Quote of the Week - Martin Luther King Jr

Today we remember the greatest American civil rights leader, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

"When you are right you cannot be too radical; when you are wrong, you cannot be too conservative."
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

CHIRPradio.org Launches Online Radio Station This Sunday!

The long wait is finally over, and after two and a half years of blood, sweat and tears, the Chicago Independent Radio Project will launch an online radio station this Sunday January 17th at noon! Chicago's only non-profit, volunteer-run, music-, arts-, and culture-focused radio station, CHIRPradio.org will broadcast live from studios in North Center from 6am to 3am seven days a week, 365 days a year - a remarkable feat for a group of music lovers, radio veterans and media activists who built the station step by step, literally and figuratively, all by themselves!

Emily, Elizabeth and I have all been involved with CHIRP since it's inception, and believe that community radio stations are a crucial part of a thriving democratic society. With a handful of large media conglomerates controlling nearly everything on the airwaves, few alternatives exist where alternative viewpoints and music can be heard. Access to the airwaves is a feminist issue - women comprise 51 percent of the country's population, but own just 6 percent of full power radio stations, according to a report from Free Press. In contrast, low power FM radio stations are run by community organizations, and tend to have far more diverse leadership and membership. (Fun fact: All of CHIRP's officers are women!) As CHIRP continues to advocate for the expansion of low power FM radio, they're going online to serve the community now with CHIRPradio.org.

Not only have the three ladies of WOW dedicated many hours of our life to CHIRP in the last few years, we're going to be on air as well! I'll be on every Sunday from 3pm to 6pm, and Emily will be on every Tuesday from 6pm to 9pm. Elizabeth won't be on air for now, but remains a CHIRP supporter too. We especially hope that those of you who listened to us on our previous radio station, WLUW, will follow us over to CHIRP and check out what we're up to these days!

Riot Grrrl History! Kathleen Hanna Papers at NYU Library

I have to admit that I felt a little bit old when I read that NYU Libraries had just acquired the Kathleen Hanna Papers as the first major acquisition in their Riot Grrrl Collection. Are we so old that riot grrrl now needs to be preserved in libraries? I guess so. But nonetheless, I think it's a great thing that Kathleen has donated her papers to be preserved for future generations of feminists. No one knows what might be in the papers yet, but it is presumed that they include some copies of her early zines Revolution Girl Style Now, Bikini Kill, and riotgrrrl, as well as correspondence and paperwork related to her long musical career in Bikini Kill and Le Tigre. You can bet that once the papers are sorted and cataloged, there will be a bevy of feminist scholars and women's studies students writing up a storm - and I can't wait to read it!

Witty Women: Quote Of The Week

"Always be smarter than the people who hire you."
- Lena Horne

Video Fridays: Aretha Franklin - Respect

In honor of Pat, here's some Aretha for you this Friday morning.

Remembering Pat

It is with profound sadness that we share the news of the unexpected death of Pat Bickett, Elizabeth's mom. Pat was a truly unique individual who embraced the living of life in a way that few people do, and was always willing to have an adventure, learn about something new, and lend an ear and shoulder to her daughters. She will be missed very much.

One of the most special times that we shared was when Elizabeth, Emily and I invited our moms onto our radio show on WLUW for Mother's Day a few years ago - we brought some music about mothers and daughters and invited them to bring their favorite female musicians as well. I fondly remember Pat telling us about her favorite female musician of all time, Aretha Franklin, and jokingly getting offended when we said we'd brought music "from our moms era, you know, older" because she insisted that they were all still "hip". Those hours with our moms remain among my favorite in all of the hours of radio I've done over the last fifteen years.

On behalf of Emily and myself, as well as the Chicago community radio community, we extend our sincere condolences to the family of Pat Bickett.

Photo: L-R: Kay, Emily, Jen, Colleen, Pat, Elizabeth

Witty Women: Quote of the Week

I wanted to be the first woman to burn her bra,
but it would have taken the fire department four days to put it out.
- Dolly Parton