Feminist Reading List Marks 250th Anniversary Amid Trump Administration

On July 1 2026, The Contrarian published a reading list titled “A Reading List for Women’s Rights,” highlighting books, essays, multimedia collections, and institutional resources that foreground women’s contributions to American democracy. The list is framed as a response to President Donald Trump’s reported satisfaction that women were absent from a recent White House UFC event and is positioned as a cultural accompaniment to the nation’s 250th-anniversary celebrations of the Declaration of Independence.

Ms. (Magazine)

The release coincides with the July 4 holiday weekend marking two and a half centuries since the Declaration’s adoption. The editorial notes that the Trump administration’s actions have spurred renewed feminist organizing, prompting the compilation of historical and contemporary feminist works to “carry us through the national holiday.” The list draws on three thematic sections of Ms. Magazine’s FEMINIST 250—*America’s Founding Feminists*, *Feminist Lessons*, and *Democracy’s Feminist Future*—and aligns with broader commemorative activities by the National Women’s History Museum and the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR).

Ms. (Magazine)

• Ms. Magazine – editors of the FEMINIST 250 series.

Ms. (Magazine)

• National Women’s History Museum – producer of *Founders, Not Footnotes: 250 Years of America* and the “She Is Not a Footnote” campaign.

Ms. (Magazine)

• DAR – historic preservation society that issued a statement on transgender inclusion.

A Reading List for Women's Rights

• Joyce Vance – author of *Giving Up is Unforgivable*.

A Reading List for Women's Rights

• Barb McQuade – author of *The Fix*.

A Reading List for Women's Rights

• Jen Rubin – author of *Resistance: How Women Saved Democracy from Donald Trump*.

A Reading List for Women's Rights

• Melissa Murray – author of *The U.S. Constitution: A Comprehensive and Annotated Guide for the Modern Reader*.

A Reading List for Women's Rights

• Gloria Steinem – co-founder of Ms. Magazine, referenced in archival imagery.

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• The reading list references 25 moments identified by The Meteor as instances when “people (often women) pushed, pulled, persuaded and otherwise laid the stepping stones for a better and more inclusive future.”

A Reading List for Women's Rights

• The FEMINIST 250 video series presents one-minute narrated profiles of activists such as Rachel Carson, Willa Cather, Fannie Lou Hamer, Patsy Mink, Rita Moreno, Frances Perkins, and Emily Roebling.

A Reading List for Women's Rights

• DAR’s event calendar lists America 250 events occurring “from coast to coast,” reflecting nationwide engagement.

Ms. (Magazine)

DAR publicly rejected a proposed ban on transgender women, affirming that exclusion “contradicts the values of respect, service, and sisterhood that the DAR claims to uphold.” Ms. Magazine’s editors invited readers to contribute personal narratives to a new campaign, *The Majority*, emphasizing that “poll after poll shows a majority of Americans support reproductive healthcare access.” The Contrarian’s editorial framed the reading list as a “blueprint for avoiding burnout and despair, and for strengthening our democratic muscle.”

Ms. (Magazine)

• “These women pursued their own independence and personal enlightenment. They traveled the world, ran their own businesses, and actively engaged politicians and heads of state.” — National Women’s History Museum description

A Reading List for Women's Rights

• “Transgender Americans are patriots, family members, volunteers, historians, and descendants of Revolutionary War ancestors just like anyone else. Excluding or targeting people because of their gender identity contradicts the values of respect, service, and sisterhood that the DAR claims to uphold.” — DAR public statement

A Reading List for Women's Rights

• “avoiding burnout and despair, and for strengthening our democratic muscle.” — Commentary on Joyce Vance’s *Giving Up is Unforgivable*

A Reading List for Women's Rights

• “Onward to ensuring that this nation’s promise of equality for all is fully realized—here and now, and over the next 250 years.” — Closing note from The Contrarian editorial

Ms. (Magazine)

The reading list is paired with interactive timelines, virtual exhibitions at the National Museum of Women and the Arts, and a call for public submissions to *The Majority* campaign. Organizers anticipate continued releases of feminist policy proposals and further events under the “America 250” umbrella throughout the remainder of the year.

Ms. (Magazine)