The 1970s was an impactful decade for women’s striving for equality in the United States. Beyond the news headlines of ERA, NOW, and Roe vs. Wade, more women entered the workforce, enrolled in colleges, and took the spotlight in business, politics, and professional sports. The topic of gender discrimination was in the forefront, and with it, strong and diverse viewpoints on the path forward. Minnesota was no exception, and this collection represents some of the views and ways of life for women in this tumultuous decade.
August 24, 1974 - A roundtable discussion sponsored by DFL Feminist Caucus on prostitution and local ordinances.
August 30, 1974 - Agnes Lamont, mother of Buddy Lamont, who was killed at Wounded Knee in 1973, is interviewed by Kevin McKiernan. Lamont discusses Oglala Sioux on Pine Ridge Reservation.
September 19, 1974 - Poet Nikki Giovanni, one of the leading voices in the black artist movement, talks about current affairs on the third anniversary of the Attica uprising. She was in Moorhead for a poetry reading on the Concordia College campus.
September 19, 1974 - An Amnesty mother speaks out on President Ford's new policy for returning "draft dodgers."
September 19, 1974 - MPR’s Claudia Hampston interviews member of The Coalition of Labor Union Women, who states group wants childcare facilities, maternity benefits, equal pay and apprenticeship opportunities for its female members.
October 5, 1974 - Actor and anti-war activist Jane Fonda speaking at anti-war rally held at Augsburg University.
October 19, 1974 - D. Smith presents a profile of Black poet Ramona Austin. Feature includes reading by Austin at opening and close of segment. There is also a short interview, where she discusses her thoughts on poetry and how race plays into her writing.
November 8, 1974 - Black activist Angela Davis speaks at St. John's University about racism as a disease and political oppression.
November 10, 1974 - MPR’s Dulcie Lawrence interview Janet Clark, DFL endorsed candidate for legislative office in 1974; and Beatrice Blair, vice-chair of Women's Lobby Inc. of Washington, DC.
November 12, 1974 - MPR’s Bob Potter reports on comments at hearing where women athletics at the University of Minnesota was discussed.