Women’s Equality Day recognizes the passage of the 19th Amendment to the United States Constitution in 1920, giving women the right to vote. To celebrate this landmark victory in the fight for gender equality and to recognize the uphill battle that still lies ahead, we’ve compiled a list of powerful books from the New Press that address gender justice issues. These titles address women’s rights at the intersection of climate science, education, criminal justice, racial justice, and more. They address the issues facing women in modern America and commemorate the success of women who paved the way for our current generation.
Who would believe a prisoner? Penitentiaries for women in Indiana, 1848–1920
From the Indiana Women’s Prison History Project, edited by Michelle Daniel Jones and Elizabeth Nelson
What we talk about when we talk about rape
By Sohaila Abdulali
Feminist intellectual and writer Sohaila Abdulali What we talk about when we talk about rape is a brave and necessary work that tackles the most sensitive questions about rape through moving interviews with survivors from around the world. This book is a “powerful tool for examining rape culture and language at the individual, societal, and global levels that everyone can benefit from reading” (Joey Soloway).
Mouths of Rain: An Anthology of Black Lesbian Thought
Edited by Briona Simone Jones
Winner of the Lambda Literary Award for LGBTQ Anthology, Mouths of Rain outlines the intellectual history and contributions of black lesbian writers and theorists. Named after the poem by Audre Lorde, Mouths of Rain is a “transformative, vital read” (Library Journal), which covers topics such as misogynoir, anti-blackness, love, romance, coming out, and more. Read an excerpt from Mouths of Rain In Literary Center.
The trials of Madame Restell: America’s most notorious doctor of the 19th century and the campaign to criminalize abortion
By Nicholas L. Syrett
The Trials of Madame Restell is a biography of one of the most famous abortion advocates of the 19th century, a particularly relevant read after the repeal of the Roe v. Wade. Nicholas L. Syrett reveals here “an entire underground industry that flourished in nineteenth-century American cities and traces the growing resistance to women’s reproductive care over time” (Publisher:).
37 words: Title IX and fifty years of fighting gender discrimination
By Sherry Boschert
Sherry Boscherts 37 words is, at its core, a history of the 1972 law popularly known as Title IX, which prohibits gender discrimination in education. Through the stories of women fighting for an education free of sexual harassment and discrimination, Boschert provides “a clearer understanding of the impact of Title IX, its shortcomings, and the ongoing threats female students face in their quest for access to educational opportunities” (Library Journal). Read an excerpt from 37 words In The Nation.
Dick: And other essays
By Tressie McMillan Cottom
Award-winning Professor Tressie McMillan Cottom Thick is a personal essay collection that covers eight highly acclaimed treatises on beauty, media, money, and more. This National Book Award finalist is a “boundary-pushing, provocative, and brilliant” (Roxane Gay) work that speaks to the experience of being a woman in our current times. Read an interview with McMillan Cottom about Thick.
Intertwined: Women, Nature and Climate Justice
By Rebecca Kormos
Women make up almost 90 percent of the victims of dangerous climate events and also the majority of people who have been forced to flee their homes as a result. IntertwinedAuthor and wildlife biologist Rebecca Kormos lifts up the voices of women committed to preventing the climate crisis and makes a compelling argument that women’s empowerment is one of the most important solutions to climate change and biodiversity loss. Read an excerpt from Intertwined In Literary Center.
Ejection: The criminalization of black girls in schools
By Monique Couvson
Eject “is a must-read for anyone who believes that black lives matter” (Kimberlé Crenshaw). Here, Monique Couvson chronicles the experiences of black girls across the country, revealing how policies, practices, and cultural illiteracy are pushing countless students out of school and into unstable lives, while also suggesting how our government and educational institutions should be improved to help black girls thrive instead.
Blackbirds Singing: Inspirational speeches by black women from the Civil War to the 21st century
By Janet Dewart Bell
With a wide-ranging historical lens, Blackbirds sing brings together a range of well-known names as well as new discoveries to celebrate the tradition of black women’s political speech and work, and to give voice to the voices and powerful visions of African American women across generations who have built power for the world. From Harriet Tubman and Ella Baker to Barbara Lee and Barbara Jordan, these great speakers explore ethics, morality, courage, authenticity and leadership, highlighting black women who speak truth to power in the service of freedom and justice. Read an excerpt from Blackbirds sing Here.
