White Picket Fence
36 episodes - English - Latest episode: 27 days ago - ★★★★ - 289 ratingsWhite Picket Fence interrogates the structures of inequity affecting women since America’s founding. On the newest season, host Julie Kohler investigates mothers as a political force — how motherhood has been utilized for political gain and why the identity of “mother” remains so politically potent. Join us in exploring where America—and Americans—have fallen short and what we can do to create a better future.
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Episodes
Bonus from The Amendment: Keeping Democracy Intact with Nikole Hannah-Jones
April 03, 2024 10:00 - 35 minutes - 32.9 MBWe’re bringing you an episode of a new podcast we think you’ll love: The Amendment. A new podcast about gender, politics, and power from The 19th News and Wonder Media Network, The Amendment is hosted by award-winning journalist and 19th editor-at-large Errin Haines. Each week, Errin sits down with people who have fresh perspectives on the state of our country – and asks questions that center the voices of women, queer folks, and people of color. The Amendment adds much needed asterisks to ...
BONUS: Words to Win By: Protecting Our Freedoms
January 30, 2024 11:00 - 41 minutes - 38.3 MBToday, we’re bringing you another podcast from Wonder Media Network that we think you’ll love: Words to Win By. Hosted by renowned communications researcher and campaign advisor Anat Shenker-Osorio, this season unpacks real-world narrative shifts that led to real-world victories, from Brazil to Ireland to here in the United States. In the 2022 Midterms, Americans defied polling, pundits and precedent to stave off the predicted Republican “Red Wave” takeover. Despite significant challenges,...
Beyond Maternalism
April 12, 2023 09:00 - 35 minutes - 32.8 MBOrganizing around motherhood works. It can activate women politically by helping them tap into a powerful identity. But maternal activism can also have some unintended consequences that don't advance justice. So in the final episode of the season, we're asking this season’s guests: should the left still be playing into maternalist politics? Or can we evolve beyond it — to a kind of politics that focuses on values, not a fixed identity, and makes space for all caregivers? This season's cover...
Shared Fate
April 05, 2023 09:00 - 28 minutes - 26.2 MBMuch of the motherhood activism that is lifted up in our politics portrays women in a certain way: as uniquely moral, even apolitical, actors who were compelled to take action because they fear for their children’s safety. It’s a myth that's highly racially coded and obscures the realities of motherhood. The truth? Motherhood is political. Moms are political. And when we start acknowledging that and centering the most marginalized moms in our activism — their needs and experiences — we end ...
The Spark
March 29, 2023 09:00 - 31 minutes - 29.4 MBThe political identity of "mother" is not owned by the right. There's also a rich history of mothers working to advance progressive change. Yet the framing of much of this activism—a mother spurred to action when awakened to a threat to her child's safety—remains grounded in an image of motherhood that is riddled with race and class privilege. Shannon Watts, the founder of Moms Demand Action, began her activism journey as a stay-at-home suburban mom of five who felt compelled to fight for co...
Tradwife, Tradlife
March 22, 2023 09:00 - 34 minutes - 31.4 MBIn the summer of 2022, Hungary's prime minister, Viktor Orban, flew to Texas to speak at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC). Onstage, his tirades against immigration, gender studies, and LGBTQ rights were met with roars of approval. Orban has made it his mission to codify traditional family values into law—and dismantle democracy in the process. American conservatives are taking note. And paving the way for these extremist policies is a group of social media "momfluencers" t...
The Mothers of Conservatism
March 15, 2023 09:00 - 33 minutes - 31.2 MBMoms for Liberty didn't appear out of thin air. They're building on a long history of white, conservative women who, for decades, have used their motherhood as a tool for political credibility. And it all started in 1960s California, where thousands of middle-class moms transformed into suburban warriors and helped build the modern-day conservative movement. This season's cover art features a photograph by Jonathan Wilkins. White Picket Fence is supported by Planned Parenthood. For more in...
Mama Bears
March 08, 2023 10:00 - 33 minutes - 30.8 MBIn the fall of 2020, a group of mothers gathered around a kitchen table. They were concerned that public school administrators were making decisions about their children's health and education that overstepped their bounds. It felt like they were losing control over their kids. So they decided to band together and fight for their parental rights. Pretty compelling, right? It's hard to argue with moms. The GOP knows that. And that's why they've weaponized our reverence for motherhood by propp...
Season 4 Coming Soon!
February 22, 2023 11:00 - 2 minutes - 2.03 MBThe image of mothers — particularly white suburban mothers — has always carried a lot of weight in American politics. But why? This season, we’re exploring the political potency of motherhood. We'll investigate how right-wing groups like Moms for Liberty are making headlines by calling for classroom restrictions on discussions of race, gender, and sexuality. Their agenda is harmful, but their methods have proven effective. And we’re investigating how progressive moms can harness the power of...
BONUS: The Accidental Activist (Busy Philipps)
November 03, 2022 10:00 - 45 minutes - 42 MBListen to The Accidental Activist wherever you get your podcasts. In this episode, Isha is joined by actress Busy Philipps. Busy got her start starring in the beloved teen dramas “Freaks and Geeks” and “Dawson’s Creek,” but she does a lot more than acting these days. In addition to growing her online following, Busy’s been a huge leader in the fight against abortion restrictions. Isha and Busy discuss her decision to publicly and proudly share her personal abortion experience and how she’s...
BONUS: Introducing Teaching Texas
September 27, 2022 06:05 - 35 minutes - 32.3 MBIn 1961, Norma and Mel Gabler were a quiet couple living in Longview, Texas. One day, they noticed some factual errors in one of their sons’ textbooks. What began as a small complaint morphed into a multi-decade crusade to shape what children of Texas — and therefore the country — read in their textbooks. In an election year with raging debates around education, this audio documentary charts how Texas dictated American education over the last sixty years and examines how the fight over our...
BONUS: Ordinary Equality — Hanging On to a Future
June 29, 2022 09:00 - 27 minutes - 38 MBWell, here we are. We're on the other side of what we've been talking about for years. Roe v. Wade has been struck down, and for the first time in our lifetime, abortion is no longer protected. In our first episode, Kate and Jamia talk to folks who've been living, and working, and surviving, in a state where abortion access has been under fire for years, even before Roe fell -- Kentucky. To learn more about the Kentucky Health Justice Network, click here. Our sponsor, ActBlue, has too...
BONUS: Ordinary Equality — The End of Roe v. Wade
May 04, 2022 21:01 - 31 minutes - 43.7 MBGiven the Supreme Court leak, we're bringing you a bonus episode from the show Ordinary Equality. Executive Producer Jenny Kaplan sat down with OE Hosts Kate Kelly and Jamia Wilson to talk about what comes next in a post-Roe v. Wade world.
Universal Pre-K and the Path Ahead with Rep. Manning
March 29, 2022 09:00 - 39 minutes - 36.7 MBAlthough the Build Back Better Act could not deliver on all the care economy issues, there is still reason for hope. With a bipartisan oriented strategy, some of these issues can still get through the House and the Senate – universal pre-k being one of those. On our final episode of the series, Jenny and Julie are joined by Representative Kathy Manning to discuss the importance of universal pre-k and what the future holds for care infrastructure.
The Cost of Child Care with Rep. Clark
March 22, 2022 09:00 - 47 minutes - 43.3 MBThe American child care system is full of contradiction. For individual families, care costs keep rising. But many caregivers are barely paid a living wage. The Build Back Better Act would have been the first federal intervention in this sector in fifty years. Without it, this broken cycle continues. On today’s crossover episode with Women belong in the House, Jenny and Julie are joined by Assistant Speaker Katherine Clark to discuss the precarious state of our care economy.
Paid Leave with Rep. Underwood
March 15, 2022 09:00 - 39 minutes - 36.3 MBThe need to take family or medical leave touches every American. Yet, despite overwhelming popularity, the U.S. stands alone as the only industrialized nation without paid leave. In this crossover episode, Jenny and Julie are joined by Representative Lauren Underwood to unpack why America continues to lag behind and the ongoing political fight around this crucial issue.
The Child Tax Credit with Rep. DeLauro
March 08, 2022 16:31 - 34 minutes - 31.5 MBIn this new season of Women belong in the House x White Picket Fence, we’re examining America’s caregiving crisis. In our first episode, Jenny and Julie explore the child tax credit with one of its longtime supporters -- Rep. Rosa DeLauro.
Coming Soon: WPF x Women belong in the House
March 01, 2022 10:00 - 58 seconds - 925 KBWhite Picket Fence is continuing our conversation around the caregiving crisis, this time, with the help of another WMN show: Women belong in the House. Catch Julie on new episodes of Women belong in the House discussing the critical caregiving policies that we still hope could pass in Congress. Check out Women belong in the House
Finding A New Way
December 21, 2021 10:00 - 34 minutes - 31.3 MBSo many things came together that could have made this moment different. The ascendance of a new progressive economics. A more intersectional gender justice movement. Greater numbers of women political leaders. Multi-racial organizing that is centering women of color and making caregiving a central political issue. But once again, a handful of politicians have prioritized personal success over the well-being of the many. In our final episode of the season, we're honoring the work that brou...
When "Career Feminism" Won
December 14, 2021 10:00 - 25 minutes - 23.6 MBWhen it comes to the failure of the 1971 Comprehensive Childcare Development Act, it's easy to point a finger at conservatives. But that's not the whole story. This week, join host Julie as she dives into the battle between care feminism and career feminism, and how the winner of that match up has impacted women's right advocacy for the last 50 years. If this season's topic resonates with you, we want to hear about it! Leave us a voicemail at 212-655-5048 with your questions, ideas, expe...
Bonus: Ordinary Equality, Roe v. Wade
December 10, 2021 10:00 - 44 minutes - 40.3 MBAlthough we're in the middle of a season talking about the caregiving crisis, we wanted to take a second to acknowledge what's happening at the Supreme Court right now. It’s very possible Roe v. Wade could be overturned within the year. There is a strong connection between these assaults on women’s rights and the caregiving crisis–both are byproducts of a conservative movement that has built considerable political power over the last half-century. In light of this, we’re bringing you an episo...
The Rise of Neoliberalism
December 07, 2021 10:00 - 32 minutes - 29.9 MBThis week, Julie dives deep into the economic ideology that arose alongside social conservatism and prevented public investments in care. We’ll break down what “neoliberalism” is and what the rise of it has meant for family life -- how the mix of low taxes, deregulation, and privatization has made family life more economically precarious for the vast majority of Americans. If this season's topic resonates with you, we want to hear about it! Leave us a voicemail at 212-655-5048 with your ...
What Could Have Been
November 30, 2021 10:00 - 25 minutes - 23.4 MBHow did the U.S. become a society that treats caregiving as a private family responsibility rather than a public good? In this episode, Julie explores the longstanding and continued role racism has played in preventing investments in public goods that would benefit everyone, including caregiving. We’ll also do a deep dive into the 1970s when the U.S. nearly invested in universal childcare -- and how fear was deployed to block it. If this season's topic resonates with you, we want to hear ...
The Nuclear Family Myth
November 23, 2021 10:00 - 25 minutes - 23.8 MBThis week, host Julie Kohler travels back to the mid-20th century to examine the creation of the “traditional” nuclear family — a myth only made possible through the exploitation of Black women’s domestic labor — and how the family values and nostalgia of this era continue to exist in today’s debate over “caring economy” policies. If this season's topic resonates with you, we want to hear about it! Leave us a voicemail at 212-655-5048 with your questions, ideas, experiences, and get a chanc...
The Breaking Point
November 16, 2021 10:00 - 22 minutes - 20.9 MBIn March 2020, the Covid-19 pandemic became a global health crisis. But from it bore a whole set of complementary crises: an economic crisis and a caregiving crisis. The pandemic erased more than 30 years of gains in women’s labor force participation, while simultaneously leaving women to shoulder the majority of the family responsibilities. But the conditions for these crises existed long before COVID-19 hit American shores. How exactly did we get here?
Prologue
November 01, 2021 04:00 - 6 minutes - 6.08 MBWelcome to season 2 of White Picket Fence. We're investigating the caregiving crisis that has left millions of Americans —including our host Julie Kohler, a single mom — on the verge of cracking. Raising kids is challenging enough. Why does it have to be this hard? If this season's topic resonates with you, we want to hear about it! Leave us a voicemail at 212-655-5048 with your questions, ideas, experiences, and get a chance to be featured on the show. Check out our website, www.wondermedi...
Prologue:
November 01, 2021 04:00 - 6 minutes - 6.08 MBWelcome to season 2 of White Picket Fence. We're investigating the caregiving crisis that has left millions of Americans —including our host Julie Kohler, a single mom — on the verge of cracking. Raising kids is challenging enough. Why does it have to be this hard? If this season's topic resonates with you, we want to hear about it! Leave us a voicemail at 212-655-5048 with your questions, ideas, experiences, and get a chance to be featured on the show. Check out our website, www.wondermedi...
Season 2 coming soon!
October 12, 2021 17:54 - 1 minute - 1.21 MBIn two weeks, we're launching a new season of White Picket Fence. This season, we're diving into the childcare crisis. In the meantime, we want to hear from you! Leave us a voicemail at 212-655-5048 with your questions, ideas, experiences, and get a chance to be featured on the show. Check out our website, www.wondermedianetwork.com/white-picket-fence, for more information. Season 2 coming on Nov 1.
Bonus: Introducing Gravity
June 02, 2021 10:00 - 3 minutes - 3.01 MBIntroducing WMN's newest original podcast, Gravity, a show about what becomes possible when we look at hardships differently, hosted by Dr. Lucy Kalanithi. Join us to explore transformations around loneliness, the myth of the ideal nuclear family, climate crisis, and more. Follow and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.
The Work Ahead
December 23, 2020 10:00 - 34 minutes - 31.6 MBTo join a multiracial movement for women's equity, check out Supermajority. To join an online community working to bring women together and take action, check out Pantsuit Nation x Supermajority, GALvanize USA, or "Suburban Housewives" Against Trump. White Picket Fence is a Wonder Media Network production. Follow Wonder Media Network: Website Instagram Twitter
A Multiracial Democracy
December 16, 2020 10:00 - 31 minutes - 29.4 MBWhite Picket Fence is a Wonder Media Network production. To join a multiracial movement for women's equity, check out Supermajority. To join a community working to bring women together and take action, check out Pantsuit Nation x Supermajority, National Domestic Workers Alliance, or ISAIAH/Faith in Minnesota. To learn more about the ongoing fight for gender justice, check out the National Women's Law Center. Follow Wonder Media Network: Website Instagram Twitter
The Awakening
December 09, 2020 10:00 - 28 minutes - 26.6 MBWhite Picket Fence is a Wonder Media Network production. To join an online community working to bring women together and take action, check out Pantsuit Nation x Supermajority, GALvanize USA, or Red, Wine and Blue. Read up on the organizing movements sweeping across middle America, and the history of women's anger. Follow Wonder Media Network: Website Instagram Twitter
Moral Majority
December 02, 2020 10:00 - 28 minutes - 26.2 MBWhite Picket Fence is a Wonder Media Network production. To join a multiracial movement for women's equity, check out Supermajority. To join an online community working to bring women together and take action, check out Pantsuit Nation x Supermajority, GALvanize USA, or "Suburban Housewives" Against Trump. Follow Wonder Media Network: Website Instagram Twitter
American Dream
November 25, 2020 14:50 - 29 minutes - 27.4 MBWhite Picket Fence is a Wonder Media Network production. To join a multiracial movement for women's equity, check out Supermajority. To join an online community working to bring women together and take action, check out Pantsuit Nation x Supermajority, GALvanize USA, or "Suburban Housewives" Against Trump. Follow Wonder Media Network: Website Instagram Twitter
Legacy
November 18, 2020 10:00 - 30 minutes - 28.3 MBTo join a multiracial movement for women's equity, check out Supermajority. To join an online community working to bring women together and take action, check out Pantsuit Nation x Supermajority, GALvanize USA, or "Suburban Housewives" Against Trump. Throughout the series, we'll make more resources available to listeners. Stay tuned for more. White Picket Fence is a Wonder Media Network production. Follow Wonder Media Network: Website Instagram Twitter
Introducing White Picket Fence
October 01, 2020 13:25 - 4 minutes - 4.15 MBWMN's newest original White Picket Fence is coming soon.