Oprah is known for taking us to places we’ve never gone before both emotionally and physically in Oprah’s Next Chapter, but it has been awhile since I have been stirred as much as I was with her last episode of Oprah’s Next Chapter. As the show began I flashed back to a college course I had taken on the important women in the history of women’s rights. That was the first place I really got to know Oprah’s guest, feminist icon and activist, Gloria Steinem. Filling my mind with the shocking history of our past, I was in awe of the women who stood up to fight against the injustices.

Many of us were born into a world that was already on the cusp of change or in the midst of it. However, the paths these brave women forged are often forgotten. As we walk in the paved footsteps on these pioneers, at times we forget their contributions and just as important, their stories. As the show began, Oprah reminded all of us of how only a short time ago…things were very different. Here are a couple of facts she told us to give a little perspective.

• Women were banned from running the Boston Marathon until 1972.
• In the 60’s, help wanted ads were divided by men and women offering limited options from women.
• Women who worked as airline attendants were weighed in before flight and if they weighed too much, they were fired.
• When a woman did earn money, in some states it was the property of her husband.
• Up until 1974, women could not get a credit card without her husband or father co-signing for it.

In the 80’s my mother tried to secure us a place to live and the landlord looked at her and asked, “Who will mow the lawn?” My mother, a strong single mother, looked the owner in the eyes and firmly stated, “the same person who mowed it when I was married…ME.” Now, fast forward to the mid 90’s as I sat in my supervisor’s office as she justified why the man I was training was making more money than me. In the end, I told her the only reason I could think of was discrimination. I was not only young and bold, but I was honest just like my mother. She paused and then stated, “If you want to make as much as he does, you just need to ask for it.” I learned quickly that it wasn’t about skill or loyalty or job performance…it was discrimination. Although the basic societal sentiment speaks of fairness, the reality is that behind closed doors, the conversations aren’t always the same. As women like Gloria Steinem cut away at the underbrush of sexism, some of us have taken for granted that someone else is still trimming it all back and keeping our path clear…when in reality they may not be.

Channels are filled today with so-called new stations commentating about Hillary Clinton’s scrunchie, Sarah Palin’s outfits and hard-hitting political questions about family and kids. Women are not taken seriously by the media. Luckily people like Jennifer Newsom are making films like “Miss Representation” to shine a spotlight on such issues, but the process of change is slow moving.

So as I watch Gloria standing next to Oprah in the room where she created Ms. Magazine, the first magazine created and run by women, I am mesmerized by her stories. She is no different than any of us…except she stands up and says it! That is something we could use more of now that there seems to be a backwards slide for women’s rights. It is so strange. We live in America. The place people all around the world dream of living, yet we have fewer women in office than countries such as Iraq whose laws state that a woman’s life is valued only half as much as a man’s life and that she can legally be stoned to death. However, they appear to value women more than we do in politics. It’s crazy!

As Gloria Steinem sat with Oprah in front a group of 60 Barnard College students, mostly if not all women.  In between all the snapping (which is the new clapping), they talked about the future of women’s rights, body image, women’s roles and so much more.  In the middle of it all, I found myself saying a little prayer…hoping that men and women continue to be aware of the injustices and stand up each and every time they occur. Even though it may not be impacting their day-to-day lives, it does impact societal views and the messages that are being passed down to future generations.

I can’t applaud OWN enough for telling Gloria’s story of activism, love, life and coming into her own skin. She is a remarkable woman…someone who has truly made this world a better place and still continues to do so. Let us all honor her by not forgetting those who have come before us and most importantly never giving up.

Check out:

• Video clips of Gloria’s interview with Oprah: Clips 1, Clips 2, Clips 3 & Clips 4.
• Review of “Miss Representation” which aired on OWN
• Ways to get involved in changing the way the media portrays women.