You May Call Her Madam Secretary

Gr 7 Up—Originally produced in 1987, this short film documenting the career of social reformer Frances Perkins, the first woman to serve in a U.S. Cabinet position, sheds light on a remarkable yet little-known individual. Many of her then-revolutionary ideas remain in practice today. As one of Franklin Delano Roosevelt's most trusted advisors, Perkins, his secretary of labor, was deeply moved by the lives of factory workers and sought industrial reform on their behalf. Her ideas to create a minimum wage and to end child labor were considered radical at the time yet were successfully implemented nationally in the 1920s. Her activism on behalf of the elderly and unemployed helped shape New Deal legislation a few years later, earning her the moniker, "The Mother of Social Security." Archival footage, photos, and news clippings as well as interviews with Perkins's former associates provide a historical perspective, but it's actress Frances Sternhagen's portrayal of the impassioned Perkins that makes the film most impactful. In voicing Perkins's own words, Sternhagen effectively channels this complex character and illuminates her internal struggle to balance her roles as wife and mother with that of activist. Perkins's social conscience, her passion for her work, and her humility are deftly interwoven in Sternhagen's superb first-person narration, and audience members will walk away knowing much more about this woman whose achievements resonate today.