‘Unladylike2020’ Highlights 5 Women Who Changed American Politics

Timed with the 2020 presidential election and the women’s suffrage centennial, American Masters – Unladylike2020: The Changemakers, narrated by award-winning actor Julianna Margulies, and featuring the voice of Lorraine Toussaint, premieres nationwide Friday July 10 on PBS, as part of PBS’ summer celebration of women trailblazers.

This hour-long documentary focuses on political change, examining the ways women accomplished amazing milestones over 100 years ago, overcoming incredible odds and great resistance, to map a national future of equality and to improve life for Americans.

Courtesy of National Archives

It features the rich biographies of five little-known trailblazers, including:

• Martha Hughes Cannon, the country’s first female state senator
• Jeannette Rankin, the first woman elected to the U.S. Congres
• Mary Church Terrell, a leader in the anti-lynching movement and a founder of the NAACP
• Jovita Idar, a journalist, and president of the first Mexican American women’s civil rights organization
• Zitkála-Šá, also known as Gertrude Simmons Bonnin, who lobbied for U.S. citizenship, voting rights, and sovereignty for American Indians a century ago

Courtesy of Library of Congress

The lives of these unsung heroes are brought back to life through captivating original artwork and animation; rare archival imagery; and interviews with historians, descendants, and accomplished women and modern-day thought leaders, who reflect on the influence of these pioneers, and the status of suffrage and equality today.

American Masters – Unladylike2020: The Changemakers, Premiere, Friday, July 10, 9/8c, PBS (Check your local listings)