This week, Sara brings us the story of one of India's greatest heroines and rebel leader Rani Lakshmi Bai! As the British East India Company tightened its grip on India by violating Hindu traditions, stealing land from Indian landowners and replacing India's leaders with British military officials, the people of India grew more and more angry. When rebellion breaks out in Jhansi, Queen Lakshmi Bai tries to play by the British "rules" to maintain order, but when they betray her and threaten her e...
Mar 26, 2025•31 min•Ep. 255
This week, Sara shares the incredible story of one of Columbia's most beloved national heroes. Her role in the revolutionary war against Spain was epic, but what she does after her arrest made her a full-blown legend. Check out the full episode for the story! — A Broad is a woman who lives by her own rules. Broads You Should Know is the podcast about the Broads who helped shape our world! BroadsYouShouldKnow.com YT/IG/FB @BroadsYouShouldKnow & TW @BYSKpodcast — 3 Ways you can help support th...
Mar 19, 2025•29 min•Ep. 254
Sara brings you the story of La Adelita! Her story is one that has gone through a number of iterations over the years, but one thing cannot be denied—"she" was a series of bad*ss women who fought to overthrow a dictatorship, win their freedom, and finally become full citizens of Mexico. — A Broad is a woman who lives by her own rules. Broads You Should Know is the podcast about the Broads who helped shape our world! BroadsYouShouldKnow.com YT/IG/FB @BroadsYouShouldKnow & TW @BYSKpodcast — 3 ...
Mar 05, 2025•31 min•Ep. 253
Continuing our Black History Month celebration, Sara brings us one of the most important Broads whose research and advocacy has led to vast improvements in the early education, and lives of black children across the country: Dr. Evelyn Moore. As a founding teacher of the Perry Preschool Project, she and her fellow educators proved that quality educational experiences transformed the lifelong success of impoverished children - not just in their long-term education, but in every aspect of their li...
Feb 26, 2025•19 min•Ep. 252
Our education system and DEI initiatives are under attack by the new administration. For Broads You Should Know, this means we're doubling down on our devotion to both! Today Sara brings you Marian Wright-Edelman! Marian was the first Black woman admitted to the Mississippi bar and was a integral part of the Civil Rights movement including Freedom Summer and The Poor People's Campaign. She was one of the lawyers who helped make segregation illegal! After moving to Washington D.C. Marian would go...
Feb 19, 2025•24 min•Ep. 251
This week, Sara covers an essential Broad from the Civil Rights Era - Myrlie Evers! You might have seen her delivering the invocation at President Obama's second inauguration, but do you know her story? Her and her husband Medgar opened and ran the first NAACP office in Mississippi, organized protests, and ran campaigns for everything from voting rights and desegregation, to fair trials for the perpetrators of hate crimes, but when tragedy strikes, suddenly Myrlie is flung into the national spot...
Feb 12, 2025•17 min•Ep. 250
Last week we dove into the legend of "Argentina's First Lady" Eva Perón. We started from the outside in; What is it that people say about her today? What does her foundation and museum say about her? What does she say about herself in her autobiography? We found a LOT of mythology in the mix - she was obviously an incredible figurehead that helped transform Argentina and the lives of her descamisados (the shirtless ones). But the legend felt heavy with a rose colored tint and a LOT of swirling r...
Feb 05, 2025•47 min•Ep. 249
Maria Eva Duarte Perón grew up in poverty with her mother after the death of her father. Falling in love with performance, she became a radio star, model and then moderately successful actress. An activist from early on - she took on leadership roles with the actor unions and became politically active - eventually meeting Juan Perón at an event and almost never leaving his side. As Juan's popularity with the people grew, the people in charge grew distressed, eventually arresting him. But after l...
Jan 30, 2025•40 min•Ep. 248
This week, Sara brings us the incomparable Italian painter Artemisia Gentileschi! She is considered one of the foremost painters of the 17th century, eclipsing her father's skill and considered more brazen than Caravaggio himself. Due to her own exceptional skill and brilliant business tactics, Artemisia's popularity exploded and she painted commissions for the most elite patrons across all of Europe, becoming so successful she didn't even "need a husband" anymore. However, much of her life and ...
Jan 22, 2025•29 min•Ep. 247
After a week of flames and ash, some of which were in Sara's backyard, Los Angeles is reeling from the devastation. Amidst it all, certain ill-intentioned bad eggs have started a whole bunch of rumors about the incompetence of Mayor Karen Bass. Sara is here to tell you that not only are these bad eggs ill intentioned and seeking political gain from their falsehoods, they are just flat out WRONG - both with their facts and with their assessment of Mayor Bass. By Sara's own witness, she's an incre...
Jan 15, 2025•41 min•Ep. 246
This week, Sara brings us the ancient warrior queen Tomyris! In 500 BCE Cyrus II conquers much of Asia to form the first Persian Empire, but his ego and greed are insatiable, and eventually he crosses swords with the wrong Queen; Tomyris and her fierce, nomadic horse warriors face off their attacker in a blaze of glory and sorrow to take revenge on the biggest bully in the world. A Broad is a woman who lives by her own rules. Broads You Should Know is the podcast about the Broads who helped shap...
Jan 08, 2025•29 min•Ep. 245
This week, Sara brings us the story of the one and only Malala Yousafzai, who was targeted for assassination because she dared to speak out against the Taliban. She survived and continues to preach peace and acceptance of all people. — A Broad is a woman who lives by her own rules. Broads You Should Know is the podcast about the Broads who helped shape our world! BroadsYouShouldKnow.com YT/IG/FB @BroadsYouShouldKnow & TW @BYSKpodcast — 3 Ways you can help support the podcast: Write a review ...
Jan 01, 2025•38 min•Ep. 244
Sara's Broad of the Year - the woman who has made the most profound impact on women and women's rights this year is none other than Giséle Pelicot. This week saw the conclusion of the criminal trial against her ex-husband who drugged her without her knowledge, and 50 other men who r@ped her when she was drugged over the course of a decade. Giséle made the incredible choice to not only NOT remain anonymous, as most victims do in these proceedings, but ALSO to insist that the press and public be a...
Dec 26, 2024•21 min•Ep. 243
When America ran out of Santas during World War II what happened? Was Christmas cancelled while the men were overseas fighting? NOPE! The Rosie the Riveter spirit persisted, and WOMEN stepped up to the plate! But not everybody was happy about it. Learn how these Santa Broads came to be, who loved them, who hated them, and most importantly - DID THEY WEAR THE BEARD, TOO? Also, what the heck is the origin of Santa Clause and the modern American Christmas? When did Mall Santas emerge and why? All t...
Dec 18, 2024•23 min•Ep. 242
When Alexander the Great defeated Thebes in 335 CE him and his soldiers decimated the city - killing 6,000 Thebans and enslaving over 30,000. In the process, a drunk, disorderly captain forces his way into Timoclea's home, sexually assaults her, and attempts to rob her of her wealthy property. But clever Timoclea talks this drunk ahole into retiring her gold from an empty well, and when he goes to fetch it, she throw a boatload of big rocks down into the well - possibly by herself, possibly aide...
Dec 11, 2024•25 min•Ep. 241
Did you know that one of the most popular American Board games of all time - MONOPOLY - was actually invented by a Broad?! That right! Lizzie Magie invented THE LANDLORD'S GAME to help teach the concept of Georgism to the masses, and even patented it in 1904, 30 years before the Monopoly patent was filed. As we dive down the rabbit hole we discover not only more about the incredible multi-hyphenate and radical feminist Lizzie was, but also how her beloved game fell into the hands of Charles Darr...
Dec 04, 2024•21 min•Ep. 240
While history marks the first Thanksgiving as being in Plymouth, Massachusetts in 1621, it turns out that when Christopher Columbus (and his *sshole brother, Bartholomew) first land in modern-day Haiti in 1492, they were warmly welcomed and assisted in a similar fashion by today's Broad, Anacaona! A powerhouse leader of the Taino people, Anacaona led her people NOT into war, as so many neighboring tribes had done, but with a true matriarchal vision of peace and prosperity for all, she tried to e...
Nov 27, 2024•23 min•Ep. 239
Giulia Tofana is known for inventing the deadly (and untraceable) poison known as Aqua Tofana, which was the most feared cause of death by men living in Renaissance Italy. She exclusively sold her poisons to women trapped in abusive or loveless marriages, freeing them from their servitude and/or existence as their husbands' property. — A Broad is a woman who lives by her own rules. Broads You Should Know is the podcast about the Broads who helped shape our world! BroadsYouShouldKnow.com YT/IG/FB...
Nov 20, 2024•31 min•Ep. 238
In our first episode post-election Sara talks about her mindset moving forward post-election. While many folks discuss what went wrong, voter sabotage, and many other "could be's", Sara encourages everyone to focus on what we can do in our everyday lives to stand up for what we believe in. Whether that's signing petitions and protesting, or changing where you shop, it's a mistake to think that you are helpless right now. — A Broad is a woman who lives by her own rules. Broads You Should Know is ...
Nov 13, 2024•24 min•Ep. 237
This week, we revisit Chloe Skye's episode on Norma McCorvey, or as you might know her: "Jane Roe" of the Roe v Wade case. We'll tell you right now - it's probably NOT the story you were expecting to hear. After enduring a difficult childhood in Texas, Norma's young adulthood doesn't fair much better, and ultimately leads to her landmark court case Roe v Wade. But what happens after the Supreme Court decision that made abortion legal & protected under US Federal law? Does Norma carry her pre...
Nov 06, 2024•37 min•Ep. 236
Beatrix Leslie is an 84-year-old midwife living just outside Edinburgh, Scotland in 1661, which happened to be a very bad period of time to be a disliked elderly woman in the community because it was smack dab in the middle of the Great Scottish Witch Trials of 1661-1662. During a span of literally 16 MONTHS over 660 people were publicly accused of witchcraft in that neck of the woods, and Beatrix, unfortunately, was one of them. Listen now to learn exactly what she was accused of, and how the w...
Oct 30, 2024•26 min•Ep. 235
Galina Brok-Belsova, who just died this past August, was the very last known member Night Witches - the Russian female aviation regiments that helped to turn the tide of World War II. Certainly some of the bravest women we've ever covered on the podcast, the Night Witches struck fear into the hearts of German soldiers - and Galina was no exception. Enlisting at 16 and flying her first combat mission at 18, Galina would end up flying 36 combat missions and receiving the Order of Lenin and a perso...
Oct 23, 2024•18 min•Ep. 234
It's spooky season once more and the perfect time to revisit the most well-known incident of witch hysteria in North America - the Salem Witch Trials! While many of you may be familiar with the story from your history classes and Arthur Miller's popular play-turned-Daniel-Day-Lewis-Winona-Ryder-movie The Crucible, Sara's research turns up some VERY interesting truths about the motivations of the the girls and their parents - who (not surprisingly) influenced, puppetered and corroborated the "acc...
Oct 16, 2024•54 min•Ep. 233
While last week we joyfully celebrated the inauguration of Mexico's first female President Claudia Sheinbaum (full BYSK episode on her coming soon!), the rest of the news in the past few months has been rife with stories of violence against women. From across the world, in India, Africa and Europe, to right here in our own backyards and even just blocks from Sara's apartment in Los Angeles. What gives?! Where does all this violence come from? And why? And how do we prevent it from happening? Sar...
Oct 09, 2024•29 min•Ep. 232
This week, guest Steven Townshend brings us Izumo no Okuni, the original creator of Japanese Kabuki Theatre! A humble countryside shrine maiden, Izumo, travels to Kyoto in the early 1600s to help raise money for her temple, but her entertainment skills blow the minds of her audiences, giving birth to one of the most spectacular styles of theatre in existence. Why, then, don't we know her name? And why don't we see women performing Kabuki today?? You'll have to listen to find out! — — A Broad is ...
Oct 01, 2024•27 min•Ep. 231
Born without arms or legs, from her youngest days Sarah Biffin was not content to sit around bemoaning her difficulties - she got right to work! Sarah taught herself to sew, use scissors and write letters using her mouth! She was so skilled, in fact, that when a sideshow owner Emmanuel Dukes, discovers her abilities, he quickly convinces her to join up with his traveling sideshow and is able to charge very high prices for passersby to stare with awe at "the astonishing curiosity”, “the limbless ...
Sep 25, 2024•25 min•Ep. 230
This week, Sara brings us Mary Kenner! Coming from a family of inventors, Mary wasted no time and went to work on her own first invention at six years old. She invented throughout her life, and received her first US Patent in 1957 for the Sanitary Belt - a precursor to the sanitary napkin! To this day Mary still holds the record for the most US Patents awarded to an African American woman - FIVE! — A Broad is a woman who lives by her own rules. Broads You Should Know is the podcast about the Bro...
Sep 18, 2024•17 min•Ep. 229
Therese Oneill, author of the awesome book Unbecoming a Lady: The Forgotten Shrews and Sluts That Shaped America , joins Sara to discuss a Broad we have long been wanting to cover - the incomparable Elizabeth Packard! When Elizabeth's Reverend jerk of a husband has her committed to an insane asylum, (for disagreeing with his preaching, nonetheless!) Elizabeth bided her time patiently, working with Dr. McFarland on what she believed would be a path to quick release back to her family. However, th...
Sep 11, 2024•49 min•Ep. 228
This week, guest Darren Callahan brings us the story of screenwriter Nancy Dowd! After graduating from Smith College, Nancy enrolls at UCLA determined to forge a career writing for film. Not only does she succeed, she ends up writing some of the most renowned films of the 70s and 80s, and even winning an Oscar for her first feature script COMING HOME, but while the original script was entirely her own, she had to share that Oscar with two other writers. Listen now to find out how that film creat...
Sep 04, 2024•33 min•Ep. 227
Another light went out of the world this week when we lost lost Joan Davis. "Ms. Davis" was Sara's High School History Teacher and was, arguably, THE BROAD THAT STARTED IT ALL! That's right, this podcast might never have come to being if it weren't for Ms. Davis. Teaching outside that standard curriculum and armed with Howard Zinn's A People's History of the United States: 1492-Present, Ms. Davis made a profound impact teaching Sara and all of her students the importance of exploring history OUT...
Aug 28, 2024•23 min•Ep. 226
