Graphic by Kinsey Couture ’22
BY ANNABELLE SHEA ’23
“I hope that you never stop fighting to give every student in this country a chance to succeed,” Elizabeth Warren said in a statement read by her State Presidential Campaign Director and Holyoke City Councilor Jossie Valentin at the premiere of a new documentary about Frances Perkins screened at Chapin Auditorium on Nov. 7. Warren did not attend the event, but her tribute to the woman she called an “icon of the American labor movement” captured the sentiments of many in the audience.
The documentary, titled “Summoned: Frances Perkins and the General Welfare,” is set to air on PBS in March 2020 and drew several prominent alumnae, such as the current representative of New York’s 17th congressional district Nita Lowey ’59 and the name-sake of the College’s Weissman Center for Leadership, Harriet Weissman ’58.
Notable members of the College community also attended the screening. Mount Holyoke College President Sonya Stephens introduced the event, along with Director of the Weissman Center and Professor of English, Amy Martin.
Carolyn Dietel, Director of the Frances Perkins Program and Transfer Affairs at the College, introduced the film’s producer, Mick Caouette.
Caouette has produced several other films, including “Mr. Civil Rights: Thurgood Marshall and the NAACP” and “The Heart of Bassett Place: W. Gertrude Brown and the Wheatley House.”
Reflecting on his experience working with the Mount Holyoke community, Caouette said, “It’s nice to be in a place where people actually know who Frances Perkins is.”
“Anyone who [has] spent years [on] this kind of a project knows that there are moments [filled] with anxiety and excitement — [or,] you know, just anxiety,” Caouette added, prompting laughter from the audience.
In his introduction, Caouette emphasized the importance of Perkins’ role in President Franklin Roosevelt’s administration and her lasting impact on American history.
“While there are many lessons to be learned from her life, at her core, her story holds the following message: ‘[In] our darkest hour as a nation, there is hope. Change is possible,’” he said.
Caouette’s film features commentary from a variety of political and artistic voices, such as Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi, U.S. Senator and Democratic presidential candidate, Amy Klobuchar and writer and producer, Lawrence O’Donnell.
The documentary incorporates original footage and recordings of Perkins and Mount Holyoke College.
The film provides an overview of Perkins’ childhood and upbringing in rural Maine and follows her transition from schoolteacher to U.S. Secretary of Labor.
Formerly known as “Fanny,” Frances Perkins grew up well-educated but sheltered from the harsh realities of poverty and unemployment. It was during her time at Mount Holyoke that Perkins was first exposed to new ideas.
On a school field trip, Perkins toured a factory. She later attended the lecture of Florence Kelley, First General Secretary of the National Consumer’s League, a women’s group that advocated for decent wages and working conditions. Kelley’s lecture resonated with Perkins and introduced her to the concept of general welfare, which would later become one of her main concerns.
In an audio clip, Perkins described her developing awareness of income inequality in America.
“I began to recognize people who were poor and desperate and what they were up against,” she said.
Perkins then discussed a possible source of aid to struggling Americans: the Constitution: “The Constitution can be stretched to promote general welfare,” she said.
Perkins was nominated U.S. Secretary of Labor in 1933 and was the first woman to ever serve in a U.S. presidential cabinet. She is responsible for the creation of Social Security and played a significant role in the development of President Roosevelt’s New Deal, which provided relief to millions of Americans during the Great Depression.
Perkins’ courage and humor helped her endure the social backlash she faced as a pioneering woman. Despite being labeled a socialist due to her progressive policies, Perkins remained dignified as she faced opponents and rejected the status quo. In doing so, she became a role model for other female leaders.
“Frances Perkins paved the way, she made it easier for the rest of us,” Nancy Pelosi said in an interview featured in the film.