Oprah Winfrey and Feminism
“I never did consider or call myself a feminist, but I don’t think you can really be a woman in this world and not be.” Oprah Winfrey said this quote in the documentary Makers: Women Who Made America which is a documentary about influential feminists in America. Feminism has been a significant movement since the 1850s. Many of the rights feminists are fighting for today are the same rights they were fighting for back then. Oprah Winfrey is one of the many African American women who has influenced equal rights for men and women in America as illustrated by the book 50 Black Women Who Changed America. Feminism has an extensive history of fighting for equal rights for both men and women. In the 1840s, many women had ideas of how to achieve equality with men, but the first step began on July 19 and 20, 1848 in Seneca Falls, New York at the first Women’s Conference (Feminism and Women's Studies). Issues these women were campaigning for are issues that are still relevant today. These issues including easier access to higher education, more advanced professions, and equal pay (Feminism and Women's Studies). Although access to higher education and advanced professions has improved, women continue to fight for equal pay to this day, making it a 170 year battle.
One of the first issues addressed by the feminist movement was the right of women to vote. Since the adoption of the 19th Amendment, which granted women the right to vote, women no longer have to fight for that right. The fact that some men see women as indecisive and driven by their emotions, could be seen as a reason men restricted the voting rights of women. There were many women who helped fight for the right to vote. One of these women was Susan B. Anthony (Famous Feminists). She was alive from 1820-1906 which was right at the time of the women's suffrage movement (Famous Feminists). She was willing to do anything to fight for what she believed. In Rochester, New York on November 1, 1872, she registered to vote (Famous Feminists). This was before women were allowed to vote. Anthony and fifteen other women voted in the presidential election four days later (Famous Feminists). Three weeks after the election all sixteen women were arrested (Famous Feminists). The fact that women were incriminated for standing up for their social rights is an example of unfair treatment against women. Anthony wasn’t the only suffrage leader; Carrie Chapman Catt was also a suffrage leader who was alive to see women granted the right to vote. Catt was the president of many associations dedicated to women’s rights (Famous Feminists). In the 1920s and 1930s, Catt was also active in international peace. Catt was the head of the National Committee on the Cause and Cure of War from 1925 to 1932 (Famous Feminists). After 70 years and through many protests and campaigns, in 1928 all women were granted the right to vote. Women being granted the right to vote was a huge gain for feminists and made feminism seem like it truly made a difference. In the 1940s and 1950s, many women joined the workforce due to World War II. During World War II, most of the men were away fighting in the war, and the women had to pick up the responsibility of making an income for her household. Since women now had to work, there was no one to take care of the children during the day. The responsibility of the children being taken care of during the day was shifted …show more content…
During Winfrey’s speech at Variety’s Power of Woman luncheon, Winfrey told the story of a time when her team on The Oprah Winfrey Show had experienced unequal pay. In 1986 Winfrey talked to the managers of The Oprah Winfrey Show about her team getting paid more. The men said to this, “Why they’re all girls,” (Speech). After this encounter, Winfrey decided to make Harpo productions so she could decide who got paid what. After Winfrey’s show was put into her hands, it changed for the better. She decided that her show would only have positive
“I never did consider or call myself a feminist, but I don’t think you can really be a woman in this world and not be.” Oprah Winfrey said this quote in the documentary Makers: Women Who Made America which is a documentary about influential feminists in America. Feminism has been a significant movement since the 1850s. Many of the rights feminists are fighting for today are the same rights they were fighting for back then. Oprah Winfrey is one of the many African American women who has influenced equal rights for men and women in America as illustrated by the book 50 Black Women Who Changed America. Feminism has an extensive history of fighting for equal rights for both men and women. In the 1840s, many women had ideas of how to achieve equality with men, but the first step began on July 19 and 20, 1848 in Seneca Falls, New York at the first Women’s Conference (Feminism and Women's Studies). Issues these women were campaigning for are issues that are still relevant today. These issues including easier access to higher education, more advanced professions, and equal pay (Feminism and Women's Studies). Although access to higher education and advanced professions has improved, women continue to fight for equal pay to this day, making it a 170 year battle.
One of the first issues addressed by the feminist movement was the right of women to vote. Since the adoption of the 19th Amendment, which granted women the right to vote, women no longer have to fight for that right. The fact that some men see women as indecisive and driven by their emotions, could be seen as a reason men restricted the voting rights of women. There were many women who helped fight for the right to vote. One of these women was Susan B. Anthony (Famous Feminists). She was alive from 1820-1906 which was right at the time of the women's suffrage movement (Famous Feminists). She was willing to do anything to fight for what she believed. In Rochester, New York on November 1, 1872, she registered to vote (Famous Feminists). This was before women were allowed to vote. Anthony and fifteen other women voted in the presidential election four days later (Famous Feminists). Three weeks after the election all sixteen women were arrested (Famous Feminists). The fact that women were incriminated for standing up for their social rights is an example of unfair treatment against women. Anthony wasn’t the only suffrage leader; Carrie Chapman Catt was also a suffrage leader who was alive to see women granted the right to vote. Catt was the president of many associations dedicated to women’s rights (Famous Feminists). In the 1920s and 1930s, Catt was also active in international peace. Catt was the head of the National Committee on the Cause and Cure of War from 1925 to 1932 (Famous Feminists). After 70 years and through many protests and campaigns, in 1928 all women were granted the right to vote. Women being granted the right to vote was a huge gain for feminists and made feminism seem like it truly made a difference. In the 1940s and 1950s, many women joined the workforce due to World War II. During World War II, most of the men were away fighting in the war, and the women had to pick up the responsibility of making an income for her household. Since women now had to work, there was no one to take care of the children during the day. The responsibility of the children being taken care of during the day was shifted …show more content…
During Winfrey’s speech at Variety’s Power of Woman luncheon, Winfrey told the story of a time when her team on The Oprah Winfrey Show had experienced unequal pay. In 1986 Winfrey talked to the managers of The Oprah Winfrey Show about her team getting paid more. The men said to this, “Why they’re all girls,” (Speech). After this encounter, Winfrey decided to make Harpo productions so she could decide who got paid what. After Winfrey’s show was put into her hands, it changed for the better. She decided that her show would only have positive