Mary Lee Sargent is a feminist activist notable for her direct action political protests on behalf of the Equal Rights Amendment in the early 1980s. [1]
Mary Lee Sargent | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Occupation | Women's Rights Activist |
| Known for | Advocacy for the Equal Rights Amendment |
| Movement | Women's Liberation |
Sargent was a key member of the feminist group Grassroots Group of Second Class Citizens, an organization that supported the ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA). [1] The group organized a Day of Rebellion in Illinois in 1982 and Sargent served as spokesperson for the group. [2] Sargent was photographed wearing chains outside the Illinois State Senate by Anne Leibowitz and the photo ran in Life Magazine. [1] When Sargent was asked by the press if she was concerned the direct action tactics might turn off some ERA supporters she replied, "It's too late for that...we're here to step up the confrontation." [3] Sargent was photographed in 1982 with Sonia Johnson who was
on a long term fast for the ERA at the Illinois state house. [4]
In 1979, Sargent participated in the first public march for LGBT rights in Washington, D.C. [1] In the 1980s, she organized the Lavendar Women's Prairie Women's Center. [5]
Sargent was a co-founder of the organization Women Rising in Resistance. [6] The group was created after the defeat of the ERA in Illinois in 1982. [6]
Sargent was born in Texas in 1940. [6] In the 1980s she lived in Champaign-Urbanan, Illinois. [7] Sargent was a longtime professor of Women's Studies and History at Parkland College in Illinois. [8] In 1984 she ran for a seat on the Board of Trustees for the University of Illinois. [9]
In the early 1990s she spent a great deal of time in New Harmony, Indiana and was known for her love of prairie plants. Local residents referred to her as "Prairie Mary." [10]
The Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) is a proposed amendment to the U.S. Constitution that would, if added, explicitly prohibit sex discrimination. It was written by Alice Paul and Crystal Eastman and introduced in Congress in December 1923 as a proposed amendment to the United States Constitution. The purpose of the ERA is to guarantee equal legal rights for all American citizens regardless of sex. Proponents assert it would end legal distinctions between men and women in matters of divorce, property, employment, and other matters. Opponents originally argued it would remove protections that women needed. In the 21st century, opponents argue it is no longer needed and some fear it would be extended to abortion and transgender rights.
Sonia Ann Johnson, is an American feminist activist and writer. She was an outspoken supporter of the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) and in the late 1970s was publicly critical of the position of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, of which she was a member, against the proposed amendment. She was eventually excommunicated from the church for her activities. She went on to publish several radical feminist books, ran for president in 1984, and become a popular feminist speaker.
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