Happy Friday! Welcome to our Media Round Up. Each week we’re collecting and sharing our…
Media Round-Up: Week of May 22nd
BLFF Team
| May 27, 2022
Happy Friday! Welcome to our Media Round Up. Each week we’re collecting and sharing our favorite gender + politics stories. Here’s what caught our eye this week:
Black women candidates in NC poised to make history, but supporters say help is needed
Dawn Baumgartner Waughan, The News & Observer
North Carolina is on the brink of making history next year by electing more Black women to the state’s congressional delegation. In the Senate, Cheri Beasley could become North Carolina’s first Black woman senator if she defeats Republican nominee U. S. Rep. Ted Budd. In the House, state Senator Valerie Foushee recently won the Democratic primary for the 4th Congressional District, taking her one step closer to election this fall. While Beasley and Foushee have experience for the respective roles they are running for, their supporters say help is needed for them to win their races.
Read the full story here.
Stepping in after tragedy: How political wives became widow lawmakers
Mariel Padilla, The 19th*
Beginning in the early 20th century, women have filled seats in Congress left vacant by the death of their husbands. Mae Ella Nolan was the first widow to fill her husband’s congressional seat, representing California in 1922. Since Nolan stepped in for her deceased partner, 48 other women have gained political power in Congress through what experts from the Center for American Women and Politics (CAWP) call, “widow succession.” Currently, Julia Letlow of Louisiana and Doris Matsui of California are the only two widows serving in Congress.
Read the full story here.
The number of women running Fortune 500 companies reaches a record high
Emma Hinchliffe, Fortune
The Fortune 500 represents a microcosm of the overall U.S. business landscape. The number of woman-led Fortune 500 companies has hit a record high of 44. This record high shows the progress women are making in heading the largest corporations in the country, and Forbes suggests that female CEOs are finding stability and staying power in these positions.
Read the full story here.
The Power Of Hollywood’s Leading Woman And How It Is Shaping Culture
Josh Wilson, Forbes
According to a recent study by Dr. Martha Lauzen of San Diego State University, the film industry has seen a slight uptick in female protagonists and BIPOC women in top-grossing films from the previous year. Woman-led films have risen from 29% in 2020 to 31% in 2021. Although there is still a large gap between man- and woman-lead films, the slight increase in women’s representation contributes to the beneficial shaping of culture.
Read the full story here.
Women are once again becoming the focus of the midterms
Leigh Ann Caldwell and Theodoric Meyer, Washington Post
As the issues affecting the midterm elections narrow into focus, it is clear that many of them directly impact women. From the baby formula shortage, high gas prices, rising food costs and the upcoming Supreme Court decision regarding Roe v. Wade, the central role played by women voters, especially those in the suburbs, is becoming a hot commodity for both parties vying for representation in November’s elections.
Read the full story here.
