PBS’s To the Contrary Episode airing December 21, 2017 About Women and Girls- US History Winner Passionate Pursuits of Angela Bowen
BONNIE: HELLO I'M BONNIE ERBE WELCOME TO TO THE CONTRARY'S ANNUAL FILM FESTIVAL CALLED ALL ABOUT WOMEN AND GIRLS. THIS WEEK'S WINNER WON BEST DOCUMENTARY ABOUT WOMEN IN U.S HISTORY. FILMMAKER JENNIFER ABOD INTRODUCES US TO AN INSPIRATIONAL WOMAN WHO HAS NOT BEEN WIDELY RECOGNIZED FOR HER ACHIEVEMENTS, ANGELA BOWEN.
ANGELA: I DISCOVERED MY FIRST IN 1950. I WAS 14. THE SONG HAS ENDED BUT THE MELODY LINGERS ON YOU AND THE SONG ARE GONE THE MELODY LINGERS I SHOT UP AT THE AGE OF 12 AND I USED TO STOOP OVER. SO MY MOTHER SAID SHE WOULD SEND ME TO DANCING SCHOOL TO CORRECT MY POSTURE. I WAS SO TALL AND AWKWARD AND ASHAMED AND I USED TO STAND IN THE BACK OF THE LINE SO WHEN WE HAD TO TRAVEL UP THE FLOOR WOULD BE IN THE BACK.
ELMA LEWIS: CLASSIC BALLET IS NOT ONE OF LIFE'S EASY PROJECTS, IT'S PHYSICALLY DEMANDING AND EMOTIONALLY RESTRICTING. AND TO COME INTO IT AT 14 YEARS OLD IS RATHER LATE.
ANGELA: HERE IS THE FAT WOMAN IN THE MIDDLE OF ROXBURY AND I WILL CHALLENGE YOU. AND I WAS CHALLENGED AND NOT, NOT ALLOWED TO DO MY BEST. IT WAS THE FIRST PLACE THAT I HEARD CLASSICAL MUSIC IN ITS ENTIRETY AND CONNECTED IT TO THE COSTUMES AND AND THE MOVEMENT AND BEGAN NOT AS TO BE SO SELF CONSCIOUS OF MY BODY AND THOUGHT IT WAS BEAUTIFUL.
KENNETH JAMAL SCOTT: ANGIE WAS A HERO. SHE WAS THE PERSON WE LOOKED UP TO WAS THE BEST OF ALL OF US.
ELMA: SHE IS A VERY FERVENT PERSON, DOES EVERYTHING WHOLE HEARTEDLY WITH GREAT ABANDON. SOON I SAW SHE COULD TEACH WHAT SHE LEARNED AND WHEN I SAW THAT I WANTED TO EXPAND I SAID TO HER YOU WILL BE ABLE TO TAKE THIS NEXT SECTION AND GO WITH ITAND SHE THOUGHT SHE COULD. IT'S IMPORTANT THAT PEOPLE BELIEVE IN ONESELF AND PEOPLE'S CULTURAL HERITAGE IS WE MUST KNOW. WE LEARNED HAD GEORGE HOWARD TO COME FROM NEW YORK TO TEACH AND CARRIBBEAN TYPE DANCING. I WAS NOT PAYING A LOT OF ATTENTION. MY FRIEND SAID THAT FELLOW USING FIREAND ANGELA AND HAIR ON HER HEAD AND THE FIRE ALL OVER THE STAGE IF SHE HAD COMMON SENSE SHE WOULD HAVE BEEN FRIGHTENED AND RUNNING AWAY. NO, SHE WAS GOING INTO THIS WHOLEHEARTEDLY.
ANGELA: SO YOU HAVE THE MOVEMENT AND THE PROJECTION AND YOU'VE GOT THE CONCENTRATION AND GOT HAVING TO COUNT AND MOVE WITH THE MUSIC THAT GOING OUT AND COMING IN. AND PASSION, AND EXPRESSION TO SPEAK OF LIGHTS AND THE MUSICAL OF THAT. SO DANCE WAS THE MOST CHALLENGING THING THAT HAD EVER HAPPENED TO ME. I HAD TO USE EVERY SINGLE THING I HAD TO MAKE IT HAPPENED AND IT TURNED MY LIFE FROM GRAY INTO. TECHNICOLOUR.
ANGELA: MY MOTHER WAS AN IMMIGRANT FROM THE WESTINDYS, MONTSERRAT AND SINCE HER HUSBAND DIED WE WERE THE ONES SHE TURNED TO AND SHE WOULD SAY YOU ARE GOING TO GET AN EDUCATION. WHAT DID YOU LEARN TODAY?
ALTHEA BOWEN CLARK: WHEN I FINISHED HIGH SCHOOL I WANTED TO GET A JOB AND MY MOTHER SAID NO AND SHE SAID SHE DIDN'T WANT HER GIRLS TO SCRUB FLOORS LIKE SHE DID SO WE WERE GOING TO GET AN EDUCATION. SO AFTER HIGH SCHOOL I WENT TO BUSINESS SCHOOL.
ANGELA: I LEFT COLLEGE SO I COULD DANCE BUT THE DISAPPOINTMENT OF MY MOTHER WHO STRUGGLED IN WHICH WAY AND I WAS ONLY THE FIRST ONE AND PROBABLY THE LAST TO GET TO GO TO COLLEGE. EVERY NIGHT NO MATTER WHEN I CAME HOME SHE WAS PRANCING UP AND DOWN THAT HALLWAY AND PREACHING IN THE WAY THAT ONLY A DRAMATIC WEST INDIAN WOMAN PREACH ABOUT THE SACRIFICE AND SHARPER THAN THE SERPENT'S TOOTH IS THE INGRATITUDE OF A CHILD AND ALL THAT STUFF AND SHE WAS AND I KNEW THAT AND SO WAS I. THAT WAS A BIG CHALLENGE FOR ME.
KENNETH JAMAL SCOTT: NEW YORK CITY WAS PROBABLY THE MOST RACIST THING I HAD EVER EXPERIENCED IN MY ENTIRE LIFE AT 17. IT WAS THRUST AT ME LIKE SOMEBODY PUT UP A WALL.
ANGELA: THERE COULD HAVE BEEN A BILLBOARD SAYING NO BLACKS. THERE WERE NOT THAT MANY OPEN CALLS. WHEN THERE WAS A CALL WE WERE GOING TO SHOW UP. AND AT A CERTAIN POINT AFTER THREE, FOUR, FIVE, 10 REJECTIONS YOU KNEW YOU WERE NOT GOING TO GET THE PART. SO WE WERE GOING TO BE IN THEIR FACES AND WE WENT TO THE AUDITIONS, WE WENT ANYWAY.
KENNETH: TWO AND THREE TIMES A DAY. THAT IS RIGHT.
ANGELA: WE AUDITIONED FOR AND JOINED JAZZ TRAIN IN 1959.
KENNETH: WHEN IT WAS COMPILING ALL OF THE HISTORY OF THE THEATRICAL STUFF CONCERNING AFRICAN-AMERICANS UP UNTIL THAT DAY.
ANGELA: THE OPENING NUMBER WAS IN WHAT THEY CALLED THE AFRICAN JUNGLE. AND IT WAS SOFTWOOD AND IT HAD SPLINTERS, ANYTHING IN BARE FEET
KENNETH:YOU WERE ASKING FOR SERIOUS INJURIES.
ANGELA: WE HAD TO PUT ON HIGH HEELS WITH THE SPLINTERS IN OUR FOOT. WE HAD SANDALS ON OUR FEET. BUT THEY WERE TOO CHEAP TO DO IT AND MAKING US SUFFER.
MUSIC:AIN'T GOING TO MARRY, AIN'T GOING TO SETTLE DOWN.
ANGELA: I KNEW REALLY FROM THE TIME I WAS 11 OR 12 THAT I HAD NO INTEREST IN BOYS. AND YET, I KNEW IT WOULD BE DANGEROUS TO EXPRESS THAT. BUT WHEN I WAS ABOUT 17 OR 18, MY FRIENDS STARTED SHOWING ME HOW TO PUT ON MAKEUP THAT WAS NOT STAGE MAKEUP. AND HOW TO ACTUALLY FLIRT WITH BOYS. AND BY THEN, I HAD BOYS CALLING UP-AND- COMING OVER TO THE HOUSE. I WAS SO BORED BY THEM. I JUST RETREATED BACK INTO DANCE SCHOOL. ONCE I KNEW I COULD DO IT.OK THIS IS A ROLE WHEN IT'S TIME TO PLAY I KNOW HOW TO PLAY IT BUT I'M NOT INTERESTED IN IT.
KEN PETERS: I WAS A TEENAGER PERFORMING. ONE DAY OUT OF THE SMOKE OF THE ROOM UP HERE IN GEORGE HOWARD. HE EXPLAINED WHO HE WAS AND WHERE HE WAS GOING AND WOULD WE COME WITH HIM TO THIS SCHOOL THAT HE WAS TEACHING. I JUST JOYFULLY WENT ALONG. THERE WAS ONE DANCER, ANGELA WAS HER NAME, YOU COULDN'T HELP BUT PLAY FOR HER LIKE YOU NEVER PLAYED BEFORE. AND IT WAS GOOD. AND IT WAS GOOD.
ANGELA: WHEN I MET KEN, AT THE ELMA LEWIS SCHOOL I LOVED THE WAY HE PLAYED THE DRUMS AND HE WAS FUN. SO I STARTED GOING WITH HIM. AND BEFORE I WENT TO EUROPE, HE SAID HE WANTED TO MARRY. AND I SAID I DIDN'T WANT TO GET MARRIED. I WANTED TO DANCE. HE WROTE ME EVERYDAY. AND HE WHICH I CAME BACK, I SUCCUMBED AND I MARRIED HIM.
ANGELA: WELL, WHEN I FIRST GOT TO NEW HAVEN IT WAS CLEAR THAT THERE WERE THESE LEVELS WHERE PEOPLE THOUGHT THAT THEY WERE BETTER THAN OTHER PEOPLE SO I DELIBERATELY SETUP THE SCHOOL RIGHT IN FRONT OF WHERE THE PROJECT WAS. WENT INTO THE APARTMENTS AND THE COMPLEX AND WOULD SAY WE'RE GOING TO START A SCHOOL AND IT'S GOING TO OPEN IN SEPTEMBER WE WOULD LIKE TO HAVE YOUR CHILD.
ROBIN WILSON:I WAS A SHY KID. I WAS A CHUBBY KID AND SHE NEVER PUT ME DOWN ABOUT MY WEIGHT AND NEVER SAID YOU ARE A CHUBBY KID SHE ALWAYS HELPED ME MOVE, MOVE WELL, DELICATELY. HUGH PRICE: BOTH MY WIFE AND OUR DAUGHTER WENT TO THE SCHOOL OF DANCE AND IT WAS A LEGEND IN NEW HAVEN.
TRAER PRICE: WE HEARD EVERYTHING FROM SIGH COULD HAVE SKY TO STEVIE WONDER. TCHAIKOVSKY TO STEVIE WONDER.
ANGELA: GLEN HUCKABEE BECAME A DRUMMER AND I SAID TO KEN CAN THE GIRLS DRUM IF THEY WANT TOAND HE SAID YEAH. OLATUNJI WAS THE GREAT DRUMMER PERIOD. WE ACTUALLY MET HIM AT ELMA'S HOUSE. AND HE AND KEN BONDED. SO WHEN HE CAME THIS PARTICULAR DAY, AND HE SEES GLENN HUCKABEE SITTING THERE, WHAT, A GIRL? HE SAYS, NO, NO, NO, THE WOMEN CANNOT TOUCH THE DRUM. AND I SAID WHAT ARE YOU ABOUT, THEY CAN TOUCH A DRUM. HE SAID NO THAT IS WHAT WE HAVE WE HAVE MEN DOING THIS NOT WOMEN. I SAID YOU CAN TEACH ANYBODY IN THIS PLACE BECAUSE ANYBODY CAN DO WHAT THEY CAN DO YOU ARE IN A DIFFERENT PLACE NOW. NO, NO, NO. I SAID OK. SO HE LEFT. NEXT SATURDAY HE WAS BACK. HE THOUGHT ABOUT IT HIMSELF. HE CAME BACK. AND LYNN WAS THERE AND IF HE DID NOT LIKE IT, SO THAT WAS IT. THEN HE ENDS UP GOING TO ELMA'S AND TEACHING GIRLS.
EMMA JONES: WE WERE PROUD YOU KNOW OF THE PETERS SCHOOL OF DANCE. EVERY SINGLE BEAT MEANT SOMETHING AND IT SEAT DEEPLY INTO YOUR SOUL. IT WAS TELLING US ABOUT THE ANCESTORS BUT THEY TOLD A STORY ABOUT NOW.
ROBIN WILSON: I CAN'T EXPRESS HOW IMPORTANT THAT EXPERIENCE HAS BEEN IN MY LIFE. YOU KNOW I AM A JUVENILE JUDGE AND IT'S SAD THAT THERE'S NO PROGRAM THAT CAN TOUCH THE PETERS SCHOOL OF DANCE. NONE.
TRAER PRICE: TO THIS DAY I WILL SOMETIMES DANCE OUT A SECTION OF SOMETHING I'M GOING TO BE CHOREOGRAPHING FOR WATER BUT IN ORDER TO KNOW WHAT I'M TRYING TO DO WITH IT I SOMETIMES HAVE TO MOVE AROUND THE ROOM.
TRAER PRICE: WHAT I WANT TO SAY TO ANGELA BOWEN IS THAT SHE GAVE A GIFT TO NEW HAVEN, SHE GAVE A GIFT TO CHILDREN WHO NEEDED DESPERATELY TO KNOW THAT THEY WERE WORTHY AND LOVED. ANGELA BOWEN TAUGHT YOUNG KIDS SELF RESPECT IN THE SENSE OF KNOWING THAT THEY ARE CREATIVE BEINGS NOT THAT THEY ARE OK. THAT THEY ARE HUMAN AND THEY BELONG ON THE EARTH BUT THEY HAVE SO MUCH TO GIVE LIFE.
ANGELA: ONE DAY KEN AND I WERE WATCHING TELEVISION. KATE MILLETT LET WAS BEING INTERVIEWED BY ONE OF THE ONLY GUYS WHO IS SUPPOSED TO BE REALLY HAVING AN INTERVIEW WITH HER BUT IS BEING SMARMY.
KATE MILLETT: TO ME THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE SEXES IS A POLITICAL ONE THAT ONE ENTIRE GROUP GOVERNS THE OTHER. >>
ANGELA: I WAS TRYING TO GET BEHIND WHAT IT WAS SHE SAID THAT WAS SO OFFENSIVE TO HIM THAT HE WAS TREATING HER THIS WAY BECAUSE SHE WAS BEING TOTALLY JUST EXPLAINING HERSELF BUT HE MENTIONED THE NAME OF HER BOOK. SO I DETERMINED TO GO TO THE LIBRARY AND FIND THE BOOK. WHEN YOU STARTED READING WHAT SHE WAS TALKING ABOUT, WHICH, OF COURSE, HAD BEEN IN MY HOUSEHOLD MY WHOLE LIFELONG, WOMEN ARE NOT OBJECTS. GET YOURSELF EDUCATION AND GET YOURSELF A JOB AND TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF. IF YOU WANT TO SEE SOMEBODY MARRY HIM, IF NOT DON'T. I NEVER KNEW THAT ALL OF THESE WOMEN HAD NO IDEA THAT THEY THE RIGHT TO DO THAT. THAT'S WHAT STRUCK ME. THAT'S WHEN I SAID, YEAH, SURE, I'M FEMINIST.
AUDRE LORD: SOME OF YOU HERE TODAY I AM THE FACE OF ONE OF YOUR FEARS. BECAUSE I AM WOMAN, BECAUSE I AM BLACK, BECAUSE I AM LESBIAN.
ANGELA: AUDREY WAS THE FIRST BLACK LESBIAN FEMINIST THAT I SAW IN THE FLESH. SHE INSPIRED ME TO KNOW THAT I COULD LEAVE. I WANTED TO LEAVE. I WAS TRYING TO THINK I COULD GET OUT OF THIS HOLE BIG HETEROSEXUAL TRAP.
KEN: WHEN ANGIE DECIDED TO LEAVE THE SCHOOL AND LEAVE NEW HAVEN IT WAS LIKE PULLING TEETH EVERYONE HATED TO THINK OF HER LEAVING BUT SHE HAD TO MOVE ON.
ANGELA: THAT IS THE HARDEST DECISION EVER IN MY LIFE THAT I MADE.
KEN: WE KNEW WHAT IT WAS. AND WE KNEW WHERE ANGIE WAS. AND THEN SHE CAME OUT OF THE CLOSET.
ANGELA: I WANTED A LIFE OF MY OWN. I WANTED TO LIVE AMONG WOMEN WHO WERE POLITICAL AND LESBIANS AND WHO WERE ALL DIFFERENT KINDS OF THINGS AND FEMINISTS.
JENNIFER: I MET ANGELA IN 1979 WHEN I WAS 32. SHE HAD BEEN A SPEAKER AT THE TAKE BACK THE NIGHT WATCH, NEW HAVEN GREEN FOUND HER VERY INTERESTING. I HAD NEVER SEEN A BLACK FEMINIST SPEAK IN NEW HAVEN AND HAVE BEEN AN ACTIVIST FOR 10 YEARS. WENT TO A BRUNCH THE FOLLOWING DAY AND I SAW HER I WAS VERY HAPPY BUT I DID NOT EXPECT TO BE LIKE KNOCKED OUT OF THE PARK WHEN I LOOKED INTO HER EYES. THAT WAS NOT MY EXPECTATION. GOOD EVENING AND WELCOME TO THE LATE NIGHT TALK SHOWI WAS A RADIO BROADCASTER. I WAS A TALK SHOW HOST. AND PARTICIPATED WITH AN INCREDIBLE GROUP OF WOMEN WHO WERE CHANGING THE CULTURE RIGHT IN FRONT OF ME EYES. I WAS A SINGER IN THE NEW HAVEN WOMEN'S LIBERATION ROCK BAND.
MUSIC: WE'RE TALKING ABOUT ABORTION IT'S AGAINST THE LAW BUT WE KNOW IT'S OUR RIGHT
JENNIFER: I WAS OUT AS A FEMINIST AND OUT AS A JEW BUT NOT OUT AS A LESBIAN. IT TOOK ME TWO WEEKS TO GET UP THE NERVE TO CALL HER. IT WAS LATE AT NIGHT AT HOWARD JOHNSONS AND WE SHARED A PIECE OF PECAN PIE AND WE BOTH FELT LIKE WE HAD FOUND HOME LOOKING AT EACH OTHER WE FELT REALLY COMFORTABLE. THE VERY NEXT TIME I MET HER I WENT TO HER HOUSE AND MET HER FAMILY, KEN AND THE CHILDREN AND I LEARNED THAT ALTHOUGH SHE LIKED KEN, THE MAIN REASON WHY MARRIED HIM BECAUSE BECAUSE SHE WANTED TO HAVE A FAMILY. OVER THE SUMMER, WE SPENT A LOT OF TIME TOGETHER. AND I WAS ABLE TO HANGOUT WITH THE KIDS. WE HAD A LOT OF FUN. COUPLE YEARS LATER SHE MOVED WITH THE CHILDREN TO CAMBRIDGE AND WE ALL MOVED IN AS A FAMILY.
NTOMBI PETERS: MY MOTHER WAS NOT ANGELA BOWEN OF BOWEN PETERS. SHE IS NOW THIS LESBIAN ACTIVIST WHO LIVES WITH THIS WHITE WOMAN. AND LIKE HOW DO I -- IT WAS A LOT, A LOT, A LOT OF ADJUSTMENT.
JENNIFER: ANGELA EXPERIENCED SUCH FREEDOM WHEN SHE CAME TO CAMBRIDGE SHE KNEW SHE WAS GOING TO LIVE A BRAND NEW LIFE AND CLAIM EVERY PART OF HER.
TOM BERGERON: WE ARE TALKING ABOUT THE PROCESS OF COMING OUT. AND WHAT IT MEANS. YESTERDAY BEING NATIONAL COMING OUT DAY.
GUEST: WHY DOES IT HAVE TO BE A NATIONAL DAY? THAT IS THE WAY OF RATIONALIZING THE FACT OF THE SOCIOPROBLEM WHY DO YOU NEED A DAY TO COME OUT?
ANGELA: WE HAVE A RIGHT TO HAVE A DAY IF WE WANT A DAY. MANY OF US CAME OUT LONG BEFORE THERE WAS A DAY. I DID NOT WAIT FOR A DAY TO COME OUT I'VE BEEN OUT FOR SOME YEARS YOU'VE GOT 364 DAYS A YEAR. AND WE TOOK ONE. AND WE'LL TAKE IT AND IF YOU DON'T LIKE IT, TOUGH.
ANGELA: SHE SPOKE, SHE MARCHED SHE WENT TO THE CAPITAL TO SPEAK WITH POLITICIANS AND PUT HER BODY ON THE LINE WITH A LOT OTHER PEOPLE, TOO. WHEN SHE MET JACKIE ALEXANDER THEY RECOGNIZED EACH OTHER AS ACTIVISTS AS LESBIANS AND MOTHERS, AS TEACHERS.
JACQUI ALEXANDER: SO I BECAME PART OF THIS BLACK LESBIAN GROUP THAT ANGELA INVITED ME TO BE PART OF. THERE WERE DISCUSSIONS THAT BEGAN AROUND WHO ONE'S APPROPRIATE PARTNER SHOULD BE RACIAL PARTNER AND THE THINKING VERY, VERY STRONG BRAND OF NATIONALIST THINKING BUT SAID IF YOU WERE BLACK LESBIAN YOUR PARTNER ALSO HAD TO BE BLACK AND BY IMPLICATION IF SHE WASN'T THEN YOU WERE BETRAYING THE RACE. AND IT WAS EXCEPTIONALLY PAINFUL BECAUSE I WAS COMING OUT AND THIS WAS A BLACK LESBIAN GROUP HOW ARE YOU SUPPORTING ME BY TELLING ME THAT MY CHOICE WAS SOMEHOW DERELICT AND WE ENDED UP LEAVING THE GROUP WE HAD TO. BECAUSE YOU CAN'T CALL YOURSELF A BLACK LESBIAN SUPPORT GROUP AND NOT GIVE SUPPORT. IN FACT BE DESTRUCTIVE AND LEAVE BLOOD ON THE FLOOR AS AUDRE WOULD SAY.
AUDRE LORDE: DO NOT LET THE DIFFERENCES PULL YOU APART. USE THEM, EXAMINE THEM, GO THROUGH THEM. GROW FROM THEM.
JENNIFER: ANGELA WORKED WITH JACKIE ALEXANDER TO BRING 1200 PEOPLE TOGETHER FROM 23 COUNTRIES WHILE AUDREY WAS ALIVE SHE HAD BEEN BATTLING CAN CANCER FOR MANY YEARS AND TWO YEARS LATER SHE DIED.
AUDRE LORDE: I BELIEVE ALL ART MAKES US MORE POWERFULLY WHO WE WISH TO BECOME AND WE MUST BE ALL WE CAN BECOME BECAUSE WE NEED OUR ENERGY FOR THE BATTLE AND WAR IT IS.
ANN WHITHORN: ONE DAY I CAME TO WORK AND SIGNED UP ON MY SIGN-UP SHEET WAS A PERSON NAMED ANGELA BOWEN. AND THIS WOMAN WALKED IN AND I SAID DO YOU KNOW ABOUT THIS PERSON IN CONNECTICUT THAT YOU ARE NAMED AFTER THIS BLACK WOMAN THAT DOES ALL THIS STUFF WITH CULTURE AND DANCE AND ARTS, AND SHE SAYS I THINK THAT IS ME.
ANGELA: WHEN I HAD FIRST GONE BACK TO COLLEGE TO GET MY BA, MY WHOLE AIM WAS SIMPLY TO GET WHAT THEY CALL A LEGITIMATE JOB TO HELP MY DAUGHTER THROUGH COLLEGE. SO WHEN I WAS COMING TO THE END OF IT, SHE SAID DO YOU KNOW ABOUT THIS PHD PROGRAM THAT IS OPENING UP AT CLARK UNIVERSITY? AND I SAID NO, I DON'T WANT A PHD.
ANN WHITHORN: SHE SAID I'M AN ACTIVIST.
ANGELA: THE WOMEN IN ACADEMIA WRITING THESE THEORETICAL THINGS THAT WERE NOT HELPING US TO MOVE THIS MOVEMENT FORWARD AND TO GET THINGS DONE AND BE OUT THERE DOING THE WORK THAT WOULD CHANGE WOMEN”S LIVES. I WAS SUCH A SNOB
ANN: AND I REMEMBER SAYING WELL, I HAVE A PHD AND I CERTAINLY WOULDN'T BE PROUD OF IT IF THAT IS ALL I WAS BUT IT'S USEFUL.
JENNIFER: ANGELA LEFT CLARK IN 1996 AND BEGAN TEACHING AT CAL STATE LONG BEACH IN TWO DEPARTMENTS: WOMEN'S STUDIES AND ENGLISH. ANGELA WAS AWARE OF THE HISTORY OF SEXISM, RACISM AND SEXISM AND HOMOPHOBIA AND AGEISM IN ACADEMIA, AND THE QUESTION IS HOW WAS SHE GOING FIT IN.
STUDENT: Dr. BOWEN CHALLENGED NOT ONLY THE CLASS BUT UNIVERSITY BE MORE OPEN FEMINIST THEORIES AND WOMEN'S STUDIES.
MARINA WOOD RODRIGUEZ: I TOOK Dr. BOWEN'S CLASS MY FIRST SEMESTER AND WOMEN IN POWER SOUNDED INTERESTING. ON THE FIRST DAY SHE SAID OK DO YOU WANT TO READ BOOKS ABOUT POWER AND WRITE A RESEARCH PAPER OR ORGANIZE SOMETHING ON YOUR OWN? WE WERE LIKE THERE'S DO THAT. SHE SAID WE ARE GOING TO ORGANIZE A CONFERENCE AND AFTER THAT WE MADE A ASSOCIATION AND ORGANIZED PROTESTS, CONFERENCES, MEETINGS, FILM SCREENINGSCOORDINATED COLLABORATED. IT ALL STARTED FROM DrBOWEN'S WOMEN IN POWER CLASS.
JENNIFER: IN HER FOURTH YEAR ANGELA APPLIED FOR TENURE AND PROMOTION TO ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR AND WAS SURPRISED THEY GAVE HER TENURE WITHOUT PROMOTION.
ELYSE BLANKLY: TO BE TENURED WITHOUT PROMOTED IS A PSYCHOLOGICAL BLOW. I WOULD HAVE PACKED UP MY BAGS AND LOOKED FOR ANOTHER JOB. JENNIFER: HONESTLY. HOW ARE YOU ABLE TO KEEP THE FOCUS ON YOUR MISSION AND YOUR GOAL IN THE FACE OF LARGE DISAPPOINTMENTS?
ANGELA: BECAUSE I HAVE MY OWN SELF. THIS PLACE DOESN'T DEFINE ME. I KNOW I DO GOOD WORK. I CAN'T LET THEM MAKE ME NOT DO WHAT I WANT FOR WHAT I CAME IN HERE FOR. I DID NOT COME FOR THEM IN THE FIRST PLACE. I HAVE A GOAL TO SPOT THE PEOPLE WHO REALLY COULD MANAGE TO PULL OFF PURSUING A PHD OR GOING VERY FAR IN WHATEVER FIELD THEY ARE PARTICULARLY INTERESTED. THE POINT IS, TO DO 10 BEFORE I RETIRE.
BENNY LEMASTER: BEFORE I MET Dr. BOWEN MY GOAL WAS TO BE A TRUCK DRIVER. IT WAS NOT UNTIL I GOT INTO WOMEN OF COLOR IN AMERICA THAT SOMETHING CROSSED MY MIND AS POSSIBILITY AND THAT WAS THE POSSIBILITY OF OBTAINING A DOCTORATE DEGREE.
IFEANYI UFONDU: SHE CHALLENGED ME TO GO INTO A PHD PROGRAM AND I TOOK HER UP ON THE OFFER.
DINA BARAJAS: I REALLY FEEL THIS WAY, I WOULD NOT BE IN GRADUATE SCHOOL IF IT NOT WERE FOR HER.
DR. KIRSTYN CHUN: I HEARD OF ALL ABOUT THE LIVES SHE CHANGED AND THE CONSCIOUSNESS AND THE COMING OUTS THAT SHE ENCOURAGED AND INSPIRED AND I WOULD LIKE TO INTRODUCE TO YOU PROFESSOR ANGELA BOWEN. OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LONG BEACH.
ANGELA: HOW FAR, HOW VERY FAR WE HAVE COME AND LET'S FACE IT HOW FAR WE HAVE YET TO GO. AND AS MY MOTHER USED TO SAY WE AS BLACK FOLKS NEEDED TO KEEP PUSHING FOR CHANGE BY HELPING TO MOVE THE LINE FORWARD. YOU DIDN'T HAVE TO DO IT ALL AT ONCE. I SAY IT IN CLASS. I SAY YOU KNOW, LOOK AT YOU ALL SITTING HERE KNOWING THAT YOU HAVE ALL THIS LIFE AHEAD OF YOU AND ALL THE DIFFERENT THINGS YOU CAN DO. YOU DON'T HAVE TO DO JUST ONE THING.
BONNIE: WE HOPE YOU FOUND THIS EDITION OF OUR ALL ABOUT WOMEN AND GIRLS FILM FESTIVAL ENTIGHT LENDING. ENLIGHTENING. FOLLOW ME ON TWITTER AND FOLLOW US ON OUR WEBSITE, PBS.ORG/TOTHECONTRARY AND WHETETHER YOU AGREE OR THINK TO THE CONTRARY SEE YOU NEXT WEEK.