Unsung Heroines

“A newspaper by and for Indigenous people. Immigrants and their descendants allowed to marry Americans. Free public toilets for women. Voting by mail. Saving the San Francisco Bay. Children getting breakfast. Children with disabilities attending school. Care for people with AIDS. Health centers. All this and more. The Bay Area would not be as civilized as it is without the brave work of the women in this book. At last, we can know them, and sing their praises.“—Maxine Hong Kingston, author of The Woman Warrior: Memoirs of a Girlhood Among Ghosts

“Fascinating, engaging, thorough, thoughtful, and surprising, Unsung Heroines is an absolute treasure trove of just some of the rad women who’ve shaped the Bay Area and Northern California—and the nation… . Put this book in every classroom, office, coffeeshop, and BART train! These are stories that every resident of the region needs to know!“—Kate Schatz, author of Rad American Women A-Z

“Every story here is a unique adventure that reminds us of women’s vision and bravery. The evocative portraits by Adrienne Simms make this a real celebration of these daring human rights activists who cross boundaries of time, ethnicity, and class and invite us all to join in.“—Jewelle Gomez, The Gilda Stories

“I learned so much from this incredible book, and I gained so much inspiration and fuel for action. You’ll never look at Bay Area history the same way again. Unsung Heroines is essential reading.“—Charlie Jane Anders, Lessons in Magic and Disaster

“Overlooked no more! This worthy collection of biographies offers a more complete history of the Bay Area and early California. A must-read for history buffs. Educational, fascinating, compelling … and downright fun.“—Olivia Allen-Price, author of Bay Curious: Exploring the Hidden True Stories of the San Francisco Bay Area

“In 2018, Rae Alexandra of KQED’s Rebel Girls from Bay Area History learned that just 12% of our city’s public space—street names, statues, parks, public art—honored women. She’s since devoted years to researching ‘unsung heroines’ of the Bay Area, thirty-five of whom were profiled in this illuminating book. It’s vividly illustrated by Adrienne Simms —a special challenge considering images of some of the women have been lost to history—and published by City Lights Press.“—Christina Pappas, Same Page SF

”Unsung Heroines does more than recover forgotten names. It reframes Bay Area history as something built not just by earthquakes, gold or tech, but by pioneering women who refused to disappear.“—Samantha Campos, Metro Silicon Valley

“Spanning a breadth from the Gold Rush to contemporary times, it recounts stories of women whose concerted efforts improved the lives of those around them.“—Sue Gilmore, “Hooked on Books”

“UNSUNG HEROINES Is a rollicking feminist history of the Bay. Rae Alexandra’s new essay collection celebrates 35 leaders, activists, and rule-breakers we should have learned about in school.“—Emma Silvers, Coyote Media

”UNSUNG HEROINES celebrates 35 Bay Area women you need to know.“—Beth Winegarner, Mission Local

“They saved the Bay, brought subsidized child care to the working class, and fought for the civil rights of disabled, Black and trans people. A new book celebrates dozens of ‘unsung’ Bay Area heroines.“—Joanne Furio, Berkeleyside

“In bleak times like these, I look to the Unsung Heroines for hope and inspiration. Women like Ruth Beckford, Delilah Beasley and Clara Elizabeth Chan Lee. Their stories offer a different model for living—one that’s not obsessed with ‘obtaining value,’ regardless of the costs. In the face of hatred and mockery, they danced, marched, and organized for a better future. Their struggles are now ours. The next chapter has yet to be written … “—Liam O’Donoghue, East Bay Yesterday

Rae Alexandra landed at KQED in 2017. Her love for all things Bay Area soon prompted Rae to pivot into researching and writing about local history. After 20 years living in San Francisco’s Mission District, Rae recently relocated to Stockton, California.

Adrienne Simms is a San Francisco-based fine artist and illustrator who has exhibited her art since the early 2000s. Her creative work tends to focus on women, and her style includes bold colors and decorative patterns. While her images are generally feminine, she infuses her subjects with an inner strength, even defiance. From topics as disparate as spirituality and politics, her aim is to create art that is both beautiful and powerful. In addition to fine art, she embraces the challenge of illustration and portraiture projects. Her preferred mediums include oil painting, and pen and ink drawing.

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