PROVIDENCE, R.I. [Brown University] — The Pembroke Center for Teaching and Research on Women presents “An Evening with Gloria Steinem,” a screening of the HBO documentary film Gloria: In Her Own Words, followed by a conversation between Steinem and Brown President Ruth J. Simmons. The event begins at 5:30 p.m. Monday, April 30, 2012, in Salomon Center for Teaching, De Ciccio Family Auditorium. Admission is free but tickets are required. Doors open for ticketed guests at 4:45 p.m. Unoccupied seats will be offered to the public after 5:15 p.m.
“Gloria Steinem has been a tireless advocate for social justice for more than 40 years. I look forward to sharing our conversation with students who have benefited from her work yet still confront new manifestations of social inequality and discrimination,” Simmons said.
“The Pembroke Center for Teaching and Research on Women is thrilled to sponsor Gloria Steinem’s visit to Brown,” said Kay Warren, director of the Pembroke Center. “This is an unparalleled opportunity to hear two inspiring women leaders engage in a conversation about setting the agenda for women’s issues today, forging wider coalitions for justice, and the importance of responding to powerful critics.”
Gloria: In Her Own Words
After decades of activism, Gloria Steinem remains one of the most outspoken and visible symbols of the women’s movement. Gloria: In Her Own Words, directed by Emmy Award-winning documentary filmmaker Peter Kunhardt and produced by Kunhardt and Sheila Nevins, blends interviews of Steinem in her Manhattan apartment, archival footage, photographs from throughout her life and clips from press interviews over the years.
In the film, Steinem recalls beginning her career as a journalist in New York City in the early 1960s and making headlines with an expose on the working conditions of Playboy Bunnies. Her political awakening accelerated when she covered an abortion hearing for New York Magazine in 1969 and learned of the horrifying and humiliating experiences women endured for reproductive freedom. She helped lead the nationwide Women’s Strike for Equality march on Aug. 26, 1970, the 50th anniversary of the enactment of women’s suffrage. Since then, Steinem has been ever-present on the front lines of social activism, co-founding Ms. Magazine, where she continues to serve as a consulting editor, in 1972.
The film also looks at the challenges Steinem has faced in later years. Diagnosed with breast cancer soon after turning 50, she underwent surgery and radiation. Taking a break from public life after decades of traveling nonstop, Steinem “hit bottom” and began to look internally, writing the self-esteem book Revolution from Within.
Among those interviewing Steinem in the film are Barbara Walters, Helen Gurley Brown, Phil Donahue, and Larry King. The film also features archival footage of National Organization for Women co-founder Betty Friedan, Rep. Bella Abzug, and civil rights advocate Flo Kennedy.
Tickets
Tickets are available to members of the Brown community. Persons with current Brown IDs may reserve tickets beginning April 9, 2012, at 9 a.m. For more information, contact the Office of University Events and Conference Services at 401-863-3100 or visit www.brown.edu/web/steinem. Unoccupied seats will be available to the general public at 5:15 p.m.