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Sonia Pressman Fuentes
Three Legendary Feminists
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Contact Ms. Fuentes at: spfuentes@comcast.net |
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Three Legendary Feminists: Introduction
This article was first published as "Three United States Feminists--A Personal Tribute," Jewish Affairs 53.1 (Johannesburg, South Africa, 1998): 37.
Click on the feminists' names to read more about them.
As a founder of the National Organization for Women (NOW) and the first woman attorney in the General Counsel's Office at the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), I knew and worked with many feminists, all of whom were extraordinary people. But three stand out in my pantheon of heroes -- Alice Paul, the Reverend Dr. Pauli Murray, and Catherine East.
Like any three women, they differed in many ways. Alice Paul operated on both the national and international fronts and she did so through organizations that she founded. She is the most well-known of the three through her founding of the National Woman's Party (NWP), her role in securing suffrage, and her drafting of the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) to the US Constitution. Pauli Murray's ancestors were a microcosm of this country, and she herself wore an astonishing number of hats, both inside and outside the federal government. Catherine East's accomplishments were made largely through her pivotal positions in the federal government. Of the three, only Catherine had children; Pauli had a brief early marriage, and Alice never married.
But these women had significant characteristics in common. All three lived in the years from 1885-1996 -- significant years for women's rights -- all were well-educated, and all lived to be 75 or older. Each had a single-minded devotion to women's rights and devoted a lifetime to that cause. Each operated in her own sphere, but their lives intersected with each other and with mine. All three were heavily involved in behind-the-scenes activities to secure the inclusion of the amendment prohibiting sex discrimination in Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Act that, as amended, prohibits employment discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, and disability by employers, unions, and employment agencies. I was deeply involved in articulating and implementing that Act, and that's how I came to know them.
Copyright 1998 by Sonia Pressman Fuentes |
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Fuentes -- Photographs |
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Sonia’s mother, early 1900s
Germany, circa 1930
Berlin, circa 1930
Germany, circa 1930
In Toy Car, circa 1930
Germany, circa 1930
Germany, 1931
Berlin Shop, 1931
Germany, 1932
Belgium, 1933-34
Belgium, 1933-34
Belgium, 1934
Cornell, 1950
University of Miami, 1956
Washington, DC, 1966
Washington, DC, 1968
Washington, DC, 1993
Coral Gables, 1990s
Sarasota, 1990s
Plainfield, 1998
Women's Hall of Fame
At the Capitol, 2000
Meadows Players, 2001
Piltz Library, 2001
Piltz, Poland, 2001
Sarasota, March 2002
Sarasota, April 2002
Lewin Studio, 2003
Alice Award, 2003
Book Signing, 2003
Teaching English, 2003
Book Bag Replica, 2004
AILF Awards, 2005
Foremothers Awards, 2005
IAYC Conference, 2005
Alice Paul Award, 2005
National Woman's Party, 2006
Potomac, MD, 2006
Bozeman, MT, 2007
CLEA Course, 2007
Cornell University, 2008
Montreal, Canada, 2008
Cornell University, 2009
Close shot at Cornell, 2009
Sarasota, FL, 2009
Sarasota, FL, 2009
Sarasota, FL, 2009
Rockville, MD, 2009
Sarasota, FL, 2009
Sarasota, FL, 2009
Oxford, London, Wales, 2009
Sarasota, FL, Feb. 2010
Bradenton, FL, Feb 2010
Siesta Key, FL, Feb 2010
Sarasota, FL, Feb 2010
Bradenton, FL, Mar 2010
Sarasota, FL, Mar. 2010
Birthday, May 2010
Chautauqua, NY, 2010
Sarasota, FL, July 2010
Bat Mitzvah, March, 2011
Washington, DC, March 2011
Sarasota, FL, March, 2011
Sarasota, FL, April, 2011
Washington, DC, Mar 2011
Tampa, FL, Jun 2011
Sarasota, FL, July 2011
Chautauqua, NY, July 2011
Chautauqua, NY, July 2011
Sarasota, FL, August 2011
Berlin, Germany, Sept 2011
Germany, Belgium, Sept 2011
Antwerp, Belgium, Sept 2011
Antwerp, Sept. 11-13,2011
Sarasota, FL, Nov 2011
Sarasota, FL, Nov 2011
Sarasota, FL, Dec 2011
Sarasota, FL, Dec 2011
Sarasota, FL, Jan 2012
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