Breaking Down Patriarchy

Amy is joined by guest Maxine Hanks to begin their discussion of Sexual Politics by Kate Millett. This is Part One of Two and covers the author’s biography, the repressive context which created Second Wave and Radical Feminism, compulsory heterosexuality, and bridging the gap between academics and public discourse around gender. Maxine Hanks is a historian and theologian who lectures and writes on Women’s Studies, History, and Religious Studies, particularly Mormon and Christian traditions and liturgy. Her bachelor’s degree was in Gender Studies and her master’s degree was in History, with additional graduate work in Theology and Religion.

Amy is joined by guests Emily Bell McCormick & Kelly Whited Jones to discuss the Equal Rights Amendment authored by Alice Stokes Paul. Topics include the history of equal rights legislation, common counter-arguments against this legislation, and the ongoing struggle to pass the ERA today. Emily Bell McCormick is founder of The Policy Project— a group of individuals and like-minded organizations that help move forward healthy, long-term policy at a local and national level. Emily is also the editor of Utah’s NBC affiliate KSL Studio 5 “Smarter” series–informing viewers about issues, government, policies and politics of the time and helping to empower viewers to find their place in it all. She also co-presents “The State of Women in Utah” on local news radio, KSL. She is co-president of the Utah ERA Coalition. Emily earned a Master’s degree from The Ohio State University and a bachelor’s degree from Brigham Young University.Kelly Whited Jones is a life-long Utahn raised on a small farm in Utah County. She is an educator, fundraiser, and activist and holds a master’s degree in Environmental and Health Communication from the University of Utah. Kelly teaches college communication and is co-founder and co-president of the Utah ERA Coalition, a group of 35+ local and national organizations committed to passing equal rights legislation in the Beehive state. She served two years as chair of the ERA Committee for Utah Women Unite, a group responsible for reviving ERA legislation in Utah in 2016 and staging the largest march on the Utah Capitol in Utah history — in a snowstorm. In 2018, she consulted with Rep. Karen Kwan on HJR 021, the Reaffirm the Value of Utah Women Resolution, a first-step bill that passed unanimously. In 2020, a year celebrating Suffrage, she stood with women outside the House of Representatives as a Silent Sentinel at the Capitol every day of the 45-day legislative session. Though bills to ratify have been held in Rules Committee every year since 2016, progress is being made, and 71% of Utahns now support ratification efforts. Most recently, in 2021, Sen. Kathleen Riebe and Sen. Kirk Cullimore ran a bi-partisan bill to ratify SJR 008, the first time both major parties have come together in support of equal rights. Kelly believes that constitutional protection under the law is worth the conversation.

Amy is joined by guest Amy Pal to discuss the speech “Living the Revolution” delivered by Gloria Steinem. Topics include feminism as a humanist movement, the work of unlearning hurtful ideas, the damaging influence of Sigmund Freud, and how women’s liberation is men’s liberation as well. Amy Pal grew up in California and Utah. She attended Boston University where she completed her bachelor’s degree in communication disorders and master’s degree in speech and language pathology. As part of her career in education, Amy was drawn to issues related to social justice, gender equity, and multiculturalism. She enjoys learning about topics through various people’s perspectives. Amy also loves to run in nature, read, and spend time with her family.

Amy is joined by guest Rayna Clay MacKay to conclude their discussion of Double Jeopardy: To Be Black and Female by Frances Beal. This is Part Two of Two and covers reform versus revolution, the history of medical cruelty carried out against Black bodies, and the fallacy of thinking all women face oppression equally. Rayna Clay MacKay is a wife, mom, and Obstetric Anesthesiologist. She married a dreamy Scotsman for much more than his accent and gained two fantastic bonus kids as a result. They added three more kiddos to the mix, including identical twin boys, and a daughter. They also have the best Cavoodle in the world named Hamish. She is a firm believer that differences are what make us great, and they should be applauded and supported. As she’s gotten older and wiser, She’s found her voice becoming louder championing for the injustices in the medical system, and society as a whole. Her hope is that the future is more glorious with a rainbow of differing people and opinions that are equally acknowledged.

Rayna Clay MacKay, an obstetric anesthesiologist, wife and mother who organizes around injustices in medicine, reflects on Frances Beal’s Double Jeopardy. She explores SNCC history, state violence against protesters, and the split between Black and white women in the 1960s–70s. Rayna shares personal stories about tokenism, microaggressions, career steering, and breaking barriers in medical institutions.

Rochelle Briscoe, a lawyer and policy leader who has served in the Obama White House and at Google and YouTube. She explores Pauli Murray and Mary Eastwood’s work on Jane Crow, Title VII, constitutional interpretation, and the ‘mommy track’. Conversations touch on civil rights history, intersectionality, workplace stereotypes, and how law shapes gender and racial justice.

Christie Skousen, pianist, teacher, and founder of Peery Piano Academy, joins to reflect on Nancy Weiss Malkiel’s Keep the Damned Women Out. They explore the struggle for coeducation and hostile backlash at elite colleges. Short takes cover tokenism, classroom silencing, Dartmouth’s resistance, and how language and representation reshape power and belonging.

Marta Luna Wilde, an educator and stay-at-home mother with roots in Stanford and bilingual education, brings a personal lens to The Feminine Mystique. She discusses 1950s-60s housewife identity, Hegelian historical swings, advertising’s role in shaping gender, and classroom exercises that reveal how children learn gendered expectations.

Amy is joined by guest Fya Parvis Jazra to conclude their discussion of The Second Sex by Simone de Beauvoir. This is Part Three of Three and covers de Beauvoir on abortion, childbirth, beauty, and consequences of subordination. Fyza Parviz Jazra, originally from Pakistan, is a Graduate Student in Stanford’s MLA Program. She is currently working on her Master’s thesis on the Seventeenth-Century English interest in Arabic Astronomy. Previously she worked as a Software Engineer at Apple. She loves to read 19th-century fiction and, along with her husband, is a zealous bibliophile. She is also a mother to a 19-month-old boy.

Fyza Parvis Jazra, a graduate student at Stanford focusing on Arabic Astronomy, joins the discussion on Simone de Beauvoir's 'The Second Sex'. They delve into the critical difference between sex and gender and how societal expectations influence women's roles as caregivers and professionals. The conversation highlights the balancing act women face in career and family, especially amid COVID-19 pressures. They also challenge traditional gender roles, discussing the undervaluation of domestic labor and the need for more equitable recognition of women's contributions.