“Parents are People.” “William Wants a Doll.” “It’s All Right to Cry.” Celebrate Free to Be... You and Me’s 40th anniversary with historians Lori Rotskoff and Laura Lovett, co-editors of the new book When We Were Free to Be, as they discuss the creation and legacy of this popular children’s classic with a lively panel of songwriters, authors and commentators.
Were things really better in the days before Bratz dolls and Batman remakes? How has the world of gender changed for boys, girls and the folks who raise them? Does children’s media make a difference? Join us for an unabashed discussion of how songs, stories, toys and television have inspired audiences to challenge gender and racial stereotypes from the 1970s through the present day.
Price: $10 in advance/ $12 day of show.
Brief Bios
Moderators:
Lori Rotskoff is a cultural historian and writer. She teaches classes for adults at the Barnard Center for Research on Women in New York City.
Laura Lovett is an associate professor of history at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst and a founding editor of the Journal of the History of Childhood and Youth.
Panelists:
Karl Bryant is an assistant professor of sociology and women’s studies at SUNY New Paltz. His work has focused on non-sexist children’s literature, transgender childhood, and other issues related to gender and sexuality.
Carol Hall wrote both music and lyrics for the Tony-winning The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas and contributed songs to Sesame Street, A My Name is Alice, and the musical Max and Ruby, as well as Free to Be…You and Me. Her work has been performed by Barbra Streisand, Tony Bennett, Barbara Cook, Marlo Thomas, Fredericka von Stade, and Big Bird, among others.
Cheryl Kilodavis is a Seattle-based writer, marketing consultant and social entrepreneur. She is the author of My Princess Boy, a book with a strong anti-bullying message that represents a broader movement of social acceptance for every child.
Stephen Lawrence is a three-time Emmy-award-winning composer who has composed more than 250 songs and scores for Sesame Street and many scores for film and television. He has been awarded three Gold records. He was the musical director for Free To Be…You And Me.
Deesha Philyaw is a freelance writer and expert on co-parenting and images of race in the media. Her work has been published in Essence, Bitch, The Washington Post, and other publications. She is the co-author of the forthcoming book Co-Parenting 101: Helping Your Kids Thrive After Divorce.
Robin Pogrebin is an arts and culture reporter for the New York Times whose articles also run regularly in the International Herald Tribune. She appeared in the Free to Be...You and Me television special as a child.