Margaret Mead was born in Philadelphia in 1901. Entering adulthood, she felt urged to advance the understanding of human behavior.

Studying anthropology at Barnard College, she met her mentor, Ruth Benedict. Their relationship would become the most intimate of Mead's life, lasting throughout her three marriages.

Mead's field study in the South Pacific led to her best-seller, Coming of Age in Samoa. Her research of various cultures made her one of the first in the modern age to champion diversity.

In a 1975 article for Redbook magazine, she asserted it was time to recognize bisexuality as a normal form of sexual expression. She feared that revealing her own bisexuality would close doors in her career. But she said everyone should be able "to choose companionship with a member of their own or opposite sex," which certainly opened doors for the next generation.

This Rainbow Minute was read by Candace Gingrich.

“The Rainbow Minute” is produced by Judd Proctor and Brian Burns and can be heard every weekday at 7:59am, 12:29pm and 2:59pm on WRIR – 97.3fm in Richmond, Virginia, and webcast at wrir.org. It’s also heard internationally on over 200 stations.