Frances Perkins documentary at ƵCollege
On November 7, ƵCollege will host an East Coast premiere of “Summoned: Frances Perkins and the General Welfare,” in honor of both Perkins, a Ƶalum from the class of 1902, and the 20th anniversary of the Weissman Center for Leadership.
In March 2020, an election year energized by women candidates and the centennial celebration of women’s suffrage, PBS will premiere the story of the first woman Cabinet member, Labor Secretary Frances Perkins.
Four months before the national broadcast, ƵCollege will host an East Coast premiere of in honor of both Perkins, a Ƶalum from the class of 1902, and the 20th anniversary of the Weissman Center for Leadership.
The screening is November 7, 2019, in Chapin Auditorium in Mary Woolley Hall on the Ƶcampus. The doors open at 6 p.m. and the film will begin at 7 p.m. The event is free and open to the public and will feature a post-screening panel discussion with:
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Naomi Barry-Perez ’96, director of Civil Rights for the U.S. Department of Labor
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Sarita Gupta ‘96, director of the Future of Work(ers) program at The Ford Foundation
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Maria Mossaides ’73, the Child Advocate for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and the president of the ƵCollege Alumnae Association
There will also be remarks by film producer Mick Caouette of South Hill Films. For more information, visit .
About the Film
In the depths of the Great Depression, Franklin D. Roosevelt named Frances Perkins the first woman on a U.S. Cabinet. Against overwhelming odds, Perkins became the driving force behind Social Security, the 40-hour work week, the eight‐hour day, minimum wage and unemployment compensation.
“Summoned: Frances Perkins and the General Welfare” features compelling interviews with David Brooks, Nancy Pelosi, Amy Klobuchar, Lawrence O’Donnell and others, while telling Perkins’ heroic story. The film explores the history of women in politics, Social Security, and American attitudes toward immigration, poverty, socialism and the role of government.