The Women of Ultra Violet: Light My (Mysterious) Ways: Leg 1

Original Story by Aaron J. Sams (2017-06-26)

Warning, spoilers ahead for the U2 Joshua Tree 2017 Tour! This is an update of our earlier story, updated with new information about the source of the images, and bringing things up to date as of the end of the first leg of the tour.

One of the visual pieces that accompanies the tour is a set of photographs of women which play on the background screen while U2 perform “Ultra Violet (Light My Way)”. (Or in the case of Philadelphia, “Mysterious Ways”) The piece opens with the word “HISTORY” on the screen, which is slowly replaced with “HERSTORY.” During the remainder of the song the screen is separated in five roughly square areas. One square is generally used to focus on the band. The other four square displays images of women with dates. The images are tinted in bright colours, pinks, greens, purples, yellows, reds and blues.

The women come from a wide range of periods of history, a wide range of backgrounds, but most are recognized as playing a role in human rights throughout the ages. Since the start of the tour, new faces have been added at almost every show. In some cases, these additions are geographical, as witnessed by the use of Joni Mitchell, a Canadian musician in Vancouver, and Ann Richards, a Texas politician at the shows in Dallas and Houston. As one woman is added another is typical removed, however this has not always been the case. There appears to have been no changes made for the second night in Pasadena, or the second night in Chicago, and in both cases they used the same footage as the first night in the city.

The images on the screen are being developed in conjunction with Herstory. (@herstory_uk/herstoryuk.org) The Herstory project is a project founded and run by Alice Wroe, and the Herstory website explains that they “use feminist art to engage people of all genres with women’s history”. The group hosts workshops at cultural and educational institutions throughout the UK, and have been consulting with U2 on the images used on the screen during “Ultra Violet.”

U2.Com has published an interview with Wroe, who speaks about the development of this piece, and goes into more detail about how the women are chosen and how they are organized on the screen.

The end of the video on the screens shows one image across the entire screen, a group of women, holding a banner saying “Women of the World Unite!” then changing to “Poverty is Sexist” and finally ending with “The power of the people is so much stronger than the people in power”. Bono typically uses the end of the song as an opportunity to talk about One. “Poverty is Sexist“ is also one of the campaigns being run by One.Org, which Bono supports.

Below we are keeping track of each of the women appearing on the screens thus far, and what cities each has appeared in. We have also included a short biography for some of the accomplishment of these women, as well as information about when they were born. As the women are moving about in the screen now, we are now listing these women alphabetically. After the alphabetic listings are a list of organizations and groups shown during this piece on this screen, and then after that, a list of the changes made with each show.

GUIDE TO SHOWS:

[V = Vancouver; S = Seattle; SC = Santa Clara; P1 = Pasadena 1; P2 = Pasadena 2; H = Houston; D = Dallas; C1 = Chicago 1; C2 = Chicago 2, PI = Pittsburgh, B = Bonnaroo, M = Miami, T = Tampa, L = Louisville, Ph = Philadelphia, DC = Washington, TO = Toronto, BO = Boston, NJ1 = New Jersey 1, NJ2 = New Jersey 2, Cl = Cleveland]

WOMEN FEATURED IN THE “HERSTORY”:

Madeleine Albright (*H,*D,*C1,*C2,*PI,*B,*M,*T,*L,*Ph,*DC,*TO,*BO,*NJ1,*NJ2,*Cl)
Albright is an American politician and diplomat and academic and served as the former Ambassador to the United Nations for the USA. She is the first woman in the USA to become Secretary of State under President Bill Clinton. She also directed Georgetown University’s program on women in global politics in the 1980s. Albright was born in 1937.

Albright was first added to the screens in Houston, Texas.

Maya Angelou (*V,*S,*SC,*P1,*P2,*H,*D,*C1,*C2,*PI,B,*M,*L,*T,*Ph,*DC,*TO,*BO,*NJ1,*NJ2,*Cl)
Maya Angelou is the pen name for Marguerite Johnson, who lived from 1928 – 2014. She was a writer who focused on autobiographies and poetry.

Angelou appeared on the screens every night during leg one of the tour, including the performance at Bonnnaroo.

Kehkashan Basu (*TO)
Basu is a 17 year old environmentalist and social activist living in the United Arab Emirates. She works to involve children and youth in an environmental movement for a sustainable and a green future around the world. She is the founder of a youth organization Green Hope. She is a winner of the International Children’s Peace Prize. Basu was born in 2000.

Aphra Behn (*V,*S,SC,*P1,*P2,*H,*D,*C1,*C2,*PI,*B,*M,*T,L,*Ph,*DC,*TO,*BO,*NJ1,*NJ2,*Cl)
Behn was a play write and poet, and was one of the first English women to make a living by writing. She also worked as a spy for Charles II. Behn lived from 1640 – 1689.

Behn appeared on the screens every night during leg one of the tour, including the performance at Bonnnaroo.

Roberta Bondar (*TO)
Bondar is a Canadian neurologist and scientist, and was Canada’s first astronaut in space after serving for more than a decade as NASA’s head of space medicine. She traveled into space on the shuttle Discovery in 1992. Bondar is a member of the Order of Canada. Bondar was born in 1945.

Anne Braden (*L)
Braden was an American civil rights activist, educator and journalist. She was born in Louisville, and would write for The Louisville Times. During her life Braden fought for desegregation, and up until her death was involved in local activism addressing police brutality, LGBT rights and racism. She lived from 1924 to 2006.

Her image first appeared on the screen in Louisville.

Christy Turlington Burns (*L)
Burns is an American supermodel, and has long been a friend of the band. Turlington is the founder of the non-profit organization Every Mother Counts, dedicated to making pregnancy and childbirth safe for all mothers, with a focus on bringing maternal health programs to countries around the world. U2 contributed a track to the compilation album Every Mother Counts 2012. Turlington was born in 1969. Turlington was in attendance at the Louisville show where her image debuted.

Laura Bush (*H,*D)
Bush is a Librarian and educator by education, and also served as the First Lady of Texas, and later as First Lady of the United States. As part of her time as First Lady she focused her attention on education, and early childhood development and she was honored by the United Nations and named the ambassador for the United Nations’ Decade of Literacy. Another area of focus was the health and well being of women, establishing the Women’s Health and Wellness Initiative. Bush was born in 1946.

Jenna and Barbara Bush (*NJ2)
Jenna and Barbara Bush are twins. Their mother, Laura Bush, has previously been featured in the HerStory images when the tour moved through Texas. This is the first time daughters of a previous featured woman have appeared on the screen. This is also the first time two women were featured in one square in the “HerStory” presentation. The twins were born in 1981.

Barbara has worked with AIDS patients in Africa, and has been co-founder and president of the Global Health Corps, providing opportunities for young professionals to work on the front lines for global health equity. She has also been involved in the Human Rights Campaign for same sex marriage in New York.

Jenna has worked in education, has written a childrens book chronicalling her work with UNICEF charities in Latin America, and a second book in conjunction with her mother which encourages children to read. She also works as a NBC News correspondant, and helps with the Education Nation segments.

The twins were added to the screens in New Jersey for the first time, but only appeared on the screen the second night in that city.

Bush was first added to the screens when U2 played Houston, Texas. She appeared in two different positions during the show in Dallas, Texas. Bush was born in Texas. Her image did not appear in the next show, in Chicago.

Rachel Carson (PI*)
Carson is an American marine biologist, author, and conservationist. The books that she has written includes Silent Spring, a book which changed the course of conservation in North America. Carson lived from 1940 to 1964.

Carson was first added to the screens in Pittsburgh.

Hillary Rodham Clinton: (*P1,*P2,*H,*D,*C1,*C2,*PI,B,*M,*T,*L,*Ph,*DC,*TO,*BO,*NJ1,*NJ2,*Cl)
Clinton is an American politician, who most recently was the Democratic Party’s nominee for President of the United States in the 2016 election. She has served as the Secretary of State, the US Senator from New York, and First Lady of the United States. Clinton was born in 1947.

Jo Cox (*D,*L)
Jo Cox was a British politician and served as a Member of Parliament with the British Labour Party. Prior to running as an MP she worked with Oxfam GB, was a campaigner on issues relating to the Syrian war, and had formed and chaired the group Friends of Syria. In June 2016 Cox was shot and stabbed multiple times, possibly because of her outspokenness on the issues of Syria and immigration. Cox lived from 1974 to 2016.

Cox first appeared on the screen in Dallas, but was dropped at the next show in Chicago.In Louisville, she reappeared on the screens, and Bono dedicated the song to her. She appeared ahead of the other women on screen, and again in a prominent spot near the start.

Angela Davis (*V,*S,*SC,*P1,*P2,*H,*D,*C1,*C2,*PI,B,*M,*T,*L,*Ph,*DC,*TO,*BO,*NJ1,*NJ2,*Cl)
She is a political activist, and author. She was an activist and radical as a leader of the Communist Party USA, and had close relations with the Black Panther movement. Davis was born in 1944.

Davis appeared on the screens every night during leg one of the tour, including the performance at Bonnnaroo.

Emily Wilding Davison (*V,*S,*SC,*P1,*P2,*H,*D,*C1,*C2,*PI,*B,*M,*T,*L,*Ph,*DC,*TO,*BO,*NJ1,*NJ2,*Cl)
Davison was a Suffragette who was part of the movement to bring the vote to women in the UK in the early 20th century, and was known for extreme tactics, and was arrested on nine different occasions. Davison lived from 1872 – 1913.

Davison appeared on the screens every night during leg one of the tour, including the performance at Bonnnaroo.

Simone de Beauvoir (*V,*S,SC,*P1,*P2,*H,*D,*C1,*C2,*PI,*B,*M,*T,*L,*Ph,*DC,*TO,*BO,*NJ1,*NJ2,*Cl)
A French writer, activist and feminist, de Beauvoir wrote about women’s oppression and feminism. She lived from 1908 – 1986.

De Beauvoir appeared on the screens every night during leg one of the tour, including the performance at Bonnnaroo.

Leila de Bruyne (*BO)
Leila De Bruyne is co-founder and director of Flying Kites Global, a non-profit that operates a children’s home and primary school in Kenya. de Bruyne was born in 1984, and splits her time between Boston and Njabini, Kenya. She first appeared on screen at the show in Boston.

Ellen Degeneres (*V,*S,SC,*P1,*P2,*H,*D,*C1,*C2,*PI,*B,*M,*T,*L,*Ph,*DC,*TO,*BO,*NJ1,*NJ2,*Cl)
Ellen is an American comedian, television host, writer and producer. She came out as a lesbian in 1997, and has been an active advocate for LGBT rights since that time. She is a member of Parents & Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG), and she acts as a spokesperson for the Human Rights campaign’s Coming Out Project. Ellen was born in 1958.

Degeneres appeared on the screens every night during leg one of the tour, including the performance at Bonnnaroo.

Lena Dunham (*V,*S,*SC,*P1,*P2,*H,*D,*C1,*C2,*PI,*B,*M,T,*L,*Ph,*DC,*TO,*BO,*NJ1,*NJ2,*Cl)
Dunham is an American actress, writer and director. She was born in 1986. She created the feminist publication Lenny Letter in 2015.

Although Lena Dunham’s positions on the screen was here early on the tour, with the addition of Eunice Kennedy Shriver in Santa Clara, Dunham’s image was moved to a position later in the song. In the first show in Pasadena it was the last image added to the screen. It returned to an earlier position in the screens as of the Dallas show, but dropped back to the end as of the Chicago show.

Dunham appeared on the screens every night during leg one of the tour, including the performance at Bonnnaroo.

Ruth Ellis (*V,*S,SC,*P1,*P2,*H,*D,*C1,*C2,*PI,*B,*M,*T,*L,*Ph,*DC,*TO,*BO,*NJ1,*NJ2,*Cl)
Ellis was an African-American woman, who spent her life crusading for the LGBT and African American rights. She was a lesbian herself, and the Ruth Ellis Center is an organization that is dedicated to helping homeless LGBT youth and young adults. Ellis lived from 1899 – 2000.

Ellis appeared on the screens every night during leg one of the tour, including the performance at Bonnnaroo.

Nawal El Saadawi (*V,*S,*SC,*P1,*P2,*H,*D,*C1,*C2,*PI,*B,*M,*T,*L,*Ph,*DC,*TO,*BO,*NJ1,*NJ2,*Cl)
El Saadawi is an Egyptian writer, physician, and psychiatrist, and she has written many books about women in Islam. She is the founder and president of the Arab Woman’s Solidarity Association, and the co-founder of the Arab Association for Human Rights. El Saadawi was born in 1931.

El Saadawi appeared on the screens every night during leg one of the tour, including the performance at Bonnnaroo.

Ieshia Evans (*V,*S,*SC, P1,*P2,*H,*D,*C1,C2,*PI,*B,*M,*T,*L,*Ph,*DC,*TO,*BO,*NJ1,*NJ2,*Cl)
An African-American woman from Pennsylvania, that was photographed being arrested by police during protests in Baton Rouge, Louisiana in 2016 in a photograph that went viral.

Evans appeared on the screens every night during leg one of the tour, including the performance at Bonnnaroo.

Anne Finucane (*BO)
Finucane is the vice chairman of the Bank of America. Bank of America was responsible for the fundraising efforts around U2’s single “Invisible” in 2014. Finucane serves on a number of boards of directors including that of Carnagie Hall, the American Ireland Fund and the Special Olympics. Finucane was born in 1952. She first appeared on screen at the show in Boston.

Maria Jose Fletcher (*M)
Fletcher is the co-director and founder of VIDA Legal Assistance. The organization is a non-profit formed to advance the rights of immigrant survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, and trafficking in persons. She has also served on the National Advisory Committee on Violence Against Women. Fletcher lives in Florida.

Her photo was added at the Miami FL show. It was the only show at which it has appeared.

Chrystia Freeland (*V,*TO)
Freeland is a Canadian politician, writer, and journalist. She is currently serving as Canada’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, and prior to that served as the Minister of International Trade for Canada. Freeland was born in 1968.

Freeland’s appearances have been in the two shows performed in Canada, Vancouver at the start of the tour and later in Toronto.

Betty Friedan (*C1,*C2,*PI,B,*M,*T,*L,*Ph,*DC,*TO,*BO,*NJ1,*NJ2,*Cl)
Friedan was an American writer, and activist, born in Illinois. She was a leading figure in the women’s movement in the USA, and also known for her book The Feminine Mystique. She co-founded and was the first president of the National Organization for Women (NOW) which lobbied for equal rights and equal pay. Friedan lived from 1921 to 2006.

Fridan first appeared on screen during the first concert in Chicago.

Edith Margaret Garrud (*V,*S,*SC,*P1,*P2,*H,*D,*C1,*C2,*PI,*B,*M,*T,*L,*Ph,*DC,*TO,*BO,*NJ1,*NJ2,*Cl)
Garrud was a martial arts instructor, and was one of the first females acting as such in the Western World. She was a trainer of the bodyguard unit in one of the Suffragette groups in the UK. Garrud lived from 1872-1971.

Garrud appeared on the screens every night during leg one of the tour, including the performance at Bonnnaroo.

Melinda Gates (*S,*SC,*P1,*P2,*H,*D,*C1,*C2,*PI,*B,*M,*T,*L,*Ph,*DC,*TO,*BO,*NJ1,*NJ2,*Cl)
Gates is an American philanthropist, and co-founder of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Gates has degrees in computer science and economics, as well as an MBA. In December 2005, Melinda and Bill Gates were named by Time Magazine as Persons of the Year alongside Bono. Gates was born in 1964.

Melinda Gates was first added to the song for the performance in Seattle and she did not appear in Vancouver.

Gabby Giffords (*L)
Gabrielle “Gabby” Giffords is an American politician, and was a democratic member of the USA House of Representatives. She retired from politics after surviving an assassination attempt that left her with a brain injury. She is an advocate for gun control, and her and her husband have started a committee called Americans for Responsible Solutions, which promotes keeping guns out of the hands of dangerous people. Her husband is astronaut Mark Kelly, who was often featured during the U2360 tour. Giffords was in attendance at the Louisville show where her image debuted. Giffords was born in 1970.

Ruth Bader Ginsburg (*NJ2)
Ginsburg is an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States. She was the second justice named to the Court, after Sandra Day O’Connor who is also featured in the “HerStory” presentation. Ginsburg co-founded the Women’s Rights Project as part of the American Civil Liberties Union. As the director of the project she argued a number of gender discrimination cases. Her body of work made significant legal advances for women in the USA. Ginsburg was born in Brooklyn in 1933.

She was added to the screens in New Jersey for the first time, but only appeared on the screen the second night in that city.

Emma Goldman (*V,*S,*SC,*C1,*C2,*PI,*B,*M,*T,*L,*Ph,*DC,*TO,*BO,*NJ1,*NJ2,*Cl)
Goldman was a political activist and writer, born in Russia but later emigrated to the United States, and later Canada. She developed ways of bringing gender politics into Anarchy. Goldman lived from 1869 – 1940.

Emma Goldman had been removed from the screens, and had been replaced by Michelle Obama as of the first Pasadena show. But as of the first show in Chicago, Goldman has reappeared in the screens. During the second show in New Jersey the photo being used for Goldman was updated.

Danai Guiria (*NJ2)
Guiria is an actress and playwright. Guiria is probably best known for her time on television in “The Walking Dead” but Guiria is also the co-writer of the play In the Continuum, which is the story of two women finding their way in the world after contracting AIDS. She is also writer of Eclipsed, set in Liberia, and focuses on three women living as sex slaves to a rebel commander. She is also the co-founder of Almasi Arts Inc, an organization dedicated to continuing arts education in Zimbabwe. Her parents came from Zimbabwe in 1964, and she spent much of her childhood there, although was born in the USA. Guiria was born in 1978.

She was added to the screens in New Jersey for the first time, but only appeared on the screen the second night in that city.

Dorothy Height (*DC)
Height was born in Richmond Virginia, worked as a caseworker with the New York City Welfare Department, and eventually made a career out of being a civil rights activist. She focused on issues of African-American women. Height was awarded both the Presidential Medal of Freedom and the Congressional Gold Medal for her work in civil rights. Height lived from 1912 to 2010. Height appeared on the screen for the first time at the concert in Landover MD / Washington DC.

bell hooks (*V,*S,SC,*P1,*P2,*H,*D,*C1,*C2,*PI,*B,*M,*T,*L,*Ph,*DC,*TO,*BO,*NJ1,*NJ2,*Cl)
This is the pen name of Gloria Jean Watkins, and is an author, feminist and activist. She was born in 1952.

hooks appeared on the screens every night during leg one of the tour, including the performance at Bonnnaroo.

Iman (*NJ1)
Iman is a Somali model, actress and entrepreneur. She is a current spokesperson for the Keep a Child Alive non-profit organization that provides medice to families with HIV and AIDS in Africa. She works closely with the Children’s Defense Fund. And she serves as an ambassador for Save the Children, and has been working to raise awareness of their relief services in her native africa. Iman was born in 1955.

She was added to the screen in New Jersey, but for the first show only. She was not present on the screens on the second night. The night she was on screen, Bono snippeted a small bit of her husband David Bowie’s “Starman” during the concert.

Marsha P. Johnson (*P1,*P2,*H,*D,*C1,*C2,*PI,*B,*M,*T,*L,*Ph,*DC,*BO,*NJ1,*NJ2,*Cl)
Marsha P. Johnson was an American drag performer, a sex worker, and a gay rights activist. She was a popular figure in New York City’s gay scene, and an AIDS activist with the organization, ACT UP. Johnson lived from 1945 – 1992.

Johnson appeared nightly after her addition to the screen, but was replaced in Toronto by Canadian entertainer k.d. Lang but returned to the screens at the next show in Boston.

Grace Jones (*V,*S,*SC,*P1,*P2,*H,*D,*C1,*C2,*PI,*B,*M,*T,*L,*Ph,*DC,*TO,*BO,*NJ1,*NJ2,*Cl)
Grace Jones was Jamaican born, and was a singer, writer, supermodel, and actress. She came to popularity during the 1977 disco era, and later moved into new wave. She was born in 1948.

Jones appeared on the screens every night during leg one of the tour, including the performance at Bonnnaroo.

Alicia Keys (*NJ1,*NJ2)
Keys is a Grammy Award winning singer, songwriter and producer. She is also a co-founder and abassador for the Keep a Child Alive non-profit organization, that provides medicine to families with HIV and AIDS in Africa. She has extensively campaigned to empower women to help end the AIDS epidemic in Africa, including addressing the United Nations AIDS conference. She has won the award for the Amnesty International Ambassador of Conscience in 2017. Keys was born in 1981.

She was added to the screens in New Jersey for the first time, and she appeared on the screen both nights in that city.

Saffiyah Khan (*V,*S,*SC,*P1,*P2,*H,*D,*C1,*C2,*PI,*B,*M,*T,*L,*Ph,*DC,*TO,*BO,*NJ1,*NJ2,*Cl)
Khan is a young woman of Pakistani and Bosnian descent who stepped up to help a woman wearing a hijab, when the woman was surrounded by members of the English Defense League. A photo of her standing up to these demonstrators in Birmingham went viral.

Khan appeared on the screens every night during leg one of the tour, including the performance at Bonnnaroo.

Angélique Kidjo (*NJ1)
Kidjo was born in Benin in Africa. She is a Grammy Award winning singer, songwriter, and works as an activist as well. She has won the award for the Amnesty International Ambassador of Conscience in 2016. Kidjo has been a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador since 2002. She has worked with Oxfam for their Fair Trade campaign. She has founded The Batonga Foundation which gives girls in Africa an opportunity to attend secondary school and higher education. These are just a small number of the organizations that Kidjo has supported. Kidjo was born in 1960.

Kidjo was added to the screen in New Jersey, but for the first show only. She was not present on the screens on the second night.

Christine Lagarde (*V,*S,*SC,*P1,*P2,*H,*D,*C1,*C2,*PI,*B,*M,*T,*L,*Ph,*DC,*TO,*BO,*NJ1,*NJ2,*Cl)
Lagarde is a French lawyer and a politician, and is currently the managing director of the International Monetary Fund. She is the first woman to head the IMF. Lagarde was born in 1956.

Lagarde appeared on the screens every night during leg one of the tour, including the performance at Bonnnaroo.

k.d. Lang (*V,*S,SC,*TO)
Lang is a Canadian pop and country singer and songwriter. Lang came out as a lesbian in June 1992, and has championed LGBT rights causes since that time, including supporting many HIV / AIDS care and research projects. k.d. Lang was born in 1961.

k.d. Lang’s photo was replaced by one of Marsha P. Johnson, which was present for the first show in Pasadena. When the tour returned to Toronto, Johnson was replaced by Lang’s return to the screens.

Wangari Maathai (*V,*S,*SC,*P1,*P2,*H,*D,*C1,*C2,*PI,*B,*M,*T,*L,*Ph,*DC,*TO,*BO,*NJ1,*NJ2,*Cl)
Matthai is a political activist, environmentalist, and Nobel laureate. She is the founder of the Green Belt Movement. She was born in 1940, and died in 2011.

Maathai appeared on the screens every night during leg one of the tour, including the performance at Bonnnaroo.

Moms Mabley (*V,*S,SC,*P1,*P2,*H,*D,*C1,*C2,*PI,B,*M,*T,*L,*Ph,*DC,*TO,*BO,*NJ1,*NJ2,*Cl)
Moms Mabley is the stage name of Loretta Aiken, an American stand up comedian, once billed “The Funniest Woman in the World”. She would often tackle topics such as racism. She came out as a lesbian and was one of the first openly gay comedians. Aiken lived from 1894 to 1975.

Mabley appeared on the screens every night during leg one of the tour, including the performance at Bonnnaroo.

Agnes Campbell Macphail (*V)
Macphail was a Canadian educator and later politician. Macphail was the first woman to be elected to Canada’s Parliament. She also served as a member of the Provincial Parliament in the province of Ontario after leaving federal politics. Macphail lived between 1890 and 1954.

Macphail’s only appearance in the song was at the stop in Vancouver, BC, in her native Canada.

Catherine Mayer (*SC,*P1,*P2,*H,*D,*C1,*C2,*PI,B,*M,T,L,*Ph,*DC,*TO,*BO,*NJ1,*NJ2,*Cl)
Mayer is an American-born journalist, and the founder of the Women’s Equality Party in the UK in 2015, a political party that is campaigning for gender equality.

Mayer’s photo first showed up on the screens in Santa Clara, and was also present in the first show in Pasadena. Her photo initially replaced Caitlin Moran, but Moran returned to the screens in later shows.

Angela Merkel (*V,*S,*SC,*P1,*P2,*H,*D,*C1,*C2,*PI,B,*M,*T,*L,*Ph,*DC,*TO,*BO,*NJ1,*NJ2,*Cl)
Merkel is the current Chancellor of Germany, and a leading figure in the European Union. Merkel has a background as a chemist, but entered into politics in 1989. Merkel was born in 1954.

Merkel appeared on the screens every night during leg one of the tour, including the performance at Bonnnaroo.

Joni Mitchell (*V,*TO)
Mitchell is a Canadian singer, songwriter and artist. She rose to popularity in the 1960s and 1970s, and had a string of hit albums throughout the years, still releasing new music in the 2000s. Mitchell was born in 1943.

Mitchell’s only appearances in the song was at the stops in Vancouver, BC and Toronto, ON, in her native Canada.

Caitlin Moran (*V,*S,*C1,C2,*PI,*B,*M,*T,*L,*Ph,*DC,*TO,*BO,*NJ1,*NJ2,*Cl)
Moran is a Journalist in the UK, at The Times. She’s a supporter of the Women’s Equality Party and has written a book titled How to Be a Woman. Moran was born in 1975.

Moran’s picture was dropped after the Seattle concert, and was replaced with Catherine Mayer. But Moran was returned to the screens as of the first show in Chicago.

Amina J. Mohammed (*NJ1,*NJ2)
Mohammed was born in north-east Nigeria. She currently holds the position of Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations. Prior to that, she was the Minister of the Environment in Nigeria. Mohammed was born in 1961.

She was added to the screens in New Jersey for the first time, and she appeared on the screen both nights in that city.

Connie Mudenda (*V,*S,*SC,*P1,*P2,*H,*D,*C1,*C2,*PI,B,*M,*T,*L,*Ph,*DC,*TO,*BO,*NJ1,*NJ2,*Cl)
Mudenda is a (RED) Ambassador and an HIV-positive AIDS activist. Connie lost all three of her children to AIDS, but has since had a daughter who was born HIV free in 2012. She was born in 1970.

Mudenda appeared on the screens every night during leg one of the tour, including the performance at Bonnnaroo.

Michelle Obama (*S,*SC,*P1,*P2,*D,*C1,*C2,*PI,*B,*M,*T,*L,*Ph,*DC,*TO,*BO,*NJ1,*NJ2,*Cl)
Obama is an American lawyer and writer, and also served as First Lady of the United States from 2009 to 2017. Obama is an advocate for poverty awareness. Obama was born in 1964. An error was made on screen in Seattle that listed her birthday as 1954. It was corrected for the next show in Santa Clara.

Obama was first added to the song for the performance in Seattle and she did not appear in Vancouver. As of the first show in Pasadena her image has been moved earlier in the song to make room for Sandra Day O’Connor. As of Chicago, her image was moved forward again, taking the position once held by Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, who has now been moved towards the end of the video.

Sandra Day O’Connor (*P1,*P2,*H,*D,*C1,*C2,*PI,B,*M,T,*L,*Ph,*DC,*TO,*BO,*NJ1,*NJ2,*Cl)
O’Connor is the first woman to serve as a Justice of the Supreme Court of the USA, and prior to that she was an elected official, a judge in Arizona, and served in the state Senate in Arizona. O’Connor was born in 1930.

Rosa Parks (*V,*S,*SC,*P1,*P2,*H,*D,*C1,*C2,*PI,*B,*M,*T,*L,*Ph,*DC,*TO,*BO,*NJ1,*NJ2,*Cl)
Parks refused to give up her seat in the coloured section on a bus to a white passenger in 1955, and was arrested for civil disobedience. Her defiance became a symbol of the Civil Rights Movement. Parks was born in 1913, and died in 2005.

Parks appeared on the screens every night during leg one of the tour, including the performance at Bonnnaroo.

Frédérique Petrides (*S,*SC,*P1,*P2,*H,*D,*C1,*C2,*PI,*B,*M,*T,*L,*Ph,*DC,*BO,*NJ1,*NJ2,*Cl)
Petrides was a Belgian-American conductor, well known for her skill with the violin. She founded the Orchestrette Classique in New York City, which was made up of women musicians, and she also published the newsletter Women in Music. Petrides lived from 1903 – 1983.

Petrides was first added to the song for the performance in Seattle and she did not appear in the Vancouver show. Her image was dropped again in Toronto for replacement Joni Mitchell, but was returned for the next show in Boston.

Khalida Popal (*V,*S,SC,*P1,*P2,*H,*D,C1,*C2,*PI,*B,*M,*T,*L,*Ph,*DC,*TO,*BO,*NJ1,*NJ2,*Cl)
Popal became the first female captain of the Afghan National Football team. At the time there were four women on the team. Popal faced threats, and has since retired, but now speaks out on sport as a vehicle to achieve gender equality.

Popal appeared on the screens every night during leg one of the tour, including the performance at Bonnnaroo.

Queen Rania (*C1,*C2,*PI)
Queen Rania of Jordan is an advocate for education, health, and community empowerment. She has worked with other world leaders as part of UNICEF’s Global Leadership Initiative, and has been the honorary chair of the United Nations Girls’ Education Inititiative. She was born in 1970.

Queen Rania first appeared on the screens during the first show in Chicago, IL.

Condoleezza Rice (*H,*D,*C1,C2,*PI,B,*M,*T,*L,*Ph,*DC,*TO,*BO,*NJ1,*NJ2)
Rice is an American politician, and diplomat. She was the second female Secretary of State, acted as National Security Advisor to President Bush, and after leaving politics became a professor of political science at Stanford University, as well as director for Stanford’s Global Center for Business and the Economy. She participates in the “Ban Bossy” campaign, as an advocate of leadership roles for females. Rice was born in 1954.

Rice was first added to the screens when U2 played Houston, Texas.

Ann Richards (*H,*D)
Richards is an educator and politician. Richards is the first woman elected as governor of the state of Texas in her own right. Richards during her time as governor showed an interest in causes including equality and women’s rights. She was awarded the Texas NAACP Presidential Award for Outstanding Contributions to Civil Rights among other honours. Richards lived between 1933 and 2006. She served as Governor of Texas from 1991 to 1995.

Richards was first added to the screens when U2 played Houston, Texas. Her name was incorrectly spelled as “Anne” upon her introduction to the screens in Houston. For the show in Dallas that followed, Richards appears twice on the screens, with one occurrence listing “Ann” and the other listing incorrectly “Anne”. Richards did not appear on the screens during the first show in Chicago.

Mary Robinson (*V,*S,*C1,*C2,*PI,*B,*M,*T,*L,*Ph,*DC,*TO,*BO,*NJ1,*NJ2,*Cl)
Robinson is an Irish lawyer and politician, and served as the first female President of Ireland from 1990 to 1997. She then worked as the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights until 2002. In 2004 Robinson received Amnesty International’s Ambassador of Conscience Award for her work promoting human rights. Robinson was born in 1944.

Robinson’s image was removed from the screen after the Seattle show, but reappeared the first night in Chicago.

Sylvia Robinson (*C1,C2,*PI,*B,*M,*T,*L,*Ph,*DC,*TO,*BO,*NJ1,*NJ2,*Cl)
Robinson was a singer, musician and record label executive, and is sometimes known as the “Mother of Hip-Hop” due to her work as the drivign force behind several early rap singles. She also recorded herself under the names Little Sylvia, Mickey and Sylvia (with guitarist Mickey Baker), Sylvia Robbins, or just Sylvia. Robinson was born Sylvia Vanderpool, and lived from 1935 to 2011.

Begum Rokeya (*V,*S,SC,*P1,*P2,*H,*D,*C1,*C2,*PI,*B,*M,*T,*L,*Ph,*DC,*TO,*BO,*NJ1,*NJ2,*Cl)
Rokeya was a Bengali writer, social activist and a champion of women’s rights. She advocated that men and women should be treated equal in her writing. Rokeya lived from 1880 – 1932.

Rokeya appeared on the screens every night during leg one of the tour, including the performance at Bonnnaroo.

Sheryl Sandberg (*SC,*P1,*P2,*H,*D,*C1,*C2,*PI,*B,*M,*T,*L,*Ph,*DC,*TO,*BO,*NJ1,*NJ2,*Cl)
Sandberg is an American executive, acting as COO of Facebook. She is also an activist and author, and founder of Leanin.Org. Sandberg was born in 1969.

Sandberg was first added to the song for the performance in Santa Clara and she did not appear in Vancouver.

Amy Schumer (*NJ2)
Schumer is an American stand-up comic, writer, actress and producer. Schumer is also an advocate for gun control laws, and for women. Schumer was born in 1981 in New York City.

She was added to the screens in New Jersey for the first time, but only appeared on the screen the second night in that city.

Jane Scott (*Cl)
Scott lead the way for women in music reporting. She worked as a music reporter and rock critic for four decades in the Cleveland area, reviewing everyone from the Beatles to U2 along the way. When she retired in 2002 she was known as the oldest rock critic. She was also influential in bringing the Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Fame to Cleveland, and she is remembered with a statue in the lobby of that museum. Scott lived from 1919 to 2011.

Scott’s image was added to the screens in Cleveland for the first time.

Sister Mary Scullion (*Ph)
Scullion is a Roman Catholic sister based in Philadelphia. She was named by Time as one of the 100 Most Influential People in the World. She advocates on behalf of the homeless and mentally ill, and has founded numerous organizations including Woman of Hope, Project HOME, and the Outreach Coordination Center.

Eunice Kennedy Shriver (*SC,*P1,*P2,*H,*BO)
Shriver is a member of the influential American political family, the Kennedys. Shriver worked with the US Justice Department, and later would lay the foundation for the Special Olympics Foundation and has been a longtime advocate for children’s health issues. She lived from 1921 to 2009. She was the sister of President John F. Kennedy.

Her name first appeared on the tour with the stop in Santa Clara. She is located now where Lena Dunham had been located in previous shows. Dunham has been moved to a later position in the screens. At the show in Santa Clara, Kennedy was spelled wrong on the screens appearing as “Kenndey” instead. Her image was removed prior to the Dallas show. It once again returned to the screens several weeks later for the show in Boston MA but only for the one show.

Ellen Johnson Sirleaf (*V,*S,*SC,*P1,*P2,*H,*D,*C1,*C2,*PI,*B,*M,T,*L,*Ph,*DC,*BO,*NJ1,*NJ2,*Cl)
Sirleaf is a politician in Liberia, and is currently serving as president of that country. She is the first woman to be elected to a head of state position in Africa. She was born in 1938.

Sirleaf held an early position in the video presentation up until the first Chicago show, when she was moved to the final women appearing on the screen. She was not present on the screen in Toronto which was the first show she wasn’t present, but returned to the screen at the next show in Boston.

Nadine Smith (*T)
Smith is an American activist, journalist and lobbyist. She has reported for the Tampa Tribute, and has worked as a freelance reporter. She has been the executive director of Equality Florida since its founding in 1997, and has served on the Board for Fairness for all Families.

Her image first appeared on the screens in Tampa, and to date it is the only appearance of Smith on the screen.

Patti Smith (*V,*S,*SC,*P1,*P2,*H,*D,*C1,*C2,*PI,*B,*M,*T,*L,*Ph,*DC,*TO,*BO,*NJ1,*NJ2,*Cl)
Smith is an American singer, writer, poet and artist. She came to popularity during the 1970s in the punk rock movement. Smith may be known among U2 fans by her song “People Have the Power” which was used to open concerts during the 2015 tour. Smith was born in 1946.

Smith appeared on the screens every night during leg one of the tour, including the performance at Bonnnaroo.

Gloria Steinem (*C1,C2,*PI,*B,*M,*T,*L,*Ph,*DC,*TO,*BO,*NJ1,*NJ2,*Cl)
Steinem is an American feminist, journalist and activist. She became known as the leader of the American feminist movement in the 1960s and 1970s. Steinem had won many awards and honours for her work as an activist. She was born in 1934.

Steinem first appeared on the screens during the first show in Chicago.

Poly Styrene (*V,*S,*SC,*P1,*P2,*H,*D,*C1,C2,*PI,*B,*M,*T,*L,*Ph,*DC,*TO,*BO,*NJ1,*NJ2,*Cl)
Marianne Elliott-Said was better known by the stage name Poly Styrene, fronted the punk rock band X-Ray Spex, and later went on to have a solo career. She lived from 1957 – 2011.

Styrene appeared on the screens every night during leg one of the tour, including the performance at Bonnnaroo.

Rosetta Tharpe (*V,*S,*SC,*P1,*P2,*H,*D,*C1,*C2,*PI,*B,*M,*T,*L,*Ph,*DC,*TO,*BO,*NJ1,*NJ2,*Cl)
Sister Rosetta Tharpe is an American singer, songwriter, and musician. She was active in the 1930s and 1940s and was known for her gospel recordings, and she is counted as an inspiration by early rock ‘n’ roll musicians including Johnny Cash and Elvis Presley. She lived from 1915 – 1973.

Tharpe appeared on the screens every night during leg one of the tour, including the performance at Bonnnaroo.

Soujourner Truth (*V,*S,SC,*P1,*P2,*H,*D,*C1,*C2,*PI,*B,*M,*T,*L,*Ph,*DC,*TO,*BO,*NJ1,*NJ2,*Cl)
Born Isabella Baumfree, she was an African-American women’s rights activist, born in 1797 and died in 1883.

Truth appeared on the screens every night during leg one of the tour, including the performance at Bonnnaroo.

Alice Walker (*V,*S,*SC,*P1,*P2,*H,*D,*C1,C2,*PI,B,*M,*L,*T,*Ph,*DC,*TO,*BO,*NJ1,*NJ2,*Cl)
Walker is a novelist, poet, and activist. She won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction for her novel The Color Purple. She was born in 1944.

Walker appeared on the screens every night during leg one of the tour, including the performance at Bonnnaroo.

Ida B. Wells (*PI)
Wells was an African-American journalist, suffragist, feminist and a leader in the Civil Rights Movement. She was one of the founders of the National Association for the Advancement of Coloured People (NAACP). She lived from 1862 to 1931.

Wells was first added to the screen in Pittsburgh.

Oprah Winfrey (*V,*S,*SC,*P1,*P2,*H,*D,*C1,*C2,*PI,*B,*M,*T,*L,*Ph,*DC,*TO,*BO,*NJ1,*NJ2,*Cl)
Oprah is a media figure, actress, and philanthropist, best known for her talk show The Oprah Winfrey Show. Oprah was born in 1954.

Winfrey appeared on the screens every night during leg one of the tour, including the performance at Bonnnaroo.

Mary Wollstonecraft (*C1,*C2,*PI,*B,*M,*T,*L,*Ph,*DC,*TO,*BO,*NJ1,*NJ2,*Cl)
Wollstonecraft was an English writer in the late 1700s. She is possibly best known for her book A Vindication of the Rights of Women published in 1792, where she argued that women are not inferior to men, they just lack the education provided to men. Wollstonecraft lived from 1759 to 1797.

Wollstonecraft first appeared on the screens at the first concert in Chicago, IL.

Victoria Woodhull (*V,*S,*SC,*C1,*C2,*PI,*B,*M,T,*L,*Ph,*DC,*TO,*BO,*NJ1,*NJ2,*Cl)
Woodhull was an American leader of the Women’s suffrage movement, campaigning for the right to vote by women. Woodhull is recognized as the first woman to run for President of the United States, but there are some questions as to the legitimacy of her participation. Woodhull lived between 1838 and 1927.

Woodhull has been replaced by an image of Hilary Rodham Clinton as of the first show in Pasadena. She returned to the screen during the first show in Chicago.

Virginia Woolf (*V,*S,SC,*P1,*P2,*H,*D,*C1,*C2,*PI,*B,*M,*T,*L,*Ph,*DC,*TO,*BO,*NJ1,*NJ2,*Cl)
Woolf was an English writer in the 20th century. She was a significant figure in London literary society. Woolf lived from 1882 – 1941.

Woolf appeared on the screens every night during leg one of the tour, including the performance at Bonnnaroo.

Malala Yousafzai (*V,*S,*SC,*P1,*P2,*H,*D,*C1,*C2,*PI,*B,*M,*T,*L,*Ph,*DC,*TO,*BO,*NJ1,*NJ2,*Cl)
Yousafzai is an activist from Pakistan for female education, and is the youngest ever Nobel laureate. In 2012, Malala was injured after a Taliban gunman attempted to murder her, and since recovering she has become a prominent education activist. She was born in 1997.

Yousafzai appeared on the screens every night during leg one of the tour, including the performance at Bonnnaroo.

EVENTS AND ORGANIZATIONS FEATURED IN THE “HERSTORY”:

Suffragettes (*V,*S,*SC,*P1,*P2,*H,*D,*C1,*C2,*PI,*B,*M,*T,*L,*Ph,*DC,*TO,*BO,*NJ1,*NJ2,*Cl)
Suffragettes were members of women’s organizations in the late 19th century who were advocating for the vote to be extended to women. The movement reached through the UK, USA, Canada and other countries.

Match Girls Strike (*V,*S,*SC,*P1,*P2,*H,*D,*C1,*C2,*PI,*B,*M,*T,*L,*Ph,*DC,*TO,*BO,*NJ1,*NJ2,*Cl)
The Match Girls Strike in 1888 was a strike in London in 1888 where women and teenage girls went on strike to protest poor working conditions in a match factory in London.

Sari Squad (*V,*S,*SC,*P1,*P2,*H,*D,*C1,*C2,*PI,*B,*M,*T,*L,*Ph,*DC,*TO,*BO,*NJ1,*NJ2,*Cl)
The Sari Squad were a group of women, who helped to defend multicultural gatherings in London in the 1980s. They also got involved in political activism.

Pussy Riot (*V,*S,*SC,*P1,*P2,*H,*D,*C1,*C2,*PI,*B,*M,*T,*L,*Ph,*DC,*TO,*BO,*NJ1,*NJ2,*Cl)
Pussy Riot is a punk rock group from Russia, who have staged numerous performances where they would promote themes such as feminism, LGBT rights, and would oppose Russian president Vladimir Putin.

Women of Iceland (*V,*S,*SC,*P1,*P2,*H,*D,*C1,C2,*PI,*B,*M,T,*L,*Ph,*DC,*TO,*BO,*NJ1,*NJ2,*Cl)
In 1975 to demonstrate that women were indispensable for Iceland’s economy, the women went on strike for the day. 90 percent of women in that country did not go to their paid jobs, and further, there was no housework or child-rearing for the day. The strike was held in International Women’s Year.

Women’s Land Army (*V,*S,*SC,*P1,*P2,*H,*D,*C1,*C2,*PI,*B,*M,*T,*L,*Ph,*DC,*TO,*BO,*NJ1,*NJ2,*Cl)
The WLA was a British civilian organization created during the First and Second World Wars to allow women to work in farming replacing men who were serving in the military. The women working in agriculture during the war were called Land Girls.

Women’s Army Corps (*V,*S,*SC,*P1,*P2,*H,*D,*C1,*C2,*PI,*B,*M,*T,*L,*Ph,*DC,*TO,*BO,*NJ1,*NJ2,*Cl)
This was the women’s branch of the United States Army, and was created in 1942 during World War II. The Army Corps disbanded in 1978 and was integrated with male units from that point forward.

WASP Women Air Force Service Pilots (*V,*S,*SC,*P1,*P2,*H,*D,*C1,*C2,*PI,*B,*M,*T,*L,*Ph,*DC,*TO,*BO,*NJ1,*NJ2,*Cl)
This was a military aviation organization, made up of women, employed to fly military aircraft under the direction of the United States Army Air Forces during world war II. The organization was formed in 1943 from two groups that had been organized separate in 1942 during World War II.

CHANGES IN THE “HERSTORY”

As mentioned each night there have been changes made to the presentation on the screens. We attempt to summarize those in this section.

After the Vancouver show, musican Joni Mitchell, politicians Chrystia Freeland and Agnes Campbell Macphail were dropped from the screens. Both were pictured only in Vancouver. In Seattle, they were replaced with Frédérique Petrides, Melinda Gates, and Michelle Obama.

After the Seattle show further changes were made, and Caitlin Moran was dropped and replaced with Catherine Mayer. Lena Dunham’s picture once was next to Lagarde’s was moved later into the song to allow room for Eunice Kennedy Shriver to be added to the screens in Santa Clara. At the show in Santa Clara, it was mispelled as Kenndey, but this was corrected for the performance at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena. This move of Dunham’s photo caused Mary Robinson to be removed from the women featured on the screen, and her last appearance was in the Seattle show.

Other changes for the first show in Pasadena included the addition of Hillary Rodham Clinton and Sandra Day O’Connor. Sandra Day O’Connor takes Michelle Obama’s place, and Michelle Obama now appears earlier in the song, we believe, now replacing Emma Goldman. Hilary Clinton replaces Victoria Woodhull in the screen footage. As well, k.d. Lang has now been replaced by Marsha P. Johnson. The second show in Pasadena used identical footage to the first show in Pasadena, and it was the first time that there were no changes made in the screen.

In Houston, additional women were shown after Lena Dunham, who had been the last woman shown at the Pasadena shows. This new set of screens introduced Madeleine Albright, Laura Bush, Condoleezza Rice and Ann Richards (spelled incorrectly as Anne Richards) to the screens, all for the first time. These are now the last individual women seen on the screens. No one was removed to add these four to the screens.

In Dallas there were some interesting changes. Laura Bush has been shifted ahead in the sequence, now appearing just after Michelle Obama on the screen. No one has been removed to make this work, but Obama’s time on the screen has been shortened to make this work. BUT, Bush also appears at her previous spot at the end of the women on the screen, making this the first time we’ve seen the same woman in the sequence twice. She’s not the only one we see twice. Eunice Kennedy Shriver was removed from the screens in Dallas, and in her place was Ann Richards, this time spelled correctly with no ‘e’. But at the end of the sequence, she appears yet again, and this time with her name spelled Anne Richards. Other changes in Dallas removed Lena Dunham from the last position on the screen, she now shows up very briefly before Petrides does in among the musical artists. There is a new addition in Dallas as well, coming on the screen after the first Ann Richards, and that is Jo Cox, the British Labour MP who was murdered in 2016. This would have been part of the space that Shriver’s image filled and is now split between Richards and Cox.

For the first Chicago show the piece was overhauled again, and saw multiple changes. Three women were removed from the screens. Laura Bush and Ann Richards were both removed, but this was expected as they were likely additions for the Texas shows. Jo Cox was also removed from the presentation. For the first time since the tour began, a number of people were added back into the video. Emma Goldman, Caitlin Moran, Victoria Woodhull and Mary Robinson all reappeared in the videos, having been removed and not seen since earlier shows. There were also a number of new faces added to Herstory, including Mary Wollstonecraft, Betty Friedan, Gloria Steinem, Sylvia Robinson and Queen Rania. With all of the additions and reintroductions, the video must be showing these images for a shorter time as only four were removed (Richards had been shown twice at the previous show.) It appears that the same video was used for the second night in Chicago.

For Pittsburgh there were no faces removed from the show, but two new additions were seen. Ida B. Wells, and Rachel Carson were newly added for this show. Both were removed again for the show in Bonnaroo. Queen Rania was also removed prior to the Bonnaroo show.

In Miami, Miami resident Maria Jose Fletcher was added to the screens but was removed before the next show. In Tampa, resident Nadine Smith was added to the screens but was removed prior to the next show. In Louisville, former resident, Anne Braden was added to the screens. These women are being chosen through reaching out through the One campaign looking for local women to be nominated for a position on the screen. Both Christy Turlington Burns and Gabby Giffords were at the Louisville show, and both were added to the screen that night as well. Jo Cox also reappeared on the screens in Louisville, having first appeared in Dallas, but only appearing one night. Cox was killed one year prior to the Louisville show, and Bono dedicated the song to her.

In Philadelphia, “Ultra Violet” was not performed. In its place U2 performed “Mysterious Ways” but used the same montage of women. Jo Cox, Christy Turlington Burns, Gabby Giffords and Anne Braden were all removed from the screen in Philadelphia after one appearance. There was only one addition in Philadelphia, local Sister Mary Scullion. For the concert in Landover MD / Washington DC, Sister Mary Scullion was removed, and Dorothy Height was added to the screens. The song returned to being “Ultra Violet” for this performance.

In Toronto, as in Vancouver, a number of Canadian faces appear in the video presentation, meaning some long appearing women are dropped from the screen for tonight. Frédérique Petrides was added to the screens when Joni Mitchell was removed after the Vancouver, and in Toronto, Petrides is replaced by Mitchell. The same is true for Marsha P. Johnson, who was added after k.d. Lang was removed in early shows, in Toronto, k.d. Lang is back on the screens, and Johnson was removed. Also missing from the screens in Toronto was Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, the first show she was not present on the screens. Dorothy Height, who was added for Washington DC is also removed. Also added to the screen for Toronto was Canadian politician Chrystia Freeland who had previously appeared on the Vancouver screens. Canadian astronaut Roberta Bondar was added to the screen as was UAE resident Kehkashan Basu.

The next show in Boston removed the additions for Toronto. Joni Mitchell, k.d. Lang, Chrystia Freeland, Roberta Bondar and Kehkashan Basu were all removed from the screen. Frédérique Petrides, Martha P. Johnson and Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, all returned to the screens after one show of not being present. Eunice Kennedy Shriver also returned to the screen after not being present for a number of weeks. Two new faces were seen on the screen, Leila De Bruyne and Anne Finucane were both added.

In New Jersey both De Bruyne and Finucane were removed from the screens. The first night in New Jersey saw four new faces added to the screen. Alicia Keys, Iman, Amina J. Mohammed and Angélique Kidjo appeared on the screens for the first time. For the second night Keys and Mohammed remained in the presentation but Iman and Kidjo were dropped. On the second night Ruth Bader Ginsberg, Amy Schumer, Danai Guirira were added to the screens. Also added to the screen were Jenna and Barbara Bush, but they shared one square, which is the first time two women shared a square in the presentation. It is also the first time that daughters of a previous featured woman have appeared, as Laura Bush had appeared on the screens in Texas.

The extras added in New Jersey were all removed for the performance in Cleveland. Only one addition was made in Cleveland, and that was of local rock critic Jane Scott, who appeared at the end of the show.

We will start a new article for the second leg of the tour should this piece continue to be featured.

PHOTO: Final women on screen, including Jane Scott, Cleveland OH, Photo by @anniezaleski

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