About Głos polek. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1902-current
Chicago, Ill. (1902-current)

Głos Polek

In 1902, the Polish Women's Alliance, founded only four years previously, established a monthly newspaper in Chicago called Głos polek ("The Voice of Polish Women"). It was edited by Frank Wolowska- editor of Dziennik narodowy ("National Daily News") , another Polish-American newspaper. In its first issues, Głos polek included articles on the Catholic religion, local poetry and short stories such as "A Better Tomorrow," and family tips for mothers. In June 1903, after only ten months, Głos polek ceased publication due to personal unrest among members, in addition to financial duress. Despite these setbacks,Dziennik narodowy began publishing a frequent supplement of Głos polek. On November 3, 1910, Głos polek reemerged as an independent monthly newspaper for and by women; it was edited by Stefania Laudyn-Chrzanowska.

The new Głos polek continued publishing articles on the Catholic faith and literary pieces, while reminding readers of the need to preserve their Polish heritage and homeland. Głos polek opposed assimilation into American culture and ideals. It claimed that women who changed their name to an Americanized version were "parading about in borrow feathers." At the same time, Głos polek stood apart from other similar newspapers by encouraging the education of women, which was evident in its desire to start a scholarship for Polish women.

Upon Głos polek's return as an independent newspaper, Dziennik Związkowy ("Polish Daily Zgoda") published an editorial, in which it briefly wished Głos polek success as a self-sufficient periodical. This dubious encouragement actually functioned primarily as a warning, reminding Głos polek to maintain the utmost respect toward its rival, the Polish National Alliance and its publication Zgoda: Wydania dla niewiast ("Unity: Women's edition"), about which Głos polek had previously written defamatory comments. Despite the conflict between Głos polek and Zgoda, the two newspapers each had distinct missions and attracted different kinds of readers. Głos polek, for example, tended to focus more on professional and political topics.

Throughout World War I, Głos Polek encouraged its readers to take advantage of new opportunities for Polish women in America to climb the social and educational ladder. Today, Głos polek continues as a monthly publication, with content in both Polish and English.

Provided by: University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Library, Urbana, IL