specialladyday.com/