Fresh Air

Miss America ‘68, women’s lib, and the politics of beauty

August 3, 2026·45 min·6-min readnarrativehistory
Podzilla Summary (6 min)
TLDR
The 1968 Miss America protest, often mythologized as a bra-burning feminist spectacle, was in fact a far more complex and consequential moment that set in motion a lasting politics of beauty, race, and power in American culture. Historian Micki McElya’s book Liberation Summer reframes t

Sign up to read the full summary

Free AI-powered recaps of every episode, delivered to your inbox.

Get Free Summaries →

Free forever for up to 3 podcasts. No credit card required.

Guest

M

Micki McElya

narrative on Fresh Air

Mentions

Books, people, and resources mentioned in this episode.

People

Micki McElyaTonya MosleyDavid BianculliVanessa WilliamsAlicia MachadoDonald Trump

Books

Liberation Summerby Micki McElyaAin't I a Beauty Queenby Maxine Leeds Craig

Topics

American HistoryCivil Rights HistoryRacial Justice

Listen to This Episode

Get summaries like this every morning.

Free AI-powered recaps of Fresh Air and your other favorite podcasts, delivered to your inbox.

Get Free Summaries →

Free forever for up to 3 podcasts. No credit card required.