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(s) | Women's Rights Activist, Professor |
| 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 disapprove of its potential effects on 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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Mary Dent Crisp was an American Republican leader and feminist who was ousted from her party after publicly opposing its views on abortion rights and the Equal Rights Amendment. She was a member of the Republican Party for over 20 years and served in roles in the party's administration beginning in 1968, culminating in service from 1977 to 1980 as Co-Chairwoman of the Republican National Committee. Crisp spoke against the party's decision to stop supporting the Equal Rights Amendment in a speech at the 1980 Republican National Convention, after which she announced that she would not seek re-election to her position. Crisp also spoke out in favor of abortion rights.
Zoe Nicholson is a feminist activist, author, and a longtime member of the National Organization for Women. Openly lesbian, she is known for her work as an independent historian of Alice Paul as well as her role in the campaign for the Equal Rights Amendment.
Zelda Kingoff Norldinger was an American feminist and women's rights activist coordinator for the National Organization for Women (NOW) chapter in Virginia during the 1960s.
The March for the Equal Rights Amendment took place on July 9, 1978 in Washington, DC. Over 100,000 people marched for ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment.
Berenice Anita Carroll was an American political scientist and activist specialized in peace and conflict studies, feminist theory, and women's studies. Carroll led the creation of the women's studies program at University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and served as director of the Purdue University women's studies program. She initiated the establishment of the Coordinating Committee on Women in the Historical Profession in 1969.
Georgia Fuller is a women's rights activist who was heavily involved in the political struggle for the Equal Rights Amendment in the 1980s. She was a member of the Congressional Union, a feminist group in the 1980s, and was co-founder of the Arlington, Virginia chapter of the National Organization for Women (NOW).
Elizabeth Farians was an American religious studies scholar and feminist. She was an early member the National Organization of Women and is considered the first Catholic feminist to organize public protests and for over forty years she led a public fight against discrimination in religion. Farians was an activist for animal rights and veganism.
Grassroots Group of Second Class Citizens was a political organization of feminist women created in the early 1980s to undertake non-violent direct action tactics to raise awareness for the need of an Equal Rights Amendment. The group also advocated for reproductive rights and lasted throughout the 1980s.
Mary Jean Collins is an American feminist. She was president of the Chicago chapter of the National Organization for Women (NOW), a member of the national board and director of the campaign to have the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) ratified in Illinois. She led anti-discrimination protests against Sears and AT&T.
Joan M. Martin is a Protestant feminist theologian. Martin has been politically active with a number of different feminist causes and is notable for her 1978 congressional testimony on behalf of the Equal Rights Amendment.
Mormons for ERA was a feminist organization that lobbied on behalf of the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) in the 1970s and 1980s. The group was led by Sonia Johnson.
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The Day of Rebellion for the ERA was an event in 1982 organized by activists in support of the Equal Rights Amendment during the final struggle for ratification in Illinois.
Women Rising in Resistance was a militant feminist group in Illinois in the 1980s. The group emerged after the defeat of the Equal Rights Amendment in 1982. It was formed in 1983 and lasted until 1992.