The next episode of KET’s Kentucky Life celebrates Women’s History Month with stories about some of Kentucky’s notable women, including Mary Todd Lincoln, Kentucky Suffragettes, pioneering journalist Alice Allison Dunnigan, and folk artist Minnie Adkins. The episode airs Saturday, March 14, at 8/7 pm and Sunday, March 15, at 4/3 pm on KET, and Monday, March 16, at 7/6 pm on KET2. 

First, Kentucky Life remembers Alice Allison Dunnigan, born in Russellville in 1906, who as a journalist went on to become the first African-American woman to receive White House press credentials. In 2019, her descendants gathered in her hometown to celebrate her life and unveil a statue in her honor.

Then, Kentucky Life tells the stories of several Kentucky women who were leading figures in the historic Women’s Suffrage Movement, the multi-decade struggle for women to achieve equal rights in the voting booth.

Next, Kentucky Life looks back at the life of Mary Todd Lincoln, who after the assassination of her husband, was characterized as being mentally unstable—a perception that lasted more than a century. But was her reputation deserved or did it stem more so from her refusal to conform to the gender expectations of her time?

And lastly, in this memory segment from 1996, Kentucky Life pays a visit with Kentucky folk artist Minnie Adkins, one of the most respected wood carvers in the nation, whose whimsical animal figures and Bible characters have been popular for decades.

Kentucky Life is a KET production, produced by Chelsea Gorham. Segment producers for this episode are Abbey Oldham and Frank Simkonis.

This year is Kentucky Life’s 25th anniversary, and to mark the occasion, the program will include special Memory segments, in which each of Kentucky Life’shosts—Byron Crawford, Dave Shuffett and Doug Flynn—will revisit some of their favorite stories over the years. 

KET is Kentucky’s largest classroom, where learning comes to life for more than one million people each week via television, online and mobile. Learn more about Kentucky’s preeminent public media organization at KET.org, on Twitter @KET and at facebook.com/KET.