Judith Kaplan of Altamonte Springs, FL was honored as one of the "Feminists Who Changed America 1963-1975". Published by University of Illinois Press this new and groundbreaking directory was released on November 13, 2006. The book is expected to become the basic text on the history of American feminists of the late 20th century. It presents biographies of 2,200 women and men whose successful actions created the modern women's movement, "the first social revolution in history to glorify not 2, not 20 but 2,200 of the leaders" noted Muriel Fox, who was at the forefront of this revolutionary era of American history from its very beginning and continues working to expand the rights and improve the lives of girls and women, and, thereby, of boys and men as well.
Historian and author Nancy F. Cott, one of America's foremost historians, wrote the Directory's Foreword. Cott, Harvard University Professor of American History and a director of the Schlesinger Library of the History of Women in America notes the subjects of the book's biographies "compelled the rest of the world to change perspective and ... to see things through women's eyes. The invention of new vocabulary such as "sexism" was a sign. What had been unspeakable now had to be heard."
?Judith Kaplan, a graduate of Hunter College, New York, N.Y. and The Bronx High School of Science, Bronx, N.Y., and currently a nationally recognized Orlando-based artist showing at COMMA Gallery in Orlando, is former Chair of Action Products International Inc, an Orlando-based NASDAQ listed toy manufacturer specializing in non-violent, educational toys.
Ms Kaplan's contributions to the feminist revolution were mainly focused on the importance of researching and documenting women's history and insuring that the knowledge of women's contributions and achievements are included in the education of future generations. She is the creator and producer of the women's history collectible series "The Women's History Series of First Day Covers" by N.O.W.- N.Y., which helped induce the U.S. Postal Service to recognize and honor the contributions and achievements of Women to the History of the United States by having them commemorated on U.S. postage stamps. Discussion of her women's history work is included in "Feminists Who Changed America 1963-1975" as a part of documenting her feminist achievements.
A resident of Florida since 1980, Judith Kaplan is Secretary and a Director of the National Women's History Museum to be located in Washington D.C. Ms Kaplan owns one of the world's largest private collections of American women's history.
"Feminists Who Changed America 1963 - 1975" is being hailed as a valuable, much needed and unique resource for historians of American History and for research at all levels including university level American History and Women's Studies programs. It will be a much-used resource at schools, libraries, universities, and by researchers and the general public. Amazon.Com awarded the 500-page directory five stars. Due to these and many other laudatory pre-publication reviews "Feminists Who Changed America 1963-1975" was in its sold-out second printing prior to its official launch date, November 13, 2006.
The book's debut was marked by a four-event, day-and-evening celebration at Columbia University and Barnard College on November 13, 2006 including a symposium on the past and future of the women's movement with speakers including Gloria Steinem, Catharine Stimpson, Heather Booth, Gracia Molina-Pick, Marcia Ann Gillespie, Muriel
Fox, and David Brock.
Editor Barbara J. Love headed the massive project that assembled and edited the biographies, in partnership with Veteran Feminists of America, a non-profit organization created to document the "Second Wave" movement and motivate younger generations.
?"The foremost criterion for selection in the book was being a change maker," Love explained. "More than previous social revolutions, the movement grew from the struggles of thousands of individuals to erase thousands of separate forms of discrimination in every sector of society".
?Jacqui Ceballos, president of Veteran Feminists of America, points out that some comments in the directory are in the subjects' own words and are "controversial, and not always the same truth that others may see, because we've relied on first-hand accounts by passionate people who sometimes held conflicting beliefs in the heat of making history." It is a format, which assures future researchers excellent resource material for in-depth study of social, political, cultural and other changes and change agents.
? ?The book is expected to become the basic text on the history of American feminists of the late 20th century. These are short biographies of the feminists who changed the world nationally, globally, locally and personally in all spheres of life. They are artists, activists, academics, politicians, educators, writers, sports and labor pioneers who came from all over the U.S with different education levels, political, religious, ethnic and cultural backgrounds and changed America. The book is illustrated and indexed, and lends itself to numerous observations for future scholars.
? ?Feminists Who Changed America, 1963-1975 is available for $80 in hard cover at bookstores, or by phoning (800) 621-2736. Editor Barbara J. Love may be reached at bjlove@msn.com.
Judith Kaplan (left) at a reception at Comma Gallery
Arts District
Click Orlando Arts District to be linked to the Orlando Sentinel, and hear Karen Carasik on Comma Gallery and the development of the Arts District in Orlando. Watch the video.
Global Impressionism at Borders Winter Park
Artwork by Weronica Ankarörn, Karen Carasik and Sandra de Nijs, October 2 through November 30, 2006
