On this week’s 51%, you’ll hear from recipients of a medal that exemplifies the ideals of Eleanor Roosevelt. Plus, a Women in History profile.
October 19 marked the 28th year of awarding the Eleanor Roosevelt Val-Kill medal. The Val-Kill Medal Awards recognize and honor individuals who make a significant contribution to society in the arts,
education, citizenship, philanthropy, community services, and other humanitarian concerns that reflect the former First Lady’s ideals. The ceremony honors those who live their lives in the spirit of Eleanor Roosevelt and serve as role models for the larger community, setting a standard for community values.
This year’s six medalists were honored during a ceremony at the Eleanor Roosevelt National Historic Site in Hyde Park, New York, the site of Val-Kill Cottage. I spoke with four of the six medal recipients, starting with 2011 Nobel Peace Laureate Leymah Gbowee, a Liberian peace activist, social worker, and women’s rights advocate. She was named a Distinguished Fellow in Social Justice at Barnard College through the 2015 academic year. Gbowee is founder and president of the Gbowee Peace Foundation Africa and co-founder of Women Peace and Security Network Africa. I asked her what it meant to be awarded the medal.
Gilles Malkine closes our show with an edition of Women in History. This week, he profiles a revolutionary.
Writer, composer, and actor Gilles Malkine is a resident of the Catskills region of New York.
And that’s our show for this week. We hope you join us for the next one. Thanks to Katie Britton for production assistance. Our executive producer is Dr. Alan Chartock. Our theme music is Glow in the Dark by Kevin Bartlett. This show is a national production of Northeast Public Radio.