POV

Leona's Sister Gerri

Millions have seen the photograph, and no one who has seen it will ever forget it. A naked woman, dead from a botched illegal abortion, lying on a motel room floor. The picture appeared in Ms. magazine in April 1973, and quickly became a symbol for the abortion rights movement. Leona's Sister Gerri tells the dramatic story of Gerri Santoro, a mother of two and the "real person" in the famous photo

New Dialogue: Americans on Abortion

54m 45s

Hailed as an "interactive experiment," 'New Dialogue: Americans on Abortion' re-wrote the broadcast rulebook by airing an entire episode of viewer responses to POV's 1995 broadcast of 'Leona's Sister Gerri.' Long before Facebook and Twitter, 'New Dialogue' allowed viewers to interact and engage with media—through letters, interviews and discussions among viewers—in the broadcast era.

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