PBS Newshour Extra

Marcia Ann Gillespie became managing editor of Essence magazine at the age of twenty-six, in 1970. A year later, Gillespie became its editor-in-chief and transformed Essence into one of the fastest-growing magazines in the country. Gillespie became editor-in-chief of Ms. magazine in 1992, making her the first Black woman editor-in-chief of a major publication in the US. Ms. reached its most diverse readership in its history under Gillespie’s leadership.

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Watch the video and answer the questions in the boxes below.

Woman, “New Image for Black Women” Edited version of interview with Marcia Ann Gillespie of Essence magazine. Jan 16, 1976. Permission has been granted for educational purposes only, courtesy of WNED via American Archive of Public Broadcasting (WGBH and Library of Congress)

Questions

1. WNED’s show is called Woman. What might the title of the show tell you about what was happening in America in the 1970s regarding the need for women’s voices to be heard?

2. Why does Marcia Ann Gillespie say the women’s movement has whitewashed the differences between Black and white women’s experiences?

3. How does Gillespie want Essence to portray Black women? Explain.

4. In a 2017 PBS NewsHour interview, Reveal’s Bernice Yeung discussed her report on sexual abuse experienced by female low-income immigrant workers. Why did Gillespie emphasize the importance of understanding differences in women’s experiences?

Gender Equality

1850s to Present

Primary Sources

Suffrage

Every Woman’s Right to Vote

Ms. Magazine

Women’s Movement

Essence Magazine

Black Women and the Women’s Movement

Women in Politics

Effects of Civic Engagement

Sexual Harassment

Anita Hill and Clarence Thomas

Tarana Burke and #MeToo

Empowerment through Empathy

Directions

Questions