Our conversation with activist historian and organizer, Leah Wise, now 75, originally aired in 2017. She spoke with us about the threat to democracy then which has only worsened now. She challenged us to think deeply about the responsibility of generations to carry young people forward as they step up and take over. Our conversation with Leah was rich in history and wisdom, her life reflecting the intersecting struggles and gains for racial, gender and economic justice in the Southeast of the United States and worldwide over the past 40 years. Leah offers us feisty commentary on the sexism that infused (and continues to) so many progressive movements, on the legacy of “polio personality”, and on her odyssey from civil rights activist to low-wage steel worker to leader of Southerners for Economic Justice and a network of similar groups across the Southeast. She offers heartfelt insights into the joys of paying attention to things that slipped by earlier: gardening, the feeling of the sun on your face, starting a sewing crafts business in your 70s, and the pleasures of grandchildren. And she leaves us with a resounding call: to join together to re-build the infrastructure of democracy.
In honor of Mother's Day we are bringing back this classic from season 4.
“Two of my heroes are mother and my grandmother…My mother taught me to be a woman. She was the strongest person I’ve ever met. And someday I’ll be the woman she wants me to be” - Tracy Hyter-Suffern
It’s complicated. Mothers. They’re sometimes cast as heroes and role models, often as victims or villains. In almost 40 conversations with other old bitches, mothers emerge as essential to the fabric of so many parts of our histories, our present and our futures. Drawing from those conversations, we’ve pulled together a few clips to share with you, from Inca Alexandrina Mohamed or Joy Kane talking about their mother’s dreams for them or Maya Wiley talking about her fears for her teenage daughters. So, on this Mother’s Day, take a minute to listen to this episode of Two Old Bitches with a mother, a daughter or someone else who you can talk to about the place of mothers in our lives. And, consider supporting the mothers and families who have been separated at the border. Check out www.familiesbelongtogether.org and the “Until Every Family Is Reunited” campaign.
This episode features: Dodo Berk (Season 1, Ep. 10), Elaine Finsilver (Season 1, Ep.06), Tracy Hyter-Suffern (Season 4, Ep. 8), Renata Joy (Season 4, Ep. 5), Joy Kane (Season 3, Ep. 10), Inca Alexandria Mohamed (Season 2, Ep. 9), Hendrica Okondo (Season 3, Ep. 8), Diane Scanlon (Season 2, Ep. 10), Hrag Vartanian (Season 4, Ep. 9) and Maya Wiley (Season 3, Ep. 7). We thank them and all of the Old Bitches who have shared their lives on our show!