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Blessed Experiences: Genuinely Southern, Proudly Black
Par James E. Clyburn. 2014
“Shares lessons learned on his way from the Jim Crow South to a top spot on Capitol Hill . . . [a] remarkably…
candid new memoir” —NPRFrom his humble beginnings in Sumter, South Carolina, to his prominence on the Washington, D.C., political scene as the third highest-ranking Democrat in the House of Representatives, US Congressman James E. Clyburn has led an extraordinary life. In Blessed Experiences, Clyburn tells in his own inspirational words how an African American boy from the Jim Crow-era South was able to beat the odds to achieve great success and become, as President Barack Obama describes him, “one of a handful of people who, when they speak, the entire Congress listens.”Born in 1940 to a civic-minded beautician and a fundamentalist minister, Clyburn began his ascent to leadership at the age of twelve, when he was elected president of his National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) youth chapter. He broke barriers through peaceful protests and steadfast beliefs in equality and justice. As a civil rights leader at South Carolina State College, as human affairs commissioner under John C. West and three subsequent governors, and as South Carolina’s first African American congressman since 1897, Clyburn has established a long and impressive record of public leadership and advocacy for human rights, education, historic preservation, and economic development.Includes a foreword from Emmy Award–winning actress and the congressman’s longtime friend Alfre Woodard“Blessed Experiences has captured not just the history of this tireless leader’s more-than-four decades in public service, but also a sense of the times.” —Warren BuffettA thorough examination of the Chinese leader's speeches and writings that reshaped a nation's cultureMao Zedong fundamentally transformed China from…
a Confucian society characterized by hierarchy and harmony into a socialist state guided by communist ideologies of class struggle and radicalization. It was a transformation made possible largely by Mao's rhetorical ability to attract, persuade, and mobilize millions of Chinese people. Xing Lu's book, Rhetoric of Mao Zedong, analyzes Mao's speeches and writings over a span of sixty years, tracing the sources and evolution of Mao's discourse, analyzing his skills as a rhetor and mythmaker, and assessing his symbolic power and continuing presence in contemporary China. Lu observes that Mao's rhetorical legacy has been commoditized, culturally consumed, and politically appropriated since his death.Applying both Western rhetorical theories and Chinese rhetorical concepts to reach a more nuanced and sophisticated understanding of his rhetorical legacy, Lu shows how Mao employed a host of rhetorical appeals and strategies drawn from Chinese tradition and how he interpreted the discourse of Marxism-Leninism to serve foundational themes of his message. She traces the historical contexts in which these themes, his philosophical orientations, and his political views were formed and how they transformed China and Chinese people. Lu also examines how certain ideas are promoted, modified, and appropriated in Mao's rhetoric. Mao's appropriation of Marxist theory of class struggle, his campaigns of transforming common people into new communist advocates, his promotion of Chinese nationalism, and his stand on China's foreign policy all contributed to and were responsible for reshaping Chinese thought patterns, culture, and communication behaviors.The Afterlife of John Fitzgerald Kennedy
Par Hogan, Michael J.. 2017
In his new book, Michael J. Hogan, a leading historian of the American presidency, offers a new perspective on John…
Fitzgerald Kennedy, as seen not from his life and times but from his afterlife in American memory. The Afterlife of John Fitzgerald Kennedy considers how Kennedy constructed a popular image of himself, in effect, a brand, as he played the part of president on the White House stage. The cultural trauma brought on by his assassination further burnished that image and began the process of transporting Kennedy from history to memory. Hogan shows how Jacqueline Kennedy, as the chief guardian of her husband's memory, devoted herself to embedding the image of the slain president in the collective memory of the nation, evident in the many physical and literary monuments dedicated to his memory. Regardless of critics, most Americans continue to see Kennedy as his wife wanted him remembered: the charming war hero, the loving husband and father, and the peacemaker and progressive leader who inspired confidence and hope in the American people.Queen Bess: An Unauthorized Biography of Bess Myerson
Par Jennifer Preston. 1990
As detailed in this absorbing biography, Bess Myerson dazzled as a beauty queen, television personality, and politician--before scandal toppled her…
career When Bess Myerson, the Bronx-born daughter of Jewish immigrants, was crowned Miss America in 1945, she was determined to break down gender barriers and be more than a beauty queen. Amid rampant anti-Semitism, she took advantage of her reign to call for an end to bigotry and hate. Then, after more than two decades as a glamorous television personality, Myerson took on corporate America, applying her celebrity as a consumer advocate to become an influential New York City political figure credited with helping elect Mayor Edward I. Koch. But behind the glittering public image, Myerson struggled with unhappy marriages. Then, in her early sixties, she found love with a much younger married man. The romance put her at the center of a political corruption scandal that led to federal charges brought by US Attorney Rudolph W. Giuliani, ending the reign of Queen Bess, New York's favorite daughter, after more than forty years. Award-winning investigative journalist Jennifer Preston reveals Myerson's fascinating life story in this engaging biography. Featuring interviews with Myerson herself and a new introduction from the author, Queen Bess remains the most comprehensive account of this ambitious and talented woman who inspired, entertained, and shocked millions.When the Cheering Stopped: The Last Years of Woodrow Wilson
Par Gene Smith. 1964
The poignant true story of an American president struck by tragedy at the height of his glory. This New York…
Times bestseller vividly chronicles the stunning decline in Woodrow Wilson's fortunes after World War I and draws back the curtain on one of the strangest episodes in the history of the American presidency. Author Gene Smith brilliantly captures the drama and excitement of Wilson's efforts at the Paris Peace Conference to forge a lasting concord between enemies, and his remarkable coast-to-coast tour to sway national opinion in favor of the League of Nations. During this grueling jaunt across 8,000 miles in less than a month, Wilson suffered a debilitating stroke that left him an invalid and a recluse, shrouding his final years in office in shadow and mystery. In graceful and dramatic prose, Smith portrays a White House mired in secrets, with a commander in chief kept behind closed doors, unseen by anyone except his doctor and his devoted second wife, Edith Galt Wilson, a woman of strong will with less than an elementary school education who, for all intents and purposes, led the government of the most powerful nation in the world for two years. When the Cheering Stopped is a gripping true story of duty, courage, and deceit, and an unforgettable portrait of a visionary leader whose valiant struggle and tragic fall changed the course of world history.Israel Journal: June, 1967
Par Yaël Dayan. 2015
An honest and stark account of life on the battlefield during the Six-Day War When the historic Six-Day War breaks…
out in June 1967, Yaël Dayan finds herself on the front lines in the Sinai desert, fighting for her country. Dayan, a journalist, an author, and the daughter of the renowned Israeli general Moshe Dayan, a key military leader in Israel's War of Independence two decades earlier, offers a female soldier's unique perspective and observations on life during active combat. Dayan's wartime journal entries chronicle her time spent in the desert campaign under the command of the legendary Arik Sharon, the battle against Egyptian forces, and the indelible effect these experiences had on her as both a soldier and a woman. As the author so aptly remarks in her diary, "Nothing will be the same now. I have looked at cessation of life, destruction of matter, sorrow of destroyers, agony of the victorious, and it had to leave a mark." With raw truth and intensity, these snapshots capture the hardships of battle, the mournfulness of loss, and the harshness of war.The Crisis Years: Kennedy and Khrushchev, 1960–1963
Par Michael Beschloss. 1991
The groundbreaking and revelatory tale of the most dangerous years of the Cold War and the two leaders who held…
the fate of the world in their hands. This bestselling history takes us into the tumultuous period from 1960 through 1963 when the Berlin Wall was built and the Bay of Pigs invasion and the Cuban Missile Crisis brought the United States and Soviet Union to the abyss. In this compelling narrative, author Michael Beschloss, praised by Newsweek as "the nation's leading Presidential historian," draws on declassified American documents and interviews with Kennedy aides and Soviet sources to reveal the inner workings of the CIA, Pentagon, White House, KGB, and politburo, and show us the complex private relationship between President John F. Kennedy and Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev. Beschloss discards previous myths to show how the miscalculations and conflicting ambitions of those leaders caused a nuclear confrontation that could have killed tens of millions of people. Among the cast of characters are Robert Kennedy, Robert McNamara, Adlai Stevenson, Fidel Castro, Willy Brandt, Leonid Brezhnev, and Andrei Gromyko. The Bay of Pigs invasion, the Vienna Summit, the Berlin Crisis, and what followed are rendered with urgency and intimacy as the author puts these dangerous years in the context of world history. "Impressively researched and engrossingly narrated" (Los Angeles Times), The Crisis Years brings to vivid life a crucial epoch in a book that David Remnick of the New Yorker has called the "definitive" history of John F. Kennedy and the Cold War.Blaming No One: Blog Postings on Arts, Letters, and Policy
Par Dan Whitman. 2012
Personal and professional reflections from a former US Foreign Service officer.This book is a series of reflections at the point…
of retirement from the U.S. Foreign Service after a career spent in locations around the globe. The collection of public blog postings, all colored by the author’s experience, include short essays on the following themes: personal anecdote, people/profiles, foreign policy as seen by a mid-level official, human nature, government functions, and “other”—ranging from music to immigration to condominium rules on dog comportment. Marked by a tone of light humor and social and institutional criticism, Blaming No One is an easy, entertaining read that also questions and challenges facile suppositions and notes many historic moments of interest.Citizen Mack: Politics, an Honorable Calling
Par Connie Mack. 2020
A former US Senator looks back on his eighteen-year career in Washington, his battle with cancer, and his life after…
politics.Citizen Mack: Politics, An Honorable Calling is former Republican US Senator Connie Mack III’s memoir, detailing his life in the world of Washington D.C. politics, and where that lead him afterwards. From his beginning as a member of the House of Representatives from Florida through the 80s, to his escalation to a Senator for the duration of the 90s, Mack offers an inside look into the political culture and climate of the nation as it closed out the twentieth century and progressed into the twenty first. Readers will experience a thorough and honest account of what the world of Washington looks like, from a man whom George W. Bush wanted as his running mate; who took part in the debate over one of the country’s most contentious Supreme Court Justice appointments; whose voice mattered when it came to deciding whether to remove President Bill Clinton from office, following his impeachment by the House. All this and more Mack recounts as a once-politician, now-citizen: Citizen Mack.Praise for Citizen Mack“Citizen Mack is the story of a life of public service—and a lot more. I was privileged to serve with Connie in the US Senate and can tell you his own service validates his belief that “politics is an honorable calling.” His leadership outside of politics—especially in the war on cancer—makes it equally clear that there is more to his life than politics.” —Joe Lieberman, Former US Senator“When I was diagnosed with cancer in 1995, then senator Connie Mack, whom I hardly knew, called me to say, “Don’t worry, Sam, I had the same thing, and I’m OK now—you will be too.” Can you imagine what that did for me? This wonderful man has helped people through a lifetime of selfless public service. Read his story, Citizen Mack, and consider how times have changed.” —Sam Donaldson, Former ABC News Anchor“A wonderful book about more than politics. It is also the story of how Senator Mack and his wife, Priscilla, survived cancer and how she shed her careful cloak of privacy, joined the fight, and became an inspiration and a force in the Race for the Cure.” —Nancy G. Brinker, Founder of Susan G. Komen and Promise Fund of FL, Global Cancer Advocate, Consultant, and Three-Time US AmbassadorPortrait of Camelot: A Thousand Days in the Kennedy White House
Par Richard Reeves, Harvey Sawler. 2010
A revealing and intimate portrait of a president, husband, and father as seen through the lens of the first official…
White House photographer. Cecil Stoughton’s close rapport with President John F. Kennedy and First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy gave him extraordinary access to the Oval Office, the Kennedys’ private quarters and homes, state dinners, cabinet meetings, diplomatic trips, and family holidays. Drawing on Stoughton’s unparalleled body of photographs, most rarely or never before reproduced, and supported by a deeply thoughtful narrative by political historian Richard Reeves, Portrait of Camelot is an unprecedented portrayal of the power, politics, and warmly personal aspects of Camelot’s 1,036 days.“Reveals an intimate account of a very public figure…the rare archive of images features the president during state dinners and cabinet meetings at the White House to family holidays and vacations at their private homes.” —Vanity FairA Small Door Set in Concrete: One Woman's Story of Challenging Borders in Israel/Palestine
Par Ilana Hammerman. 2019
“I was taught from the start not to be silent.” For years, renowned activist and scholar Ilana Hammerman has given…
the world remarkable translations of Kafka. With A Small Door Set in Concrete, she turns to the actual surreal existence that is life in the West Bank after decades of occupation. After losing her husband and her sister, Hammerman set out to travel to the end of the world. She began her trip with the hope that it would reveal the right path to take in life. But she soon realized that finding answers was less important than experiencing the freedom to move from place to place without restriction. Hammerman returned to the West Bank with a renewed joie de vivre and a resolution: she would become a regular visitor to the men, women, and children who were on the other side of the wall, unable to move or act freely. She would listen to their dreams and fight to bring some justice into their lives. A Small Door Set in Concrete is a moving picture of lives filled with destruction and frustration but also infusions of joy. Whether joining Palestinian laborers lining up behind checkpoints hours before the crack of dawn in the hope of crossing into Israel for a day’s work, accompanying a family to military court for their loved one’s hearing, or smuggling Palestinian children across borders for a day at the beach, Hammerman fearlessly ventures into territories where few Israelis dare set foot and challenges her readers not to avert their eyes in the face of injustice. Hammerman neither preaches nor politicks. Instead, she engages in a much more personal, everyday kind of activism. Hammerman is adept at revealing the absurdities of a land where people are stripped of their humanity. And she is equally skilled at illuminating the humanity of those caught in this political web. To those who have become simply statistics or targets to those in Israel and around the world, she gives names, faces, dreams, desires. This is not a book that allows us to sit passively. It is a slap in the face, a necessary splash of cold water that will reawaken the humanity inside all of us.Concept and Controversy: Sixty Years of Taking Ideas to Market
Par Rostow, W. W.. 2003
A trusted advisor to Presidents Eisenhower, Kennedy, and Johnson and one of America's leading professors of economic history, W. W.…
Rostow has helped shape the intellectual debate and governmental policies on major economic, political, and military issues since World War II. In this thought-provoking memoir, he takes a retrospective look at eleven key policy problems with which he has been involved to show how ideas flow into concrete action and how actions taken or not taken in the short term actually determine the long run that we call "the future."LBJ & Mexican Americans: The Paradox of Power
Par Julie Leininger Pycior. 1997
As he worked to build his Great Society, Lyndon Johnson often harkened back to his teaching days in the segregated…
"Mexican" school at Cotulla, Texas. Recalling the poverty and prejudice that blighted his students' lives, Johnson declared, "It never occurred to me in my fondest dreams that I might have the chance to help the sons and daughters of those students and to help people like them all over this country. But now I do have that chance--and I'll let you in on a secret--I mean to use it." This book explores the complex and sometimes contradictory relations between LBJ and Mexican Americans. Julie Pycior shows that Johnson's genuine desire to help Mexican Americans--and reap the political dividends--did not prevent him from allying himself with individuals and groups intent on thwarting Mexican Americans' organizing efforts. Not surprisingly, these actions elicited a wide range of response, from grateful loyalty to, in some cases, outright opposition. Mexican Americans' complicated relationship with LBJ influenced both their political development and his career with consequences that reverberated in society at large.V Is For Victory: Franklin Roosevelt's American Revolution and the Triumph of World War II
Par Craig Nelson. 2023
New York Times bestselling historian Craig Nelson reveals how FDR confronted an American public disinterested in going to war in…
Europe, skillfully won their support, and pushed government and American industry to build the greatest war machine in history, &“the arsenal of democracy&” that won World War II.As Nazi Germany began to conquer Europe, America&’s military was unprepared, too small, and poorly supplied. The Nazis were supported by robust German factories that created a seemingly endless flow of arms, trucks, tanks, airplanes, and submarines. The United States, emerging from the Great Depression, was skeptical of American involvement in Europe and not ready to wage war. Hardened isolationists predicted disaster if the country went to war. In this fascinating and deeply researched account, Craig Nelson traces how Franklin D. Roosevelt steadily and sometimes secretively put America on a war footing by convincing America&’s top industrialists such as Henry Ford Jr. to retool their factories, by diverting the country&’s supplies of raw materials to the war effort, and above all by convincing the American people to endure shortages, to work in wartime factories, and to send their sons into harm&’s way. Within a few years, the nation&’s workers were producing thousands of airplanes and tanks, hundreds of warships and submarines. Under FDR&’s resolute leadership, victory at land and sea and air across the globe began at home in America—a powerful and essential narrative largely overlooked in conventional histories of the war but which, in Nelson&’s skilled, authoritative hands, becomes an illuminating and important work destined to become an American history classic.V Is For Victory: Franklin Roosevelt's American Revolution and the Triumph of World War II
Par Craig Nelson. 2023
New York Times bestselling historian Craig Nelson reveals how FDR confronted an American public disinterested in going to war in…
Europe, skillfully won their support, and pushed government and American industry to build the greatest war machine in history, &“the arsenal of democracy&” that won World War II.As Nazi Germany began to conquer Europe, America&’s military was unprepared, too small, and poorly supplied. The Nazis were supported by robust German factories that created a seemingly endless flow of arms, trucks, tanks, airplanes, and submarines. The United States, emerging from the Great Depression, was skeptical of American involvement in Europe and not ready to wage war. Hardened isolationists predicted disaster if the country went to war. In this fascinating and deeply researched account, Craig Nelson traces how Franklin D. Roosevelt steadily and sometimes secretively put America on a war footing by convincing America&’s top industrialists such as Henry Ford Jr. to retool their factories, by diverting the country&’s supplies of raw materials to the war effort, and above all by convincing the American people to endure shortages, to work in wartime factories, and to send their sons into harm&’s way. Within a few years, the nation&’s workers were producing thousands of airplanes and tanks, hundreds of warships and submarines. Under FDR&’s resolute leadership, victory at land and sea and air across the globe began at home in America—a powerful and essential narrative largely overlooked in conventional histories of the war but which, in Nelson&’s skilled, authoritative hands, becomes an illuminating and important work destined to become an American history classic.Brothers
Par David Talbot. 2007
For decades, books about John or Robert Kennedy have woven either a shimmering tale of Camelot gallantry or a tawdry…
story of runaway ambition and reckless personal behavior. But the real story of the Kennedys in the 1960s has long been submerged -- until now. In Brothers: The Hidden History of the Kennedy Years, David Talbot sheds a dramatic new light on the tumultuous inner life of the Kennedy presidency and its stunning aftermath. Talbot, the founder of Salon.com, has written a gripping political history that is sure to be one of the most talked-about books of the year. Brothers begins on the shattering afternoon of November 22, 1963, as a grief-stricken Robert Kennedy urgently demands answers about the assassination of his brother. Bobby's suspicions immediately focus on the nest of CIA spies, gangsters, and Cuban exiles that had long been plotting a violent regime change in Cuba. The Kennedys had struggled to control this swamp of anti-Castro intrigue based in southern Florida, but with little success. Brothers then shifts back in time, revealing the shadowy conflicts that tore apart the Kennedy administration, pitting the young president and his even younger brother against their own national security apparatus. The Kennedy brothers and a small circle of their most trusted advisors -- men like Theodore Sorensen, Robert McNamara, and Kenneth O'Donnell, who were so close the Kennedys regarded them as family -- repeatedly thwarted Washington's warrior caste. These hard-line generals and spymasters were hell-bent on a showdown with the Communist foe -- in Berlin, Laos, Vietnam, and especially Cuba. But the Kennedys continually frustrated their militaristic ambitions, pushing instead for a peaceful resolution to the Cold War. The tensions within the Kennedy administration were heading for an explosive climax, when a burst of gunfire in a sunny Dallas plaza terminated John F. Kennedy's presidency. Based on interviews with more than one hundred fifty people -- including many of the Kennedys' aging "band of brothers," whose testimony here might be their final word on this epic political story -- as well as newly released government documents, Brothers reveals the compelling, untold story of the Kennedy years, including JFK's heroic efforts to keep the country out of a cataclysmic war and Bobby Kennedy's secret quest to solve his beloved brother's murder. Bobby's subterranean search was a dangerous one and led, in part, to his own quest for power in 1968, in a passion-filled campaign that ended with his own murder. As Talbot reveals here, RFK might have been the victim of the same plotters he suspected of killing his brother. This is historical storytelling at its riveting best -- meticulously researched and movingly told. Brothers is a sprawling narrative about the clash of powerful men and the darker side of the Cold War -- a tale of tragic grandeur that is certain to change our understanding of the relentlessly fascinating Kennedy saga.Raven's Mantle: Fighting the Betrayal of America
Par Raven Harrison. 2023
Raven Harrison, known as the Conservative Warrior, is a firebrand with an incredible military, business, and academic pedigree. As the…
daughter of two retired United States Air Force lieutenant colonels and a scholar who left for college at age sixteen, her awe-inspiring journey through communism, the Cold War, racism, and modern-day politics is now captured in a powerful story. Raven's Mantle is the striking firsthand account of her rise through some of the most pivotal moments in modern history. Raven details growing up in war zones, having a parent in the Pentagon on 9/11, and being injured in the 2017 Las Vegas Massacre. Raven's journey culminated in a life-changing event which catapulted her to the forefront of the fight for the soul of this nation and inspired her to run for Congress in her home state of Texas. Raven, a Native American black woman, was raised by fighters who instilled in her that "Freedom is never free." Now, she's taking on the ills of society for a better America. Raised by patriots. Called by God. Deterred by nothing. Raven Harrison is the Conservative Warrior!The Smithsonian First Ladies Collection
Par Amy Pastan, Lisa Kathleen Graddy. 2014
Admire the nationally famous collection of first ladies' gowns and learn about the contributions made by the women who wore…
themThe Smithsonian First Ladies Collection is a beautifully illustrated book inspired by one of the most popular attractions at the Smithsonian: the first ladies exhibit at the National Museum of American History. This striking book showcases the treasures from first ladies throughout history, ranging from Martha Washington's silk dress and dressing mirror to Michelle Obama's 2009 inaugural gown and jewelry. These and many other unforgettable objects--including gowns, tableware, and invitations from beloved first ladies such as Mamie Eisenhower, Jacqueline Kennedy, Barbara Bush, Hilary Clinton, and more--tell the story of the first ladies as public and private figures. They illustrate how these women, thrust into an influential and visible role by happenstance of marriage, adapted themselves and the role of first lady by taking on responsibilities as campaigners, hostesses, and policy advocates.The Smithsonian First Ladies Collection features many treasures not on view at the exhibit. Complete with an insider's look at the acquisition, conservation, and exhibition of the pieces as well as a timeline of all forty-six first ladies, this is a must-have for anyone fascinated by these incredible women and their roles in American culture and political life.Hitler's Spy Chief: The Wilhelm Canaris Mystery
Par Richard Bassett. 2011
How Hitler's spy chief sabotaged the German war effort.Wilhelm Canaris was appointed by Hitler to head the Abwehr (the German…
secret service) 18 months after the Nazis came to power. But Canaris turned against the Fuhrer and the Nazi regime, believing that Hitler would start a war Germany could not win. In 1938 he was involved in an attempted coup, undermined by British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain. In 1940 he sabotaged the German plan to invade England, and fed General Franco vital information that helped him keep Spain out of the war. For years he played a dangerous double game, desperately trying to keep one step ahead of the Gestapo. The SS chief, Heinrich Himmler, became suspicious of the Abwehr and by 1944, when Abwehr personnel were involved in the attempted assassination of Hitler, he had the evidence to arrest Canaris himself. Canaris was executed a few weeks before the end of the war.The Smithsonian First Ladies Collection
Par Amy Pastan, Lisa Kathleen Graddy. 2014
Admire the nationally famous collection of first ladies' gowns and learn about the contributions made by the women who wore…
themThe Smithsonian First Ladies Collection is a beautifully illustrated book inspired by one of the most popular attractions at the Smithsonian: the first ladies exhibit at the National Museum of American History. This striking book showcases the treasures from first ladies throughout history, ranging from Martha Washington's silk dress and dressing mirror to Michelle Obama's 2009 inaugural gown and jewelry. These and many other unforgettable objects--including gowns, tableware, and invitations from beloved first ladies such as Mamie Eisenhower, Jacqueline Kennedy, Barbara Bush, Hilary Clinton, and more--tell the story of the first ladies as public and private figures. They illustrate how these women, thrust into an influential and visible role by happenstance of marriage, adapted themselves and the role of first lady by taking on responsibilities as campaigners, hostesses, and policy advocates.The Smithsonian First Ladies Collection features many treasures not on view at the exhibit. Complete with an insider's look at the acquisition, conservation, and exhibition of the pieces as well as a timeline of all forty-six first ladies, this is a must-have for anyone fascinated by these incredible women and their roles in American culture and political life.