S2: Episode 1 - Frances Perkins, The Architect of the New Deal
In this episode of HerStance, we pull back the curtain on the true architect of the New Deal: Frances Perkins, the woman who wasn't just the first female Cabinet Secretary but the driving force behind the most significant social reforms in American history.
We explore her journey from a strict, conservative upbringing to a radical social reformer, tracing the moment her conscience was awakened—specifically, by the horrific Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire—which cemented her lifelong commitment to labor reform.
As Franklin D. Roosevelt's Secretary of Labor, Perkins fought tirelessly for the structural safety nets that define modern America, including Social Security, the minimum wage, and the 40-hour work week.
Discover the strategic genius of the woman who navigated a hostile, male-dominated cabinet, famously filing away her observations in a folder labeled "Notes on the Male Mind." We delve into the intense backlash she faced, including an impeachment attempt, and how she used her position to "establish the right of others... to sit in the high seats."
Perkins believed that "The people are what matter to government," and this episode honors the quiet, tenacious revolutionist whose legacy is woven into the very fabric of American fairness and economic security.
The Roosevelt I Knew, by Frances Perkins https://amzn.to/4i1gLHJ
The Woman Behind the New Deal: The Life and Legacy of Frances Perkins, Social Security, Unemployment Insurance, and the Minimum Wage, by Kirstin Downey https://amzn.to/47PaYjK
The Triangle Fire, by Leon Stein https://amzn.to/4qMO5WO
Front page of the NY Tribune in 1911 depicting the tragedy of the Shirtwaist Fire https://www.loc.gov/resource/sn83030214/1911-03-26/ed-1/?r=0.066,0.33,1.338,0.468,0
TIME magazine https://time.com/5792783/frances-perkins-100-women-of-the-year/?utm_source=chatgpt.com
