Frances Perkins - The Woman Behind FDR's New Deal!

[KoKo]

Frances Perkins - The Woman Behind FDR's New Deal



Submitted by Robert Oak on Sat, 08/08/2009 - 15:46.

* book review
* FDR
* Frances Perkins
* New Deal
* Secretary of Labor

Frances Perkins

Did you know the first woman cabinet member of the United States was the chief architect of FDR's New Deal? If you didn't, I have a book to recommend. A new biography, The Woman Behind the New Deal: The Life of Frances Perkins, FDR'S Secretary of Labor and His Moral Conscience by Kirstin Downey was recently published.

Imagine, not only are you a woman, subject to enormous misogyny, discrimination and sexism, but you are the very first women in a Presidential cabinet, with all sorts of idiots commenting on your hair, outfits and appearance (sound familiar?).

Then, on top of dealing with all of that noise, you manage to enact some of the most sweeping changes in the history of the United States. Wow!

Here is a partial list of Perkin's accomplishments:

* Social Security
* Unemployment Insurance
* Minimum Wage & Overtime
* 40 hour work week
* stopped child laborp

An architect of infrastructure work projects of the 1930's, Perkins also had a hand in the HOLC, the program accredited with stopping the foreclosure crisis of the 1930's. Perkins also had a hand in the National Housing Act, which introduced mortgage insurance through the FHA.

Astounding isn't it. Before Secretary Perkins, there was no social safety net. Imagine, you are disabled, there is no anything to help survive. Thanks to Perkins, America finally obtained policy that didn't pretend if someone falls somehow the world was simply prey and predator and all who fall should be fated to sink.

Consider the politics involved back then for a woman, there was no equal rights, property laws, economic equality for women still were in deference to a male, no workplace discrimination laws....

Yet she managed this level of accomplishment. Note in today's world we cannot get pretty much anything passed which isn't written by corporate special interests.

Recall when FDR stepped into office, 33% of the entire working population could not get a job and 20% of all homes had been foreclosed on.

MORE at.......
http://www.economicpopulist.org/content/frances-perkins-woman-behind-fdrs-new-deal

[Sherman A1]

1. Thanks for posting

I will have to track down the book.

[babylonsister]

2. She sounds remarkable-thanks. nt

[no_hypocrisy]

3. Frances Perkins hit her stride as an activist for reform after the tragedy of the Triangle

Shirtwaist Factory fire. She influenced legislation for workplace safety.

[defendandprotect]

4. k i c k

[hfojvt]

5. where have I heard of her before?

http://journals.democraticunderground.com/hfojvt/94

[KoKo]

6. a little kick.....for Francis Perkins...