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Updates about new and special programming and changes to NHPR's program schedule.

New Series Celebrates New Hampshire’s “Unsung” Women

Unsung series from NHPR

A new series created by a team of NHPR reporters, producers and hosts will take a fresh look at stories of New Hampshire women we think we know and those that may have been overlooked. The new series—called Unsung—offers a modern perspective on women’s experiences throughout our state’s history—from female aviators and politicians to musicians and artists.

Each segment profiles women as varied as Ona Judge—who escaped slavery and settled in Portsmouth, N.H.—and Dudley Dudley, who took on big-pocketed oil industry interests and helped prevent the establishment of an oil refinery on New Hampshire’s seacoast. The series takes a look at significant moments in time to illustrate broader social issues—from the first women to enroll in Dartmouth once it went co-ed to the ways women are portrayed in media coverage.

Stories will include the state’s first female aviators; The Shaggs (an all-female rock band from Fremont); Mary Baker Eddy (the founder of Christian Science); Harriet Wilson (the first African-American novelist in North America); and many others. In addition, listeners are asked to share stories of strong, influential women in their lives via Hearken: www.nhpr.org/topic/unsung

“The series serves to shine a light on women whose stories we think we know and those we don’t but all of whom tell us something about the state’s past and present,” said Erika Janik, Executive Producer at New Hampshire Public Radio. “Each story gives context to women’s experience over time and the ways we remember, tell, and share women’s stories.”

The year-long initiative culminates in 2020, which marks the centennial of the women’s suffrage amendment. Beginning in the late 1800s, women campaigned for their civil right to political equity—an initiative that led to the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution in 1920, which granted voting rights to women.

TUNE IN:

Segments air the first Wednesday of the month on Morning Edition during the 6:45 a.m. and 8:45 a.m. timeslots. Stories in the series so far include: Ona Judge and Marilla Ricker.

Additional stories can be found here.

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