JKM Library: Women's History Month: Library eResources

	: Spring 2024 Library Hours

"Women’s History Month had its origins as a national celebration in 1981 when Congress passed Pub. L. 97-28 which authorized and requested the President to proclaim the week beginning March 7, 1982 as “Women’s History Week.” Throughout the next five years, Congress continued to pass joint resolutions designating a week in March as “Women’s History Week.” In 1987 after being petitioned by the National Women’s History Project, Congress passed Pub. L. 100-9 which designated the month of March 1987 as “Women’s History Month.” Between 1988 and 1994, Congress passed additional resolutions requesting and authorizing the President to proclaim March of each year as Women’s History Month. Since 1995, presidents have issued a series of annual proclamations designating the month of March as “Women’s History Month.” These proclamations celebrate the contributions women have made to the United States and recognize the specific achievements women have made over the course of American history in a variety of fields." ~ https://womenshistorymonth.gov/about/

Streaming Vidoes

Aouatara: Young Baga Women
(Documentary, 51 minutes) In Guinea, traditional music is not a mere hobby but a cultural element cementing the identity of each ethnic group. It was a men’s affair, at least until the apparition of an independent female band. The 'Baga Guinee,' a band of ten women aged between 25 and 40, is performing at weddings, baptisms and other ceremonies raising eyebrows in this tradition-laden country.
Black Feminist
(Documentary, 53 minutes) Black Feminist is a feature length documentary film surrounding the double edged sword of racial and gender oppression that black women face in America. This documentary is told through interviews from scholars, lecturers, writers, business owners, veterans, comedians and authors. In addition to information interviews, this documentary is narrated by our storybook character LaToya Johnson, played by Nadirah Lugg.
Contemporary Reel Women
(Documentary, 1 hour 6 minutes) Based on the groundbreaking edition, Reel Women: THE FIRST HUNDRED YEARS, by Ally Acker, Jodie Foster takes us on a sweeping journey that looks at the remarkable achievements of female filmmakers from 1896 into the 21st century who transformed the way we look at movies. Using rare footage, and exclusive interviews with filmmakers all over the globe, Reel Herstory corrects the notion that women behind the scenes held adjunct or peripheral careers, and restores them rightfully to their pioneering status.
Daughters of the New Republic: Harriet Tubman and Sarah Bradford
(Documentary, 1 hour 12 minutes) Today, Harriet Tubman is an icon for the struggle for freedom in the United States. Her story might have been lost to history except for one woman, Sarah Bradford, who agreed to write her friend's biography. But who was she? Why did she say, "Yes," when others called her plan to make a heroine of a black woman and slave a "quixotic attempt," doomed to failure from the start. Working together, these two indomitable women, one born a slave and a hero of the Civil War, the other born into a privileged New York family, gave voice to their shared vision of the New Republic.
Extraordinary Women Channel
(Television series, about 50 minutes each) Episodes from season 1 of the BBC Worldwide's Extraordinary Women series highlighting women of note throughout history.
The Fight for Women's Rights
(News Segment, 54 minutes) Join Ann Curry as two women search for friends and colleagues who forged a path for equal rights. One of the first female commercial pilots wants to thank her mentor, and an advocate hopes to find the woman who inspired her to join a movement.
History Lessons
(Feature film, 1 hour 6 minutes) In this wonderfully irreverent yet empowering film, Barbara Hammer traces lesbian history by presenting an extraordinary array of archival footage - and then playfully manipulates it to make it seem as though lesbians were everywhere. From popular films to newsreels, sex ed pics, stag reels, medical and educational films, old nudies and more, History Lessons reclaims and rewrites lesbian history.
Ida B. Wells: A Passion For Justice
(Documentary, 54 minutes) Documents the dramatic life and turbulent times of the pioneering African American journalist, activist, suffragist and anti-lynching crusader of the post-Reconstruction period.
Litany for Survival: The Life and Work of Audre Lorde
(Documentary, 1 hour 30 minutes) An epic portrait of the eloquent, award-winning Black, lesbian, poet, mother, teacher and activist, Audre Lorde, whose writings -- spanning five decades -- articulated some of the most important social and political visions of the century.
Living Positive: Women and AIDS
(Documentary, 40 minutes) Living Positive examines the lives of five HIV/AIDS diagnosed women from different ethnic and socio-economic backgrounds (African-American, Latino, and Caucasian). What is unique about this film is that it highlights everyday women who just happened to fall into misfortune. It could happen to anyone.The film follows the women over the course of four years. It explores important life lessons about love, strength, empowerment and learning to have faith in oneself.
Not for Ourselves Alone: The Story of Elizabeth Cady Stanton & Susan B. Anthony
(Documentary, 3 hours 14 minutes, supplementary documents included) This documentary tells the little-known story of one of the most compelling political movements and friendships in American history. Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony were born into a world ruled entirely by men and for more than half a century led the fight to win the most basic civil rights for women. Their story is filled with love and loyalty, envy and betrayal, and it raises larger questions about principle and compromise, achievement and ends, and the meaning of independence itself.
Pomo Basketweavers: A Tribute to Three Elders
(Documentary, 1 hour) The baskets of the Pomo Indian women of northern California are recognized worldwide for their exquisite appearance, dazzling range of technique, fineness of weave, and diversity of form and use. This remarkable documentary provides an in-depth introduction to the history, culture, and basketweaving traditions of Pomo women.
She's Beautiful When She's Angry
(Documentary, 1 hour 32 minutes) An essential documentary about the birth of the women's liberation movement. Beginning in the late 1960s, featuring never-seen before archival footage and new interviews. She's Beautiful When She's Angry tells the story of one of the most important social movements of the 20th century, bringing to light the efforts of lesser-known activists, including the Boston authors of Our Bodies, Ourselves, the Chicago Women's Liberation Union, and grassroots organizations across the country who played a pivotal role in the struggle.
Sweet Georgia Brown
(Documentary, 1 hour 31 minutes) This documentary examines the racial and gender policies that defined the status of African-American Women in the military during World War II. Interviews and primary sources reveal the unique experience of being an African-American woman in the military during this period.
A Thousand Women = As Mil Mulheres
(Documentary, 1 hour 24 minutes) At the invitation of the film, four female artists from USA, Uruguay and Brazil develop works inspired by stories of other women. Between choices, reflections, failures and correctness, artists reveal how they connect their inner universe with the questions of the world around them. By interweaving art and activism, A THOUSAND WOMEN sheds light on the many faces of feminism today.
Willa Beatrice Brown: An American Aviator
(Documentary, 28 minutes) Willa Beatrice Brown, the first African- American woman in the U.S. to be a licensed pilot, earned her license in 1937. She and her husband, Cornelius Coffey, founded a fully accredited flying school at Harlem Airfield, near Chicago.
Women's Lust
(Documentary, 1 hour) Five women past their menopause talk about their erotic and sexual needs - which are as varied and colourful as those of young people.
The Women of Summer
(Documentary, 1 hour 19 minutes) This National Endowment for the Humanities documentary captures a historic moment when feminists, unionists, and educators came together to pursue a common social ideal. From 1921 to 1938, seventeen hundred blue-collar women participated in a controversial and inspired educational experiment know as The Bryn Mawr Summer School for Women Workers. The program forever changed their lives and has left a legacy meriting public awareness. The School introduced women workers of every race and nationality to the realm of humanistic and political thought, including Marxism and trade unionism. In the end, it was considered too radical by its funders and was discontinued, but not before it had exerted a profound influence on its faculty and students, producing union, community, and government leaders.
The Women Of World War One
(Documentary, 51 minutes) In 1914 women all over Europe were experiencing the impact of a war that reached into every corner of people’s lives. In Britain, war came to the Home Front and in doing so ushered in a seismic shift in the lives of women far from the front line of battle. This fascinating program is filled with examples of women from all walks of life, every class and every corner of Britain, and their contributions to the war effort. This is their story and shows how, ultimately, victory lay not just in leaving the traditional confines of their lives behind and shouldering responsibility as never before, but culminated in women gaining the vote. The Enfranchisement Bill passed on 6 February 1918 can be attributed to Britain’s wartime women fighting on the Home Front.

Digital Collections

"Celebrating Women’s History: Chatham Women and Politics" from the Chatham University Archives
In celebration of Women’s History Month, the University Archives presents selections from our collection that highlight Chatham’s unwavering commitment to encouraging civic engagement in all levels of the political system. This exhibition, Celebrating Women’s History: Chatham Women in Politics, demonstrates student civic engagement tracing back to the earliest days of the Suffragette movement, when students paraded through downtown Pittsburgh in support of women’s right to vote.
"Chatham & the Suffrage Movement" from the Chatham University Archives
Founded with a guiding principal of ensuring that women have access to an education equal to that available for men, Chatham University has fostered civic engagement among students, staff, and faculty for generations. For many members of the Chatham community, that engagement took the form of activism with the women’s suffrage movement, an effort to ensure women’s access to the polls as well as equity in employment, marriage, and property. With this digital exhibit, the Chatham University Archives honors the 100th anniversary of the passage of the 19th amendment and highlights contributions made to the women's suffrage movement by members of the Chatham community. Explore how alumnae of the Pennsylvania Female College and the Pennsylvania College for women (now Chatham University) fought to achieve suffrage for women through activities across the region, the country, and on the steps of the Pittsburgh City-County Building.
"Feminism" in Credo Reference
Credo Reference encyclopedic entries concerning feminism. Includes broad, introductory information, images, biographies, timelines, links to other relevant resources, and keyword concept map tools.
"Pregnancy" in Issues & Controversies
Encyclopedic entries, articles, media, and argument articles concerning pregnancy, sex education, contraception, abortion access, reproductive rights, and more. These topics overwhelmingly affect women.
"Women's Health" in Issues & Controversies
Encyclopedic entries, articles, media, and argument articles concerning Women's Health.
"Women's Rights" in Issues & Controversies
Encyclopedic entries, articles, media, and argument articles concerning Women's Rights.
"Women in the Military" in Issues & Controversies
Encyclopedic entries, articles, media, and argument articles concerning Women in the Military.
Everyday Life & Women in America c.1800-1920
Adam Matthew Primary Source Collections. Everyday Life & Women in America c.1800-1920 showcases unique primary source material for the study of American social, cultural, and popular history in the 19th and early 20th centuries.
Gender: Identity and Social Change
Adam Matthew Primary Source Collections. Essential primary sources documenting the changing representations and lived experiences of gender roles and relations from the nineteenth century to the present. This expansive collection offers sources for the study of women's suffrage, the feminist movement, the men’s movement, employment, education, the body, the family, and government and politics.
Women in The National Archives
Adam Matthew Primary Source Collections. This collection consists of two distinct elements: A finding aid to women's studies resources in The National Archives, and original documents on the suffrage question in Britain, the Empire and colonial territories. The finding aid is the result of a five-year project by staff at The National Archives in the mid-1990s and enables researchers to quickly locate details of documents at TNA relating to women. This finding aid is far more detailed and extensive than anything available elsewhere online and has the benefit of ranging across all of the document classes TNA hold. The original documents cover the campaign for women's suffrage in Britain, 1903-1928 and the granting of women's suffrage in colonial territories, 1930-1962.