Forget Rosie the Riveter’s flex. In this episode of The Persistence, host Angélica Cordero flips the script on the usual WWII girl-power narrative and digs into the real story of the women who didn’t just roll up their sleeves—they reprogrammed the whole damn machine. From scrubbing floors and working fields to leading strikes, staffing factories, and forcing entire industries to modernize, these women fought for fair pay, safety, dignity, and a future where they mattered. Angélica takes you through their journey with wit, insight, and zero sugar-coating, spotlighting the Black, Brown, and working-class women whose stories rarely make the textbooks. And when the war ended? They didn’t quietly fade into the background—they left a legacy that still fuels modern fights for workplace justice. If you’ve ever been told to “know your place,” this one’s for you.

This episode was written by and produced by Angélica Cordero, with a little help from ChatGPT.

Our theme song is Don’t Kid Yourself Baby by Fold, used with their blessings. Podcast artwork for The Persistence features Mexican-American activist Jovita Idar and was created by Tamra Collins of Sunroot Studio.

Get into the groove with our Spotify playlist of episode title references!

Resources For Fellow Wascally Wabbits

Books

Cannery Women, Cannery Lives: Mexican Women, Unionization, and the California Food Processing Industry, 1930-1950 by Vicki L. Ruiz

Common Sense and a Little Fire: Women and Working-class Politics in the United States, 1900-1965 by Annelise Orleck

Feminism Unfinished: A Short, Surprising History of American Women's Movements by Dorothy Sue Cobble, Linda Gordon, Astrid Henry

Feminism in the labor movement : women and the United Auto Workers, 1935-1975 by Nancy Felice Gabin

From Coveralls to Zoot Suit: The Lives of Mexican American Women on the World War II Home Front by Elizabeth Escobedo

Making War, Making Women: Femininity and Duty on the American Home Front, 1941-1945 by Melissa A. McEuen

Manipulating Images World War II Mobilization of Women through Magazine Advertising by Tawnya J. Adkins Covert

No Ordinary Time - Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt: The Home Front in World War II by Doris Kearns Goodwin

Our Mother’s War: American Women at Home and at the Front During World War II by Emily Yellin

The American Woman: Her Changing Social, Economic, and Political Roles, 1920-1970 by William H. Chafe

The Power of the Zoot: Youth Culture and Resistance during World War II by Luis Alvarez

Three Strikes: Miners, Musicians, Salesgirls, and the Fighting Spirit of Labor's Last Century by Dana Frank, Robin D.G. Kelley, Howard Zinn

Links

Analysis of Work Stoppages 1956 (Washington, D.C.: United States Department of Labor, 1957)

How did Public Opinion About Entering World War II Change Between 1939 and 1941? (Gallup; Americans and the Holocaust: United States Holocaust Memorial Museum)

Work Stoppages Caused by Labor-Management Disputes in 1947 (Washington, D.C.: United States Department of Labor, 1948)

Support

If you haven’t please yet, subscribe and rate our feed in Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. And even better, tell your friends.

Follow us on Instagram, TikTok, and share your thoughts with Angélica by emailing [email protected].

Don’t forget to sign up for host Angélica Cordero’s newsletter, Obsessively Curious!! It includes short insights that connect unlikely histories, recommendations, and details about other ways to interact with the show.

Or support her caffeine habit and buy her a coffee.

In Episode Nine of The Persistence, Angélica Cordero connects today’s personal and societal headaches to the messy fight for progress throughout history. She zeroes in on Margaret Sanger, the birth control trailblazer whose game-changing fight for reproductive rights is forever complicated by her ties to the eugenics movement. It’s a story that proves people, like history, are rarely tidy, and progress is always tangled in contradictions. With her signature mix of wit, heart, and a healthy dose of side-eye, Angelica breaks down Sanger’s legacy without sugarcoating it, challenging listeners to sit with the discomfort, learn from the past, and keep pushing forward anyway—because persistence isn’t about being perfect, it’s about showing up.

This episode was written by and produced by Angélica Cordero, with a little help from ChatGPT.

Our theme song is Don’t Kid Yourself Baby by Fold, used with their blessings. Podcast artwork for The Persistence features Mexican-American activist Jovita Idar and was created by Tamra Collins of Sunroot Studio.

Get into the groove with our Spotify playlist of episode title references!

Resources For Fellow Wascally Wabbits

Books

Between the Wars: America. 1919-1941 by David A. Shannon

Daily Life in the United States, 1920-1940 by David E. Kyvig

Sex and the Constitution: Sex, Religion, and Law from America's Origins to the Twenty-First Century by Geoffrey R Stone

Unmentionable: The Victorian Lady’s Guide to Sex, Marriage, and Manners by Therese Oneill

Links

"Birth Control or Race Control? Sanger and the Negro Project" Newsletter #28 (Fall 2001) - The Margaret Sanger Papers, New York University

Eugenic Value of Birth Control Propaganda (1921) - Social Welfare History Project, Virginia Commonwealth University

Interview with Margaret Sanger - Harry Ransom Center Digital Collections

The Mother of Mothers: Margaret Sanger - Vol. 17, Hohonu 2019, University of Hawai‘i at Hilo

Support

If you haven’t please yet, subscribe and rate our feed in Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. And even better, tell your friends.

Follow us on Instagram, TikTok, and share your thoughts with Angélica by emailing [email protected].

Don’t forget to sign up for host Angélica Cordero’s newsletter, Obsessively Curious!! It includes short insights that connect unlikely histories, recommendations, and details about other ways to interact with the show.

Or support her caffeine habit and buy her a coffee.

In this compelling episode of The Persistence, host Angélica Cordero explores the idea of life as a never-ending performance, where each of us plays multiple roles to meet expectations, navigate pressures, and make sense of our identities. With her signature wit and insight, Angélica draws a vibrant parallel between our everyday performances and the dazzling world of 1920s queer nightlife during the Pansy Craze. She shines a spotlight on trailblazing drag performers like Gladys Bentley, Gene Malin, and Karyl Norman—artists who weren’t just entertainers but cultural revolutionaries. In an era of prohibition and societal repression, these bold figures challenged gender norms, carved out space for queer self-expression, and redefined the stage as a site of resistance and joy. Though the movement was stifled during the Great Depression, its echoes continue to shape modern drag and queer visibility. Bridging past and present, Angélica offers a powerful meditation on authenticity, courage, and the enduring impact of those who dare to be seen.

This episode was written by and produced by Angélica Cordero, with a little help from ChatGPT.

Our theme song is Don’t Kid Yourself Baby by Fold, used with their blessings. Voices heard in this episode include New York City drag queen Fonda Koxx and Ruben Freeman. Podcast artwork for The Persistence features Mexican-American activist Jovita Idar and was created by Tamra Collins of Sunroot Studio.

Get into the groove with our Spotify playlist of episode title references!

Resources For Fellow Wascally Wabbits

Books

Between the Wars: America. 1919-1941 by David A. Shannon

Daily Life in the United States, 1920-1940 by David E. Kyvig

Legendary Children: The First Decade of RuPaul's Drag Race and the Last Century of Queer Life by Tom Fitzgerald and Lorenzo Marquez

Sex and the Constitution: Sex, Religion, and Law from America's Origins to the Twenty-First Century by Geoffrey R Stone

Slumming: Sexual and Racial Encounters in American Nightlife, 1885-1940 by Chad Heap

Links

Gladys Bentley Was a Gender Outlaw, article, Harper’s Bazaar Magazine

The Great Blues Singer Gladys Bentley Broke All the Rules, podcast, Smithsonian Magazine

How dressing in drag made me uncover myself by Eric Dorsa, video, TEDxSanAntonio

Support

If you haven’t please yet, subscribe and rate our feed in Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. And even better, tell your friends.

Follow us on Instagram, TikTok, and share your thoughts with Angélica by emailing [email protected].

Don’t forget to sign up for host Angélica Cordero’s newsletter, Obsessively Curious!! It includes short insights that connect unlikely histories, recommendations, and details about other ways to interact with the show.

Or support her caffeine habit and buy her a coffee.

In this thought-provoking episode of The Persistence, host Angélica Cordero dives into the theme of growth through struggle. Using Henry Kissinger's controversial legacy as a backdrop, Angélica explores the idea that brilliance is born from pressure and challenges. The episode delves into historical and personal anecdotes, highlighting the importance of conflict in storytelling and real life. With a mix of humor and insight, she draws parallels to pop culture, historical events, and personal anecdotes, highlighting that triumph and progress emerge from friction and adversity. The episode also features a look back at May West's controversial 1937 radio appearance and celebrates the people and acts that defy conformity and drive progress. Tune in for a vibrant, witty exploration of the relentless spirit of change.

This episode was written by and produced by Angélica Cordero, with a little help from ChatGPT.

Our theme song is Don’t Kid Yourself Baby by Fold, used with their blessings. Podcast artwork for The Persistence features Mexican-American activist Jovita Idar and was created by Tamra Collins of Sunroot Studio.

Resources For Fellow Wascally Wabbits

Books

Sex and the Constitution: Sex, Religion, and Law from America's Origins to the Twenty-First Century by Geoffrey R Stone

Links

December 12, 1937 episode of The Chase and Sanborn Hour, audio, Archive.org

Support

If you haven’t please yet, subscribe and rate our feed in Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. And even better, tell your friends.

Follow us on Instagram, TikTok, and share your thoughts with Angélica by emailing [email protected].

Don’t forget to sign up for host Angélica Cordero’s newsletter, Obsessively Curious!! It includes short insights that connect unlikely histories, recommendations, and details about other ways to interact with the show.

Or support her caffeine habit and buy her a coffee.

History is in motion, shaped by relentless activism and collective action. This episode reflects on the turbulence of late 2024 into early 2025, drawing a powerful analogy between life and a chaotic road trip. Rather than rushing ahead blindly, it’s a time to pause, reassess, and plan. Change isn’t inevitable—it’s made by those willing to fight for it. From Senator Cory Booker’s 25-hour filibuster to everyday acts of resistance, this conversation highlights the power of ‘good necessary trouble,’ echoing John Lewis’s call to action. With personal reflections and inspiring stories of modern-day changemakers, this episode is a rallying cry for persistence and resilience. History is being written right now—together.

This episode was written by and produced by Angélica Cordero, with a little help from ChatGPT.

Our theme song is Don’t Kid Yourself Baby by Fold, used with their blessings. Podcast artwork for The Persistence features Mexican-American activist Jovita Idar and was created by Tamra Collins of Sunroot Studio.

Support

If you haven’t please yet, subscribe and rate our feed in Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. And even better, tell your friends.

Follow us on Instagram, TikTok, and share your thoughts with Angélica by emailing [email protected].

Don’t forget to sign up for host Angélica Cordero’s newsletter, Obsessively Curious!! It includes short insights that connect unlikely histories, recommendations, and details about other ways to interact with the show.

Or support her caffeine habit and buy her a coffee.

What keeps progress alive when the odds feel impossible? In this episode of The Persistence, host Angélica Cordero unravels stories of bold resilience that have shaped history—from Enheduanna, the first-known author who wielded her words to assert power, to Judy Chicago’s The Dinner Party, an unapologetic celebration of women’s achievements. Along the way, we explore how oral traditions and collective action have kept the flame of progress burning through the centuries. Tune in for a vibrant mix of history and insight that proves persistence isn’t just a virtue—it’s the force that keeps progress alive.

This episode was written by and produced by Angélica Cordero, with a little help from ChatGPT.

Our theme song is Don’t Kid Yourself Baby by Fold, used with their blessings. Podcast artwork for The Persistence features Mexican-American activist Jovita Idar and was created by Tamra Collins of Sunroot Studio.

Resources For Fellow Wascally Wabbits

Books

The Dinner Party: Judy Chicago and the Power of Popular Feminism, 1970-2007 by Jane F. Gerhard

“What’s in a Sign?” by John Foley in Signs of Orality edited by Anne MacKay

Links

"Revisiting The Dinner Party: Why It's Important Now" with Judy Chicago and Diane Gelon, Through the Flower, YouTube

A Brief History of Archaeology in Mesopotamia, Cuneiform Digital Library Initiative, Oxford University

Judy Chicago Research Portal, Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study, Harvard University

In the Spotlight: The New Middle East Gallery at the Penn Museum by Grant Frame, International Association for Assyriology

Nippur, UNESCO, World Heritage Convention

Nippur Expedition, Institute for the Study of Ancient Cultures, University of Chicago

Nippur: The Babylonian Collections of the University Museum, Penn Museum

Right Out of History: The Making of The Dinner Party (documentary)

Thomas Jefferson, Jefferson's Library, Library of Congress

Ur Online, British Museum and Penn Museum

Support

If you haven’t please yet, subscribe and rate our feed in Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. And even better, tell your friends.

Follow us on Instagram, TikTok, and share your thoughts with Angélica by emailing [email protected].

Don’t forget to sign up for host Angélica Cordero’s newsletter, Obsessively Curious!! It includes short insights that connect unlikely histories, recommendations, and details about other ways to interact with the show.

Or support her caffeine habit and buy her a coffee.

In this episode, host Angélica Cordero takes a deep dive into the ominous origins of the Atlantic slave trade, beginning with Prince Henry the Navigator's arrival of enslaved Africans in Portugal in 1444. The narrative then shifts to Gomes Eannes de Azurara, Henry's chronicler, who struggles with the horrifying reality of human suffering he witnesses. Fast forward to the turbulent history of women's and civil rights activism in America, highlighting figures like Harriet Tubman, Susan B. Anthony, and Frederick Douglass, who played monumental roles in transformative movements. The episode underscores the relentless nature of progress and persistence, drawing stark parallels between historical and contemporary issues such as corporate greenwashing and sanitized narratives of atrocities. Filled with poignant insights and a touch of humor, this episode reaffirms the significance of understanding history in its entirety to fuel ongoing social justice movements.

This episode was written by and produced by Angélica Cordero, with a little help from ChatGPT.

Our theme song is Don’t Kid Yourself Baby by Fold, used with their blessings. Podcast artwork for The Persistence features Mexican-American activist Jovita Idar and was created by Tamra Collins of Sunroot Studio.

Books

American Women by Gail Collins

Common Sense and a Little Fire by Annelise Orleck

Ordinary Equality by Kate Kelly

Out to Work: A History of Wage-Earning Women in the United States by Alice Kessler-Harris

Revolution in Mexico: Years of Upheaval, 1910-1940, Edited by James W. Wilkie and Albert L. Michaels

U.S. Latino Patriots by Refugio I. Rochín, Ph.D. and Lionel Fernandez, Ph.D.

The Verso Book of Feminism, Edited by Jessie Kindig

The Women’s History of the Modern World by Rosalind Miles

Women Together by Judith Papachritou

See more citations at Obsessively Curious

If you haven’t please yet, subscribe and rate our feed in Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. And even better, tell your friends.

Follow us on Instagram, TikTok, and share your thoughts with Angélica by emailing [email protected].

This episode offers a guided meditation to help listeners release tension and find equilibrium. The narrative inspires courage to face uncertain futures, emphasizing the importance of small, consistent steps and the shared strength drawn from historical figures who persevered through challenges. The episode encourages recognizing one's part in a larger story and moving forward despite uncertainties, with an emphasis on contributing to a better future for all.

This episode was written by and produced by Angélica Cordero, with a little help from ChatGPT.

Podcast artwork for The Persistence features Mexican-American activist Jovita Idar and was created by Tamra Collins of Sunroot Studio.

Support

If you haven’t please yet, subscribe and rate our feed in Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. And even better, tell your friends.

Follow us on Instagram, TikTok, and share your thoughts with Angélica by emailing [email protected].

Don’t forget to sign up for host Angélica Cordero’s newsletter, Obsessively Curious!! It includes short insights that connect unlikely histories, recommendations, and details about other ways to interact with the show.

Or support her caffeine habit and buy her a coffee.

In this episode, host Angélica Cordero takes us on a personal visit to the birthplace of the U.S. women's rights movement in Seneca Falls, where over 300 men and women gathered in 1848. They boldly outlined their grievances in the Declaration of Sentiments, calling out gender inequalities enshrined in law and society. The constitution's inspiration from the Haudenosaunee Confederacy and their matrilineal society is explored. The episode also challenges the popular narrative that credits Susan B. Anthony as the major figure in women's suffrage, highlighting lesser-known truths about the movement's origins.

This episode was written by and produced by Angélica Cordero, with a little help from ChatGPT.

Our theme song is Don’t Kid Yourself Baby by Fold, used with their blessings. Voices heard in this episode include Amanda Flores and Hiram Skaggs. Podcast artwork for The Persistence features Mexican-American activist Jovita Idar and was created by Tamra Collins of Sunroot Studio.

Resources For Fellow Wascally Wabbits

The Myth of Seneca Falls: Memory and the Women's Suffrage Movement, 1848-1898 by Lisa Tetrault (book)

Haudenosaunee Guide for Educators, National Museum of the American Indian (PDF)

Congressional Resolution 331, Congress.gov

Out to Work: A History of Wage-Earning Women in the United States by Alice Kessler-Harris (book)

Poor People’s Campaign, The Martin Luther King, Jr. Research and Education Institute, Stanford (Link)

And the walls came tumbling down : an autobiography by Rev. Abernathy (Book)

Interpreting the Failure of the Poor People’s Campaign by Joule Voelz, Harvard (Link)

Activism at Resurrection City, National Museum of African American History & Culture (Link)

Making the Movement: How Activists Fought for Civil Rights with Buttons, Flyers, Pins, and Posters by by David L. Crane and Silas Munro (book)

Support

If you haven’t please yet, subscribe and rate our feed in Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. And even better, tell your friends.

Follow us on Instagram, TikTok, and share your thoughts with Angélica by emailing [email protected].

Don’t forget to sign up for host Angélica Cordero’s newsletter, Obsessively Curious!! It includes short insights that connect unlikely histories, recommendations, and details about other ways to interact with the show.

Or support her caffeine habit and buy her a coffee.

Host Angélica Cordero gets real about a delay in releasing episode 5 due to illness, but rather than leaving listeners empty-handed, she shares some reflections on resilience. Inspired by a recent trip to Monterrey, Mexico, and the symbolic power of Jesús Contreras’ sculpture Malgré Tout, she mixes personal stories with historical insight. Cordero recounts her time in Monterrey and Santiago, touching on her family’s roots and a trek into the mountains, all while exploring themes of persistence.

This episode moves beyond typical history lessons. Cordero draws parallels between her own experiences and the unwavering spirit captured in Malgré Tout, a sculpture that symbolizes determination despite overwhelming challenges. She highlights that resilience isn't just found in big historical moments but also in the everyday struggles we all face. Cordero encourages listeners to think about their own stories of perseverance and share them, emphasizing the strong connection between personal journeys and the broader sweep of history.

This episode was written by and produced by Angélica Cordero, with a little help from ChatGPT.

Our theme song is Don’t Kid Yourself Baby by Fold, used with their blessings. You heard Malgré tout by Manuel Ponce as performed by Paul Barton. Podcast artwork for The Persistence features Mexican-American activist Jovita Idar and was created by Tamra Collins of Sunroot Studio.

Support

If you haven’t please yet, subscribe and rate our feed in Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. And even better, tell your friends.

Follow us on Instagram, TikTok, and share your thoughts with Angélica by emailing [email protected].

Don’t forget to sign up for host Angélica Cordero’s newsletter, Obsessively Curious!! It includes short insights that connect unlikely histories, recommendations, and details about other ways to interact with the show.

Or support her caffeine habit and buy her a coffee.