Archived Radio Show

June 19, 2023

Original Radio Show  ID:
WSA230619

Listen to the Show on the Mp3 Player below

Duration 57 minutes

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Featuring

Click the Name to access the Segment below

1. Commentary by Elaine B. Holtz,  Host of Women's Spaces 

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1. Commentary by Elaine B. Holtz: Sunday was Father’s Day and I want to wish all those who are fathers, stepfathers, grandfathers, great grandfathers, adopted fathers a Happy Father’s Day. The most stunning thing for me is I made a Father’s Day card for all those fathers in my family and the most amazing part of it all was making a card for my grandson Ryan. Seems like yesterday he was my first-born precious grandson and now he is a father, a great one I must add.

Today is June 19 and it is the legal holiday for Juneteenth. I am always thrilled when a holiday lands on a Monday. Women’s Spaces is on and today is that day. I thought to honor Juneteenth is to honor black women and will be playing several recordings and songs plus, I will be making a few comments.

President Joe Biden signed legislation on June 17, 2021, making Juneteenth a U.S. federal holiday after Congress passed The Juneteenth National Independence Day Act that same month.

I was part of the planning committee for Juneteenth for the past ten years. As always, I attended the event and had a booth with Ken. We represented the Northbay Chamber of Commerce Entrepreneurs of Tomorrow which I am Vice President, Women’s Spaces who is a sponsor and the National Organization for Women SOCO Chapter, it is always busy and fun. This year was different, and I was given an appreciation award. Ken will read you what it says.

53d Annual MLK/Juneteenth presenting of Award of Appreciation to Elaine Holtz by Tina Rogers and Nancy Rogers. - Photos by Ken Norton

It was such a shock to me. A bit of trivia, Ken who knew about this for months wrote a beautiful bio for me that was read by MC Tina Rogers and the plaque was lovingly given to me by the Chair of the Planning Committee, Nancy Rogers. It was truly an honor and I want to thank the Committee for presenting this to me, I could never express how surprised and honored I was, thank you.

I am dedicating this program to all my black women and men friends. Although slavery in the US is against the law, our black brothers and sisters are still struggling for equality. To me they have come a long way but still have a long way to go. It is through their journey and having some and I capitalize the word some understanding of their experience I believe it is important we not only hear from them but learn from them and pay attention to their history.
We will start the segment by playing a piece created by ABC News in 2021, called, What is Juneteenth.

Sojourner Truth gave her most famous speech on May 29, 1851, at the Stone Church in Akron, Ohio. Her words to the crowd at the Women's Convention would help her to become one of the most famous African American women of the 19th century. We play it during the show. This I believe gives us some insight into what black women experienced and continue to experience on some levels. Like I have said we have come a long way, but we still have a long way to go.

For our last segment we are going to take a musical break and the song I will be playing is a Neil Young cover, Light a Candle, sung by Frozen Heart. I am playing this song because it reminds us that we have a chance to give new meaning to this life. It takes more energy to hate than to love and accept. In the words of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., “I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character,” Well I share that dream and see that little by little it is coming true.

Well, that’s it for the show. I hope you enjoyed this show. My goal was to give us a bit of a history lesson along with opening our hearts to one another. We are all children of the earth. We all deserve a world that is free of hate and racism. We need a world where all children are safe and loved.

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Reference Links:  

 MLK/Juneteenth of Sonoma County website, with some history of Juneteenth: www.sonomacountyjuneteenth.com

 Celebrating Juneteenth presents a unique dilemma in these mostly white Bay Area cities by Justin Phillips, SF Chronicle, June 18, 2023: https://www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/justinphillips/article/juneteenth-18150826.php

Sonoma County marks Juneteenth with community celebration, concerts by Sarah Edwards, Press Democrat, June 19, 2023  https://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/news/sonoma-county-juneteenth-weekend-kicks-off-with-53rd-annual-celebration-co/

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 Herstory

Our history is our strength. Check out important dates to remember in herstory at the National Women's History Alliance,, where the date descriptions were sourced unless otherwise indicated.

Herstory Event:

June 20, 1921 – Alice Robertson (R-Oklahoma) becomes the first woman to chair the House of Representatives.

June 21, 1997 – The Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) plays its first game.

June 23, 1972 – Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 is signed by President Nixon, one of the most important legislation initiatives passed for women and girls since women won the vote in 1920. This legislation guarantees equal access and equal opportunity for female and male students in almost all aspects of our educational systems.

Herstory Birthdays:

June 19, 1888 (1984) – Hilda Worthington Smith, labor educator and social worker, first Director of the Bryn Mawr Summer School for Women Workers in Industry (1921).

June 23, 1940 (1994) – Wilma Rudolph, athlete, first woman runner to win 3 gold medals in a single Olympics.

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Announcements  

June 24, 2023 at 11 AM to 1 PM, Pride Solidarity March, Juillard Park's Stone Bridge. See poster below. For more info https://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2023/06/20/18856945.php

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Monday, June 26 2023, 11 AM PT # repeats 11 PM PT, the show will feature to be announced. Radio KBBF 89.1 FM, North SF Bay or live streaming at https://kbbf.org/live

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Wednesday, June 28, 2023, 11 AM PT, repeat of Monday's show that features to be announced.  Radio KPCA 103.3 FM, Petaluma, CA. https://petalumacommunityaccess.org/kpca 

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Music Selections

The Opening and Closing Theme song The Woman in Your Life is You is done with permission of the Composer and Singer Alix Dobkin ((August 16, 1940 – May 19, 2021) Alix Dobkin death was just announced - Thank you for all you did for Lesbians to be recognized and Women to be honored. May you rest in peace. See our Interview with Alix Dobkin on 12/1/2014 and our Memorial to Alix Dobkin on 5/24/2021

The Woman in Your Life is You by Alix Dobkin from the album Living with Lavender Jane (2010 Women's Wax Works) - www.alixdobkin.com

Ain't I a Woman?, sung by Avery Sharpe from the album Sojourner Truth Ain't I a Woman (1970 Amherst Records). 

Light a Candle, sung by Frozen Heart from the single Light a Candle (2017 Musekater, Independent-Rock- Label Stuttgart Deutschland)

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Link:  Spinitron.com Playlist for Women's Spaces Show