Step by Step: Building a Feminist Movement, 1941-1977

Proving beyond a doubt that feminism began well before the 1960s, and that its players were not just the white middle class, this inspiring tape follows the lives of eight Wisconsin women, six of whom became founders of NOW. Set against a backdrop of decades of war, prosperity, and reform, their stories beautifully illustrate the continuity and diversity of 20th century feminism, as the participants describe the labor, civil rights, and political movements of the ‘40s and ‘50s that led them to take independent action for women. Using well-chosen archival footage, stills, music, and primary-source narration, producer Joyce Follett of the University of Wisconsin and consulting producer Terry Rockefeller (Eyes on the Prize and America's War on Poverty) offer a first-rate, panoramic-yet-personal view of the women on feminism's front lines. Editor's Choice. Aud: H, C, P. (K. Glaser)