Trailblazing women in politics

“Trailblazing Women in Ohio Politics” Documentary Preview Screenings to be

Hosted by Local League of Women Voters Chapters

BOWLING GREEN, OH – In celebration of National Women’s History Month, a new

documentary titled “Trailblazing Women in Ohio Politics” will premiere during a

series of special public preview screenings hosted by League of Women Voters

chapters throughout Ohio starting March 1.

The schedule includes:

March 1 – Columbus Metropolitan Library Auditorium, 7 p.m.

March 2 – Maumee Indoor Theatre, 7 p.m.

March 7 – The Athena Cinema, Athens, 7 p.m.

March 11 – Cleveland History Center, 1 p.m.

March 14 – Walnut Hills Library Branch, Cincinnati, Noon

March 16 – Dayton Metro Library, Eichelberger Forum, 7 p.m.

March 21 – Union Theater, Bowen-Thompson Student Union,

Bowling Green State University, 7 p.m.

March 28 – Akron-Summit County Public Library, 6:30 p.m.

The public is invited to watch the hour-long documentary, followed by a panel

discussion moderated by Bowling Green State University Political Science Professor

Melissa K. Miller, an expert on American politics. The non-partisan documentary

tells the story of both Democratic and Republican women who broke electoral

barriers beginning in the 1960s. WBGU-PBS produced the documentary locally.

The goal of the documentary is to tell the stories of notable women in Ohio electoral

politics. Each blazed a trail for women/women of color in elective office. This

includes Jo Ann Davidson, the first woman speaker of the Ohio House; Helen Rankin,

the first African American woman in the Ohio General Assembly; and Betty D.

Montgomery, Ohio’s first woman attorney general, along with other distinguished

politicians.

“Their unique, lived experiences are fascinating history,” Miller said. “It’s our honor

to illuminate their struggles and triumphs for a multi-generational audience.”

The documentary combines on-camera interviews, artifacts from each trailblazer’s

career and archival footage and photos – many from the Ohio History Connection

archives. Each interview also will be housed at BGSU’s Center for Archival

Collections (CAC), giving scholars and students access to their oral histories for

decades.

Initial funding for the project was provided by Dr. Maribeth S. and Martin E. Rahe.

Additional financial support was provided by the Ohio History Fund, a grant

program of the Ohio History Connection; Ohio Humanities, a state affiliate of the

National Endowment for the Humanities; the Office of the President of Bowling

Green State University (BGSU); and BGSU’s Center for Undergraduate Research and

Scholarship.

WBGU-PBS is a PBS affiliate and partner of Bowling Green State University

serving a 19-county region with award-winning programming and educational

resources. For more information, visit www.wbgu.org.

Trailblazing Women in Ohio Politics is funded in part by the Ohio History Fund,

a grant program of the Ohio History Connection. Your donations to the Ohio

History Fund make this program possible. www.ohiohistory.org/historyfund.

This program is made possible in part by Ohio Humanities, a state affiliate of

the National Endowment for the Humanities.