Caroline Heldman

Caroline Heldman is a scholar, activist, and political commentator with a focus on gender justice, media equity, and combating sexual violence. Heldman earned a doctorate in political science from Rutgers University and specializes in the American presidency and systems of power. She graduated summa cum laude with a degree in business management from Washington State University and has held academic positions at several institutions. Heldman serves as executive director of The Representation Project and chair of the Critical Theory and Social Justice department at Occidental College in Los Angeles.

Heldman's research centers on media, the presidency, and power structures. She has published six books, including "Protest Politics in the Marketplace: Consumer Activism in the Corporate Age," "Women, Power, and Politics: The Fight for Gender Equality in the United States," and "Madame President? Gender & Politics on the Road to the White House." Her book "The Sexy Lie: The War on Women's Bodies and How to Fight Back" examines self-objectification and its effects on women. Her TEDx talk on this topic has reached a global audience, contributing to public discourse on gender and media.

Heldman has played a significant role in the campus anti-rape movement, co-founding End Rape on Campus, Faculty Against Rape, and End Rape Statute of Limitations. She led the effort to abolish the statute of limitations for prosecuting rape in California. As a professor at Occidental College, she led a Title IX complaint regarding institutional accountability, which received national attention. Heldman has also worked with campus sexual assault survivors and those involved in the Bill Cosby case.

Heldman has appeared in documentaries including "Miss Representation," "The Mask You Live In," "The Hunting Ground," "Informant," "Equal Means Equal," "Liberated," "Nevertheless," and "The Great American Lie." She has worked as a pollster, campaign manager, and commentator for CNN, MSNBC, FOX News, and CNBC. Her work has been featured in the New York Times, U.S. News and World Report, Ms. Magazine, The Huffington Post, and The Daily Beast.

In addition to her academic and media work, Heldman has contributed to community service initiatives. She participated in rebuilding efforts in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina, co-founded the New Orleans Women's Shelter and the Lower Ninth Ward Living Museum, and is curating the first Civil Rights museum in New Orleans with Leona Tate. Heldman serves as national co-chair of #ERAnow, an organization dedicated to passing the Equal Rights Amendment. Her honors include a Gracie Award for excellence in broadcasting and recognition as a regional finalist for the White House Fellowship.