About this episode
This episode explores the struggles of women in post–World War II America against wage gaps and discrimination.
The 1950s sold us smiling housewives, white picket fences, and tidy sitcom kitchens. But behind the canned laughter? Millions of women were juggling two jobs. One at home, one on the clock…and still getting shortchanged. In this episode of The Persistence , host Angelica Cordero pulls back the curtain on post–World War II America. From union women taking on GE and Westinghouse, to Black garment workers packing Madison Square Garden, to Latina mamas turning PTA meetings into organizing hubs. This is the story of how women, families, and communities fought back against wage gaps, housing discrimination, and runaway inflation. You’ll hear about: * The myth of the “traditional family” versus the reality of poverty and redlining. * Women fighting for equal pay, childcare, and dignity on the job. * Mutualistas , comadres, and community kitchens raising future leaders like Dolores Huerta and Helen Chávez. * Housewives boycotting overpriced groceries and flipping the “perfect homemaker” script into full-on protest. Because postwar America wasn’t just barbecue grills and baby booms. It was strikes, boycotts, and casseroles in one hand with protest signs in the other. The revolution wasn’t…
People in this episode
Host: Angélica Cordero
Topics covered
- women's rights
- post-war America
- wage gaps
- housing discrimination
- community organizing
- family dynamics
- protests
Keywords
- 1950s
- housewives
- labor rights
- protests
- community kitchens
- equal pay
- redlining
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: GE, Westinghouse
Books & works: Don’t Kid Yourself Baby
Places: Madison Square Garden, post–World War II America
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- Episode 18: Left in the cold, Kept in the Dark · May 29, 2026 · 59 min
- Episode 17: Now They Do What They Told Ya · May 9, 2026 · 52 min
- Episode 16: I See No Changes · April 24, 2026 · 48 min
- Episode 15: Strange You Never Knew · March 27, 2026 · 40 min
- Am I invisible 'cause you ignore me? · February 6, 2026 · 22 min
- Episode 14: The World Keeps Turning · January 10, 2026 · 38 min
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