BackStory: Shattering the Glass Ceiling

A Woman in the White House explores the candidacy of Senator Margaret Chase Smith (R-ME) for President of the United States in 1964.

Comprehension Questions

• Why did Senator Margaret Chase Smith think she could become the first woman to be nominated for the Presidency of the United States?
• What do the questions asked by the reporters reveal about what people thought about her campaign?
• Based on independent research, what did Senator Chase Smith support? What was she opposed to?
• The story concludes with the question: "Will we see a woman elected President of the United States during our lifetime?" Do you think this will happen?

Please Hold includes an interview with labor rights lawyer and former switchboard operator Gabrielle “Gay” Semel on the experiences of women in the workplace and their efforts to end discriminatory hiring practices. 

Comprehension Questions

• What issues did women encounter when interviewing and working at New York Telephone in the 1970s?
• How do issues described by Gabrielle Semel compare to those experienced by "Hello Girls" at the turn of the twentieth century?
• To what extent do the issues discussed by Semel compare to women and the workplace today?
• To what extent have women shattered glass ceilings in sports, careers, politics, entertainment, and other aspects of life?

Reports of Strange Fruit (16:27-36:50) tells the story of how Ida B. Wells went from being denied a seat in the white section of a train to being an influential journalist who exposed the horrors and injustice of lynching in the United States. 

Comprehension Questions

• Who was Ida B. Wells and why was her experience on the train a turning point in her life?
• What changes did journalism and the newspaper business experience at the start of the twentieth century?
• How did the Black Press differ from mainstream press and newspapers at the time? (See "Diverse Perspectives and Chronicling America" at our Teacher's Guide)
• To what extent did Ida B. Wells change politics and the public discourse around race and lynching in the United States?
• What is the lasting legacy of Ida B. Wells?