Women’s History Month

Books for Adults

Why Have There Been No Great Women Artists?

by Nochlin, Linda

Many scholars have called Linda Nochlin's seminal essay on women artists the first real attempt at a feminist history of art. In her revolutionary essay, Nochlin refused to answer the question of why there had been no 'great women artists' on its own corrupted terms, and instead, she dismantled the very concept of greatness, unraveling the basic assumptions that created the male-centric genius in art. With unparalleled insight and wit, Nochlin questioned the acceptance of a white male viewpoint in art history.

With Her Fist Raised: Dorothy Pitman Hughes and the Transformative Power of Black Community Activism

by Lovett, Laura L.

The first biography of Dorothy Pitman Hughes, co-founder of Ms. Magazine and trailblazing Black feminist activist whose work made children, race, and welfare rights central to the women's movement

The Women's March: A Novel of the 1913 Woman Suffrage Procession

by Chiaverini, Jennifer

New York Times bestselling author Jennifer Chiaverini returns with The Women's March, an enthralling historical novel of the woman's suffrage movement inspired by three courageous women who bravely risked their lives and liberty in the fight to win the vote.

Why Have There Been No Great Women Artists?

by Nochlin, Linda

Many scholars have called Linda Nochlin's seminal essay on women artists the first real attempt at a feminist history of art. In her revolutionary essay, Nochlin refused to answer the question of why there had been no 'great women artists' on its own corrupted terms, and instead, she dismantled the very concept of greatness, unraveling the basic assumptions that created the male-centric genius in art. With unparalleled insight and wit, Nochlin questioned the acceptance of a white male viewpoint in art history.

Sidelined: Sports, Culture, and Being a Woman in America

by DiCaro, Julie

Throughout her experiences covering professional sports for more than a decade, DiCaro has been outspoken about the exploitation of the female body, the covert and overt sexism women face in the workplace, and the male-driven toxicity in sports fandom. Now, through candid interviews, personal anecdotes, and deep research, she's tackling these thorny issues and exploring what America can do to give women a fair and competitive playing field in sports and beyond.

Mujeres del alma mía: Sobre el amor impaciente, la vida larga y las brujas buenas

by Allende, Isabel

En Mujeres del alma mía la gran autora chilena nos invita a acompañarla en este viaje personal y emocional donde repasa su vinculación con el feminismo desde la infancia hasta hoy. Recuerda a algunas mujeres imprescindibles en su vida, como sus añoradas Panchita, Paula o la agente Carmen Balcells; a escritoras relevantes como Virginia Woolf o Margaret Atwood; a jóvenes artistas que aglutinan la rebeldía de su generación o, entre otras muchas, a esas mujeres anónimas que han sufrido la violencia y que llenas de dignidad y coraje se levantan y avanzan... Ellas son las que tanto le inspiran y tanto le han acompañado a lo largo de su vida: sus mujeres del alma.

Mujeres : nuestra historia

Mujeres: nuestra historia revisa las vidas de las mujeres a través de los siglos y los continentes.

Analiza los papeles que desempeñaron, a menudo ignorados, y presenta a las pioneras y transgresoras que se atrevieron a ser diferentes.

Books for Teens

Our Stories, Our Voices: 21 YA Authors Get Real About Injustice, Empowerment, and Growing Up Female in America

by Reedm Amy

This collection of twenty-one essays from major YA authors--including award-winning and bestselling writers--touches on a powerful range of topics related to growing up female in today's America, and the intersection with race, religion, and ethnicity. Sure to inspire hope and solidarity to anyone who reads it, Our Stories, Our Voices belongs on every young woman's shelf.

Rad Women Worldwide: Artists and Athletes, Pirates and Punks, and Other Revolutionaries Who Shaped History

by Schatz, Kate

Rad Women Worldwide tells fresh, engaging, and amazing tales of perseverance and radical success by pairing well-researched and riveting biographies with powerful and expressive cut-paper portraits. The book features an array of diverse figures from 430 BCE to 2016, spanning 31 countries around the world.

Jane Against the World: Roe V. Wade and the Fight for Reproductive Rights

by Blumenthal, Karen

A history of the fight for reproductive rights in the United States. Tracing the path to the landmark decision in Roe v. Wade and the continuing battle for women's rights, Blumenthal examines the root causes of the current debate around abortion and repercussions that have affected generations of American women

Women in Science: 50 Fearless Pioneers Who Changed the World

by Ignotofsky, Rachel

The New York Times bestseller Women in Science highlights the contributions of fifty notable women to the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) from the ancient to the modern world.

Renegate Women in Film and TV

by Weitzman, Elizabeth

Renegate Women in Film and TV blends stunning illustrations, fascinating biographical profiles, and exclusive interviews with icons like Barbra Streisand, Rita Moreno, and Sigourney Weaver to celebrate the accomplishments of 50 extraordinary women throughout the history of entertainment.

Still I Rise: The Persistence of Phenomenal Women

by Wagman-Geller, Marlene

Still I Rise takes its title from a work by Maya Angelou and it resonates with the same spirit of an unconquerable soul, a woman who is captain of her fate. It embodies the strength of character of the inspiring women profiled. Each chapter will outline the fall and rise of great women heroes who smashed all obstacles, rather than let all obstacles smash them.

A Pirate's Life for She: Swashbuckling Women Through the Ages

by Duncombe, Laura Sook

In this Seven Seas history of the world's female buccaneers, A Pirate's Life for She tells the story of sixteen women who through the ages sailed alongside -- and sometimes in command of -- their male counterparts. These women came from all walks of life but had one thing in common: a desire for freedom. History has largely ignored these female swashbucklers, until now.

Free Movies and Documentaries on Kanopy

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Daring Women Doctors: Physicians in the 19th Century

Directed by Valerie Scoon

At this crucial time when women physicians and nurses are contributing significantly to our community's health, this documentary provides a look at the challenging and illuminating history of 19th century women doctors. Hidden in American history, all-women's medical schools began to appear in the mid-19th century long before women had the right to vote or own property.

RBG

Directed by Betsy West, Julie Cohen

At the age of 85, U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg has developed a lengthy legal legacy while becoming an unexpected pop culture icon. Explore her unique and unknown personal journey of her rise to the nation's highest court.

Michelle Obama: Life After the White House

Directed by Jordan Hill

Former First Lady MICHELLE OBAMA'S story has just begun. The Obamas have remained quite busy with their new life of activism which includes their issue-oriented production company, Higher Ground, which won an Oscar for Best Documentary in 2020. Mrs. Obama's autobiography, Becoming, has become the best-selling memoir of all time and even won a Grammy following the publication of her book.

Patsy Mink

Directed by Kimberlee Bassford

In 1965, Patsy Takemoto Mink became the first woman of color in the United States Congress. Seven years later, she ran for U.S. president and co-authored Title IX, the landmark legislation that opened up higher education and athletics to America's women. The film goes beyond Mink's accomplishments to reveal a woman whose political journey was often lonely and tumultuous. Dispelling stereotypes of the compliant Japanese female, she encountered sexism within her own party, whose leaders disliked her independent style and openly maneuvered against her.

Sacheen

Directed by Peter Spirer

Revisiting the achievements of Sacheen Littlefeather, the first woman of color to utilize the Academy Awards to make a political statement.

Anita: Speaking Truth to Power

Directed by Freida Lee Mock

An entire country watched as a poised, beautiful African-American woman sat before a Senate committee of 14 white men and with a clear, unwavering voice recounted the repeated acts of sexual harassment she had endured while working with U.S. Supreme Court nominee Clarence Thomas. Anita Hill's graphic testimony was a turning point for gender equality in the U.S. and ignited a political firestorm about sexual harassment and power in the workplace that resonates still today.

She's Beautiful When She's Angry: The History of the Women’s Liberation Movement

Directed by Mary Dore

A provocative, rousing and often humorous account of the birth of the modern women’s liberation movement in the late 1960s through to its contemporary manifestations in the new millennium, direct from the women who lived it.