Even though the film we viewed today covered civil rights for women, I was disappointed that there was little discussion of how sexism is still prevalent within educational institutions today. Not to mention, civil rights organizations like the NAACP practiced blatant discrimination against women, but that is overshadowed by heroic male figureheads. There remains a myth of "universal womanhood" that I believe must be addressed in the classroom when discussing civil rights. After all, feminists get a bad wrap. Let's be frank, many people (women included) see feminists as a bunch of "bra-burners" who threaten traditional family values. Unfortunately such negative stereotypes of feminists are perpetuated by the media, often impacting how people view female candidates for public office. For example, Sarah Palin is often hyper-sexualized while Hillary Clinton is referred to as a "nutcracker." Both of these extreme views of women illuminate how the fight for women's rights is ongoing. On the contrary, I prefer Cheris Kramarae and Paula Treichler's definition of feminism: "the radical notion that women are people too."
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