The Persistence

Angélica Cordero
  • 5.0 (7)
  • HISTORY
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The Persistence, hosted by Angélica Cordero, dives into the untold stories of people who’ve shaped history but rarely get the spotlight. Mixing bold personal stories, deep historical insights, and today’s fight for justice, each episode uncovers the connections between past movements and modern struggles. If you’re ready to see history through a fresh, intersectional lens, this is the podcast for you. obsessivelycurious.substack.com

  1. It's coming on Christmas

    DEC 24

    It's coming on Christmas

    Christmas is often sold as a season of arrival and perfection, but its oldest stories tell something very different. In this episode of The Persistence, Angélica Cordero explores how modern Christmas imagery, from Santa’s familiar red suit to the feeling that the holiday should look a certain way, was shaped by 20th-century culture, then peels back the gloss to examine Christmas as a story of movement, displacement, and care. At the heart of the episode is A Charlie Brown Christmas, the 1965 animated special that defied television norms with its silences, real children’s voices, and sad little tree, shaped in part by Mexican immigrant animator Bill Melendez. From the nativity to Peanuts, this episode reflects on why stories that resist polish and certainty endure, and how belonging is often something we practice quietly, not something we’re handed. This episode was written by and produced by Angélica Cordero, with a little help from ChatGPT. Our theme song is Don’t Kid Yourself Baby by Fold, used with their blessings. Podcast artwork for The Persistence features Mexican-American activist Jovita Idar and was created by Tamra Collins of Sunroot Studio. Follow us on Instagram, TikTok, and share your thoughts with Angélica by emailing wearethepersistence@gmail.com. Don’t forget to sign up for host Angélica Cordero’s newsletter, Obsessively Curious!! It includes short insights that connect unlikely histories, recommendations, and details about other ways to interact with the show. Thanks for reading Obsessively Curious! This post is public so feel free to share it. Get full access to Obsessively Curious at obsessivelycurious.substack.com/subscribe

    15 min
  2. Episode 13: Hypnotized, Mesmerized by What Our Eyes Have Found

    DEC 12

    Episode 13: Hypnotized, Mesmerized by What Our Eyes Have Found

    The latest episode of The Persistence opens with a very relatable childhood crisis: that first moment when a story you believed your whole life suddenly unravels. Host Angélica Cordero uses this myth-busting moment as a bridge into a larger cultural awakening, tracing how early 20th-century art movements like Dada, Neo-Dada, Judson Dance Theater, and Fluxus began shredding America’s shiny narratives long before the 1960s demanded it. Along the way, she spotlights boundary-pushers such as Marcel Duchamp, John Cage, and Yoko Ono, revealing how their weird, radical, rule-breaking work was not just art but prophecy. These creators exposed cracks in the culture decades before the mainstream could admit the foundations were shifting. This episode invites listeners to rethink the stories they were raised on, reflect on their own moments of disillusionment, and recognize why challenging the status quo has always been a necessary act of resistance. This episode was written by and produced by Angélica Cordero, with a little help from ChatGPT. Our theme song is Don’t Kid Yourself Baby by Fold, used with their blessings. Podcast artwork for The Persistence features Mexican-American activist Jovita Idar and was created by Tamra Collins of Sunroot Studio. Resources For Fellow Wascally Wabbits Want the full context? Check out the episodes referenced here: Books An Audience of Artists: Dada, Neo-Dada, and the Emergence of Abstract Expressionism by Catherine Craft Autocritique: Essays on Art and Anti-Art, 1963-1987 by Rose, Barbara The Experimenters by Eva Díaz Marcel Duchamp’s Fountain: Its History and Aesthetics in the Context of 1917 by W. A. Camfield Neo-Dada 1951-54: Between the Aesthetics of Persecution and the Politics of Identity by Seth Mccormick Pop Art and the Origins of Post-Modernism by Sylvia Harrison Specifically: * “Barbara Rose: Pop, Pragmatism, and ‘Prophetic Pragmatism’”, p. 115–145 Links A (Grudging) Defense of the $120,000 Banana by Jason Farago (New York Times, New York, Dec 8, 2019) About Peggy Guggenheim, (Peggy Guggenheim, Peggy Guggenheim Collection, Venice) "The Avant-garde and the Society of Independent Artists", (Movements, Documenting the Gilded Age: New York City Exhibitions at the Turn of the 20th Century, New York Art Resources Consortium, New York, NY, 2011) “Chapter 23: Dada” by D. Rogers & Julianne Gough Hartley, (History of the Fine Arts: Visual Art, Brigham Young University) The Creative Act: Marcel Duchamp’s 1957 Classic, Read by the Artist Himself by Maria Popova, (The Marginalian, Aug 23, 2012) The Creative Act by Marcel Duchamp, (Convention of the American Federation of Arts in Houston, Texas, April 1957) “Enter Digital Archives of the 1960s Fluxus Movement and Explore the Avant-Garde Art of John Cage, Yoko Ono, John Cale, Nam June Paik & More",” by Josh Jones, (Open Culture, Mar 15, 2018) George Maciunas. Fluxus Manifesto. 1963., (The Collection, MOMA, New York, 2025) Marcel Duchamp, (Artist and Musician Biographies, AAEP 1600: Art and Music since 1945, Department of Arts Administration, Education and Policy, The Ohio State University, 2024) “The National Purpose” series, Life Magazine * “‘LIFE’ Present a Crucial New Series: The National Purpose”, (May 23, 1960, Chicago, IL, p. 23-41) * Part II: Archibald MacLeish and Adlai Stevenson, (May 30, 1960, Chicago, IL, p. 86-88, 93-102) * Part III: David Sarnoff and Billy Graham (Jun 6, 1960, Chicago, IL, p. 108-110, 117-126) * Part IV: John W. Gardner and Clinton Rossiter (Jun 13, 1960, Chicago, IL, p. 98-118) * Part V: Walter Lippmann and Albert Wohlstetter, (Jun 20, 1960, Chicago, IL, p. 114-116, 122) "Performance Art, The Black Mountain College, John Cage & Merce Cunningham", (Art Terms, Tate, London) The Restless Innovation of Yoko Ono by Juliet Jacques, (Frieze, Feb 15, 2024) "See How Marcel Duchamp Broke the Rules and Shocked the Art World Again and Again" by Eli Wizevich, (Smithsonian Magazine, Washington, D.C., Jun 27, 2025) Yoko Ono, Cut Piece, (Re.Act.Feminism, Berlin) “YOKO ONO, CUT PIECE documented by The Maysles Bros, Carnegie Recital Hall, New York, March 21, 1965” by Greg Letson, (The Incubator, Dec 16, 2016) Other Germany - Dada: and Alphabet of German Dadaism documentary Helmut Herbst (1968) John Cage on Silence, (Jul 14, 2007) Judson Dance Theater: The Work Is Never Done, (The Museum of Modern Art, Feb 1, 2019) Merce Cunningham’s Working Process, (Walker Art Center, Jul 28, 2009) Support It’s free, it’s fast, and it tells the algorithm overlords this work matters. Supporting The Persistence means supporting all of it: the podcast, the posts, the zine, the whole enchilada. Send a post or an episode to a friend, a professor, or that cousin who loves debating politics at dinner. One quick Apple Podcasts review does more than any marketing budget I don’t have. Every coffee, every donation (and paid subscription) literally keeps the mic on and the stories flowing. Collaborate (let’s dream bigger): Educators? Creative? Filmmaker/Podcaster? Org with a mission? Let’s talk. Follow us on Instagram, TikTok, and share your thoughts with Angélica by emailing wearethepersistence@gmail.com. Don’t forget to sign up for host Angélica Cordero’s newsletter, Obsessively Curious!! It includes short insights that connect unlikely histories, recommendations, and details about other ways to interact with the show. Get full access to Obsessively Curious at obsessivelycurious.substack.com/subscribe

    41 min
  3. Don't Kid Yourself Baby

    OCT 24

    Don't Kid Yourself Baby

    Finding the perfect theme song is almost impossible, until you stumble on Folds Band’s “Don’t Kid Yourself, Baby,” a funk-infused tribute to Fannie Lou Hamer, the civil rights legend who could turn a microphone into a movement. Band member Seth Moskowitz discovered her fire-breathing 1969 speech from the Vietnam Moratorium at UC Berkeley, and the rest is soul-shaking history. Hamer didn’t just fight voter suppression in Mississippi; she faced beatings, threats, and still showed up to shake the 1964 Democratic National Convention. Her voice, now echoing through basslines and protest chants, proves that politics is everywhere—in your playlists, your power, and your daily hustle. Tune in for a story that hits hard, grooves deeper, and reminds us that speaking up is always on beat. This episode was written by and produced by Angélica Cordero, with a little help from ChatGPT. Our theme song is Don’t Kid Yourself Baby by Fold, used with their blessings. Podcast artwork for The Persistence features Mexican-American activist Jovita Idar and was created by Tamra Collins of Sunroot Studio. Resources For Fellow Wascally Wabbits Books Until I Am Free: Fannie Lou Hamer’s Enduring Message to America by Keisha N. Blain Links 1961 U.S. Commission on Civil Rights Report Book 1 (University of Maryland School of Law, 1962) 1960 Census: Population, Supplementary Reports: Per Capita and Median Family Income in 1959, for States, Standard Metropolitan Areas, and Counties (United States Census Bureau, 1965) Civil Rights Excerpts from the 1961 United States Commission on Civil Rights Report (U.S. Commission on Civil Rights, 1961) Fannie Lou Hamer (FBI The Vault, FBI) Fannie Lou Hamer and the Fight for Voting Rights by Keisha N. Blain (Blog, Smithsonian American Women’s History, Smithsonian, 2024) Fannie Lou Hamer: Civil Rights Activist by Kay Mills (Mississippi History Now, Mississippi Historical Society, 2015) Fannie Lou Hamer survived a prison beating, taught black people their rights and stood up to a president by Jamie Gass (The Hechinger Report, 2017) MFDP Challenge at Democratic National Convention (Digital SNCC Gateway, Duke University Libraries) Pioneers in the Black Women’s Suffrage Movement: Fannie Lou Hamer (News, League of Women Voters of California Remarks regarding Mississippi economics, May 30, 1964 (Civil Rights Movement Archive, Duke University Libraries, 1964) Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act at the Supreme Court by Michael Li (Research Reports, Brennan Center for Justice, 2025) Stunned By Her Thunder: Fannie Lou Hamer by Jennifer Davis (Blogs, In Custodia LegisLaw Librarians of Congress, Library of Congress, 2021) The Sweat and Blood of Fannie Lou Hamer by Rosalind Early (Humanities, The Magazine of The National Endowment for the Humanities, Winter 2021) Testimony Before the Credentials Committee, Democratic National Convention (Say It Plain, American Public Media, 2018) Support It’s free, it’s fast, and it tells the algorithm overlords this work matters. Supporting The Persistence means supporting all of it: the podcast, the posts, the zine, the whole enchilada. Send a post or an episode to a friend, a professor, or that cousin who loves debating politics at dinner. One quick Apple Podcasts review does more than any marketing budget I don’t have. Every coffee, every donation (and paid subscription) literally keeps the mic on and the stories flowing. Collaborate (let’s dream bigger): Educators? Creative? Filmmaker/Podcaster? Org with a mission? Let’s talk. Follow us on Instagram, TikTok, and share your thoughts with Angélica by emailing wearethepersistence@gmail.com. Don’t forget to sign up for host Angélica Cordero’s newsletter, Obsessively Curious!! It includes short insights that connect unlikely histories, recommendations, and details about other ways to interact with the show. Get full access to Obsessively Curious at obsessivelycurious.substack.com/subscribe

    31 min
  4. A Special Conversation with Bob Hotard

    OCT 10

    A Special Conversation with Bob Hotard

    When does paying attention become a form of protest? In this episode of The Persistence, host Angélica Cordero sits down with Bob Hotard, a UX designer who turned his skill for human-centered design into real-world activism. From building safe spaces for tough conversations inside AT&T to marching for justice in the streets, Bob’s journey proves that making change doesn’t always require a megaphone—just persistence. Blending personal storytelling, history, and a little wit, this episode challenges what activism looks like today and invites you to find your own way to make an impact. This episode was written by and produced by Angélica Cordero, with a little help from ChatGPT. Our theme song is Don’t Kid Yourself Baby by Fold, used with their blessings. Podcast artwork for The Persistence features Mexican-American activist Jovita Idar and was created by Tamra Collins of Sunroot Studio. Resources For Fellow Wascally Wabbits Books Social Change Now: A Guide for Reflection and Connection by Deepa Iyer Links D.I.N.E. Events Doing Lunch Differently at AT&T by Rachel Simon Support It’s free, it’s fast, and it tells the algorithm overlords this work matters. Supporting The Persistence means supporting all of it: the podcast, the posts, the zine, the whole enchilada. Send a post or an episode to a friend, a professor, or that cousin who loves debating politics at dinner. One quick Apple Podcasts review does more than any marketing budget I don’t have. Every coffee, every donation (and paid subscription) literally keeps the mic on and the stories flowing. Collaborate (let’s dream bigger): Educators? Creative? Filmmaker/Podcaster? Org with a mission? Let’s talk. Follow us on Instagram, TikTok, and share your thoughts with Angélica by emailing wearethepersistence@gmail.com. Don’t forget to sign up for host Angélica Cordero’s newsletter, Obsessively Curious!! It includes short insights that connect unlikely histories, recommendations, and details about other ways to interact with the show. Get full access to Obsessively Curious at obsessivelycurious.substack.com/subscribe

    40 min
  5. Episode 12: There is fiction in the space between

    SEP 26

    Episode 12: There is fiction in the space between

    What do Cold War witch hunts and old-school fables have in common? In this episode of The Persistence, host Angélica Cordero connects The Boy Who Cried Wolf and The Emperor’s New Clothes to America’s Red Scare, exposing how paranoia and denial fueled McCarthyism. With humor and insight, Angélica revisits the stories of Paul Robeson, Dorothy Parker, and Hazel Scott, brilliant artists and activists who refused to stay silent, even when the cost was everything. This isn’t just history. It’s a mirror for today’s culture wars and performance politics, reminding us that truth-telling has always been an act of resistance. This episode was written by and produced by Angélica Cordero, with a little help from ChatGPT. Our theme song is Don’t Kid Yourself Baby by Fold, used with their blessings. Podcast artwork for The Persistence features Mexican-American activist Jovita Idar and was created by Tamra Collins of Sunroot Studio. Resources For Fellow Wascally Wabbits Books The Broadcast 41: Women and the Anti-Communist Blacklist by Carol A. Stabile Feminism Unfinished: A Short, Surprising History of American Women's Movements by Dorothy Sue Cobble, Linda Gordon, Astrid Henry Ike and McCarthy: Dwight Eisenhower’s secret campaign against Joseph McCarthy by David A. Nichols The Kitchen Debate and Cold War Consumer Politics: A Brief History with Documents (The Bedford Series in History and Culture) by Sarah Phillips and Shane Hamilton The American Woman: Her Changing Social, Economic, and Political Roles, 1920-1970 by William H. Chafe The Dismissal of Miss Ruth Brown: Civil Rights, Censorship, and the American Library by Louise S. Robbins The Undiscovered Paul Robeson: Quest for Freedom, 1939 - 1976 by Paul Robeson, Jr. The Way We Never Were: American Families and the Nostalgia Trap by Stephanie Coontz The Women’s History of the Modern World: How Radicals, Rebels, and Everywomen Revolutionized the Last 200 Years by Rosalind Miles Links The 1950s Happy Housewife by Rachel Waugh (The Museum of Food and Culture, 2023) Alicia Keys just played two pianos at once in jaw-dropping Grammys performance by Sofia Rizzi, (ClassicFM, Feb 11, 2019) Black Skin in the Red Land: African Americans and the Soviet Experiment by Kimberly St. Julian-Varnon (The Russia File, Kennan Institute, Wilson Center, Feb 28, 2020) “Cold War Beginnings,” Growth and Turmoil, 1948-1977, (Women and the American Story, Center for Women’s History, The New York Historical) Free to Criticize by (The Center for Free, Fair, and Accountable Democracy, 2025) Hazel Scott: The Gorgeous Face of Jazz at the Mid-Century by Neely Tucker, (Timeless, Stories from the Library of Congress, October 12, 2021) “Hazel Scott Says Segregation Rule Surprise to Her,” (Austin American-Statesman, Nov 16, 1948, p 1) Red Channels: The Official Periodical of the Hollywood Blacklist by Peter Bowen (Bleecker Street,) “Texas U. Students Back Hazel Scott’s Fight on Bias,” (Daily World, New York, Nov 28, 1948) “To Be Somebody,” (Song of America) The FBI’s War on Folk Music by Alexander Billet, (Jacobin, Nov 22, 2020) “The Kitchen Debate,” Growth and Turmoil, 1948-1977, (Women and the American Story, Center for Women’s History, The New York Historical) “United States House Committee on Un-American Activities,” The Online Books Page, ed. John Mark Ockerbloom (University of Pennsylvania, ) The Variation and Impact of Ol’ Man River by Paul Robeson (MHS: Music and Technology in the Twentieth Century, University of Rochester, Apr 2019) Other United States Congressional Record, (September 21, 1949, p 13375) “Hazel’s Boogie Woogie,” Hazel Scott: Her Second Album (Archive.org, 1942) “Hazel Scott in ‘The Heat’s On‘ (1943),” Black Quotidian: Everyday History in African-American Newspapers, ed. Matthew F. Delmont, (Stanford University, 2019) The Disappearance of Miss Scott, (American Masters, PBS, Archive.org, 2025) Support It’s free, it’s fast, and it tells the algorithm overlords this work matters. Supporting The Persistence means supporting all of it: the podcast, the posts, the zine, the whole enchilada. Send a post or an episode to a friend, a professor, or that cousin who loves debating politics at dinner. One quick Apple Podcasts review does more than any marketing budget I don’t have. Every coffee, every donation (and paid subscription) literally keeps the mic on and the stories flowing. Collaborate (let’s dream bigger): Educators? Creative? Filmmaker/Podcaster? Org with a mission? Let’s talk. Follow us on Instagram, TikTok, and share your thoughts with Angélica by emailing wearethepersistence@gmail.com. Don’t forget to sign up for host Angélica Cordero’s newsletter, Obsessively Curious!! It includes short insights that connect unlikely histories, recommendations, and details about other ways to interact with the show. Get full access to Obsessively Curious at obsessivelycurious.substack.com/subscribe

    42 min

  6. SEP 5

    Episode 11: Living in Captivity

    The 1950s sold us smiling housewives, white picket fences, and tidy sitcom kitchens. But behind the canned laughter? Millions of women were juggling two jobs. One at home, one on the clock…and still getting shortchanged. In this episode of The Persistence, host Angelica Cordero pulls back the curtain on post–World War II America. From union women taking on GE and Westinghouse, to Black garment workers packing Madison Square Garden, to Latina mamas turning PTA meetings into organizing hubs. This is the story of how women, families, and communities fought back against wage gaps, housing discrimination, and runaway inflation. You’ll hear about: * The myth of the “traditional family” versus the reality of poverty and redlining. * Women fighting for equal pay, childcare, and dignity on the job. * Mutualistas, comadres, and community kitchens raising future leaders like Dolores Huerta and Helen Chávez. * Housewives boycotting overpriced groceries and flipping the “perfect homemaker” script into full-on protest. Because postwar America wasn’t just barbecue grills and baby booms. It was strikes, boycotts, and casseroles in one hand with protest signs in the other. The revolution wasn’t just televised. It was homemade. This episode was written by and produced by Angélica Cordero, with a little help from ChatGPT. Our theme song is Don’t Kid Yourself Baby by Fold, used with their blessings. Podcast artwork for The Persistence features Mexican-American activist Jovita Idar and was created by Tamra Collins of Sunroot Studio. Resources For Fellow Wascally Wabbits Books An African American and Latinx History of the United States by Paul Ortiz Citizen, Mother, Worker: Debating Public Responsibility for Childcare after the Second World War by Emilie Stoltzfus Common Sense & A little Fire: Women and Working-Class Politics in the United States, 1900-1965 by Annelise Orleck Feminism Unfinished: A Short, Surprising History of American Women's Movements by Dorothy Sue Cobble, Linda Gordon, Astrid Henry Not June Cleaver: Women and Gender in Postwar America, 1945-1960 edited by Joanne Meyerowitz Specifically: * Gender & Civic Activism in Mexican American Barrios in California: The Community Service Organization, 1947-1962 by Margaret Rose, p. 177-200 * Recapturing Working-Class Feminism by Union Women in the Postwar Era by Dorothy Sue Cobble, p. 57-83 Our Mother’s War: American Women at Home and at the Front During World War II by Emily Yellin The American Woman: Her Changing Social, Economic, and Political Roles, 1920-1970 by William H. Chafe The Way We Never Were: American Families and the Nostalgia Trap by Stephanie Coontz Links The 1950s Happy Housewife by Rachel Waugh (The Museum of Food and Culture, 2023) 1946 Orson Welles Commentaries (Archive.org, 1946) Tillie Olsen (Newton, Ma: The Shalvi/Hyman Encyclopedia of Jewish Women - Jewish Women’s Archive,) A Word to the Wives by Telamerica, Inc. (Archive.org, 1955) Support It’s free, it’s fast, and it tells the algorithm overlords this work matters. Supporting The Persistence means supporting all of it: the podcast, the posts, the zine, the whole enchilada. Send a post or an episode to a friend, a professor, or that cousin who loves debating politics at dinner. One quick Apple Podcasts review does more than any marketing budget I don’t have. Every coffee, every donation (and paid subscription) literally keeps the mic on and the stories flowing. Collaborate (let’s dream bigger): Educators? Creative? Filmmaker/Podcaster? Org with a mission? Let’s talk. Follow us on Instagram, TikTok, and share your thoughts with Angélica by emailing wearethepersistence@gmail.com. Don’t forget to sign up for host Angélica Cordero’s newsletter, Obsessively Curious!! It includes short insights that connect unlikely histories, recommendations, and details about other ways to interact with the show. Get full access to Obsessively Curious at obsessivelycurious.substack.com/subscribe

    39 min
  7. It don’t matter what you wear

    AUG 22

    It don’t matter what you wear

    Drag in uniform? Believe it. In this episode of The Persistence, host Angélica Cordero uncovers the hidden world where World War II soldiers swapped rifles for wigs and turned the battlefield into a stage. From Irving Berlin’s hit This Is the Army to all-soldier revues that broke barriers of race, gender, and sexuality, these performances reveal how the military used theater to boost morale and how queer expression thrived in the unlikeliest of places. It’s a story of radical joy in the middle of chaos: sequins in the trenches, satire in the spotlight, and survival through spectacle. This isn’t your typical war story. It’s a provocative, witty look at how performance reshaped resilience, challenged norms, and gave soldiers a reason to laugh when the world was burning. This episode was written by and produced by Angélica Cordero, with a little help from ChatGPT. Our theme song is Don’t Kid Yourself Baby by Fold, used with their blessings. Podcast artwork for The Persistence features Mexican-American activist Jovita Idar and was created by Tamra Collins of Sunroot Studio. Resources For Fellow Wascally Wabbits Audio Clips The Army-Navy Screen Magazine 31 1944 (Archive.org) I Paid My Income Tax Today (Archive.org) Victor/Victoria Official Trailer War Dept. Film Bulletin 155: Special Services In Action, 1944 (Archive.org) Books Coming Out Under Fire: The History of Gay Men and Women in World War Two by Allan Bérubé Sounds of War: Music in the United States during WWII by Annegret Fauser Links Early Career & Tin Pan Alley (1888 to 1915) (New York, NY:The Irving Berlin Music Company) GIs as Dolls: Uncovering the Hidden Histories of Drag Entertainment During Wartime (New Orleans, LA: The National WWII Museum, 2021) Irving Berlin and Tin Pan Alley At War (College Park, MD: Modern Songs of War And Conflict, Michelle Smith Performing Arts Library, University of Maryland) Irving Berlin: This Is the Army (Washington, D.C.: Prologue Magazine, National Archives, 1996) Segregation and Musicals during World War II (Arlington, Va: Michael Feinstein’s American Songbook, PBS) Staging War. Theatre 1914-1918 - (Berlin: International Encyclopedia of the First World War, 2014) Theatre at the Front (Berlin: International Encyclopedia of the First World War, 2015) The War in Popular Music: Irving Berlin (Jersey City, NJ: Ellis Island Part of Statue of Liberty National Monument, National Park Service, 2023) 'White Christmas’: From Pop Tune to Picture (New York, NY: The New York Times, 1953) Click below to read more about the what White Christmas has to do with the 1942 Musicians strike: Support If you haven’t please yet, subscribe and rate our feed in Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. And even better, tell your friends. Follow us on Instagram, TikTok, and share your thoughts with Angélica by emailing wearethepersistence@gmail.com. Don’t forget to sign up for host Angélica Cordero’s newsletter, Obsessively Curious!! It includes short insights that connect unlikely histories, recommendations, and details about other ways to interact with the show. Or support her caffeine habit and buy her a coffee. Thanks for listening to The Persistence! This post is public so feel free to share it. Get full access to Obsessively Curious at obsessivelycurious.substack.com/subscribe

    33 min

  8. MAY 23

    Episode 10: Walking on Broken Glass

    Forget Rosie the Riveter’s flex. In this episode of The Persistence, host Angélica Cordero flips the script on the usual WWII girl-power narrative and digs into the real story of the women who didn’t just roll up their sleeves—they reprogrammed the whole damn machine. From scrubbing floors and working fields to leading strikes, staffing factories, and forcing entire industries to modernize, these women fought for fair pay, safety, dignity, and a future where they mattered. Angélica takes you through their journey with wit, insight, and zero sugar-coating, spotlighting the Black, Brown, and working-class women whose stories rarely make the textbooks. And when the war ended? They didn’t quietly fade into the background—they left a legacy that still fuels modern fights for workplace justice. If you’ve ever been told to “know your place,” this one’s for you. This episode was written by and produced by Angélica Cordero, with a little help from ChatGPT. Our theme song is Don’t Kid Yourself Baby by Fold, used with their blessings. Podcast artwork for The Persistence features Mexican-American activist Jovita Idar and was created by Tamra Collins of Sunroot Studio. Get into the groove with our Spotify playlist of episode title references! Resources For Fellow Wascally Wabbits Books Cannery Women, Cannery Lives: Mexican Women, Unionization, and the California Food Processing Industry, 1930-1950 by Vicki L. Ruiz Common Sense and a Little Fire: Women and Working-class Politics in the United States, 1900-1965 by Annelise Orleck Feminism Unfinished: A Short, Surprising History of American Women's Movements by Dorothy Sue Cobble, Linda Gordon, Astrid Henry Feminism in the labor movement : women and the United Auto Workers, 1935-1975 by Nancy Felice Gabin From Coveralls to Zoot Suit: The Lives of Mexican American Women on the World War II Home Front by Elizabeth Escobedo Making War, Making Women: Femininity and Duty on the American Home Front, 1941-1945 by Melissa A. McEuen Manipulating Images World War II Mobilization of Women through Magazine Advertising by Tawnya J. Adkins Covert No Ordinary Time - Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt: The Home Front in World War II by Doris Kearns Goodwin Our Mother’s War: American Women at Home and at the Front During World War II by Emily Yellin The American Woman: Her Changing Social, Economic, and Political Roles, 1920-1970 by William H. Chafe The Power of the Zoot: Youth Culture and Resistance during World War II by Luis Alvarez Three Strikes: Miners, Musicians, Salesgirls, and the Fighting Spirit of Labor's Last Century by Dana Frank, Robin D.G. Kelley, Howard Zinn Links Analysis of Work Stoppages 1956 (Washington, D.C.: United States Department of Labor, 1957) How did Public Opinion About Entering World War II Change Between 1939 and 1941? (Gallup; Americans and the Holocaust: United States Holocaust Memorial Museum) Work Stoppages Caused by Labor-Management Disputes in 1947 (Washington, D.C.: United States Department of Labor, 1948) Support If you haven’t please yet, subscribe and rate our feed in Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. And even better, tell your friends. Follow us on Instagram, TikTok, and share your thoughts with Angélica by emailing wearethepersistence@gmail.com. Don’t forget to sign up for host Angélica Cordero’s newsletter, Obsessively Curious!! It includes short insights that connect unlikely histories, recommendations, and details about other ways to interact with the show. Or support her caffeine habit and buy her a coffee. Get full access to Obsessively Curious at obsessivelycurious.substack.com/subscribe

    44 min
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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
7 Ratings

About

The Persistence, hosted by Angélica Cordero, dives into the untold stories of people who’ve shaped history but rarely get the spotlight. Mixing bold personal stories, deep historical insights, and today’s fight for justice, each episode uncovers the connections between past movements and modern struggles. If you’re ready to see history through a fresh, intersectional lens, this is the podcast for you. obsessivelycurious.substack.com

Information

  • Creator
    Angélica Cordero
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2025
  • Episodes
    23
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Angélica Cordero
  • Show Website
    The Persistence