Literary Luncheon Featuring Author Elaine Rock

Dusty Roads: Meet the Hidden Figure Who Really Ignited the Women’s Movement

Dusty Roads was a trailblazing stewardess and union leader who in the 1950s and 60s challenged the airline industry’s policies by fighting against marriage bans, age limits, unrealistic weight restrictions, unequal pay, and humiliating girdle checks. She refused to back down and eventually won. As one of the first female union lobbyists to Congress, she championed workplace equality and later made history by filing the first-ever discrimination complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission a year after the Civil Rights Act and Title VI were passed in Congress. Her efforts eventually helped prevent a strike, transformed airline policies, and opened employment opportunities for both women and men across the country.

THE GOLDEN AGE OF AIR TRAVEL: A TRIP DOWN MEMORY RUNWAY

Travel back to an era when in-flight meals were served on china in first class and trays in coach, stewardess uniforms ranged from chic to silly, and workplace rules defied fairness.

Join Elaine Rock for a lively slide show through the 1950s, 60s, and 70s when airline meals were a highlight of the trip, uniforms went from glamorous to downright ridiculous—think paper dresses, hot pants, and airlines using slogans like “I’m Cheryl, Fly Me.” Male stewards escaped such rules, but both men and women faced the cultural stereotypes of the era. Relive the tastes, see the fashions, and hear the inspiring story of Dusty Roads, whose courage and persistence helped challenge ageism, sexism, and outdated workplace policies—helping change workplace rights for generations to come.

AUTHOR BIO:

Elaine Rock is the author of Dusty Roads: Meet the Hidden Figure Who Really Ignited the Women’s Movement, a groundbreaking biography that reveals the untold story of a stewardess who reshaped history. A lifelong advocate for women’s rights, Elaine draws on her experience as a history teacher and technology executive to highlight stories that inspire and empower. She is passionate about uncovering courageous, often unsung women and men whose perseverance and resilience have changed lives and made them trailblazers.

Elaine and Dusty Roads were featured in the PBS American Experience documentary “Fly With Me,” a history of flight attendants, shown in February 2024 and again in March 2025 for Women’s History Month. She lives in Cloverdale, California, and enjoys traveling, swimming, and photography.

When released on Amazon, Dusty Roads quickly became a #1 Hot New Release in Biographies and Memoirs, Social Activist Biographies, and Feminist Theory. The audiobook will be available soon.

MUST Purchase tickets by Friday, October 17, 4 PM

$35 for members, $40 for guests

Call (707) 894-4826 or stop by the front desk at the Senior Center