Zoe Nicholson

Last updated
Zoe Nicholson
Zoe Nicholson ERA Supporter.jpg
Zoe Nicholson, women's rights activist and a long time supporter of the Equal Rights Amendment
Other namesZoe Ananda
Alma materQuincy University, University of Southern California
OccupationWomen's Rights Activist
Years active1970s-present
Organization National Organization for Women
Known for Equal Rights Amendment, feminist activism
Notable workThe Hungry Heart: A Woman's Fast for Justice
MovementWomen's Liberation Movement

Zoe Nicholson is a feminist activist, author, and a longtime member of the National Organization for Women. Openly lesbian, [1] 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. [2]

Contents

Activism and writings

Feminist work

Nicholson is a member of the ERA Roundtable, a lifelong member of the National Organization for Women and a member of the Veteran Feminists of America. [3] In the summer of 2022, Nicholson was awarded a lifetime achievement award from NOW for her contributions to feminism. [4] She is known for her saying, "Suffrage is unfinished business." [5]

Publications

In 2003, Nicholson published The Passionate Heart, an account of her experiences with Buddhism in the company of the spiritual teacher Frederick Lenz. That same year, she also published Matri, Letters from the Mother which is "a small, very intimate collection of letters from the Divine Mother to the women of the world."

LGBTQ+ activism

Nicholson is a longtime LGTBQ+ activist [6] and was featured in the gay rights film March On, about the National Equality March 2009, in which she participated. The film premiered September 12, 2010 at the Austin Gay and Lesbian International Film Festival. [7] [8]

In 2010, during a stump speech by President Barack Obama for Senator Barbara Boxer, Nicholson was escorted from the event by Secret Service when she began "yelling" about issues of equality relating to Don't Ask Don't Tell. The President, noticing the commotion, asked Nicholson "I’m sorry—do you want to come up here?" [7]

Still Working 9 to 5

In 2022, Nicholson was featured in the film Still Working 9 to 5 [9] alongside Jane Fonda, Lilly Tomlin and Dolly Parton. [10] [11]

Support for the Equal Rights Amendment

Nicholson is a longtime supporter of the Equal Rights Amendment. She has marched and lectured on gender equality in support of the amendment for decades.

Women Hunger for Justice

In 1982, when she was known as Zoe Ananda, Nicholson embarked on a fast in Springfield, Illinois with six other women to convince state legislators in Illinois to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment. [12] This event was known as Women Hunger for Justice. [13] Nicholson and the group attempted to gain support from then Vice President George H.W. Bush when he was scheduled to visit Illinois on June 22 but he rejected their outreach efforts. [14] Other women who participated in non-violent political action in favor of the ERA in Illinois at that time included Georgia Fuller, Berenice Carroll, Mary Lee Sargent and Sonia Johnson. The Women Hunger for Justice event occurred alongside the Day of Rebellion for the ERA. The seven fasters were Nicholson, Sonia Johnson, Shirley Wallace, Mary Barnes, Mary Ann Real, Sister Maureen Fielder and Dina Bachelor. [15]

Zoe Nicholson admiring a photo of Alice Paul, the author of the original Equal Rights Amendment Zoe Nicholson and Alice Paul.jpg
Zoe Nicholson admiring a photo of Alice Paul, the author of the original Equal Rights Amendment

Nicholson approached the fast as spiritual in nature and was quoted in 1982 saying, "My participation in the women's movement is my spiritual life. It's a social gospel when I act out my beliefs through the women's movement." [16] Nicholson has shared in the press that she was willing to die in support of constitutional gender equality. [17]

During the fast, women including Nicholson were stalked and glared at. One cleaning woman working in the building even followed Nicholson into the bathroom and stared directly at her stall. [18] Despite a contentious environment which included a group known as Grassroots Group of Second Class Citizens chaining themselves inside the Illinois Senate chamber, [19] the fast lasted for 37 days. [20] [21] and concluded on June 24, 1982. [22] During the fast, Nicholson was photographed receiving an autography from Phyllis Schlafly, a notable opponent of the ERA. [23] The protest ended with the fasters publicly drinking grape juice out of champagne glasses. [22] In 2004, Nicholson published her memoir of this fast, titled The Hungry Heart: A Woman's Fast for Justice. [3] In 2020, she traveled to Virginia to see that state become the 38th to ratify the ERA. [11]

Historian of Alice Paul

Zoe Nicholson with a National Woman's Party banner Zoe Nicholson Suffrage Banner.jpg
Zoe Nicholson with a National Woman's Party banner

As part of her work to promote the Equal Rights Amendment, Nicholson works as an independent public historian who frequently shares stories about Alice Paul, the author of the original ERA. [24] Nicholson has long maintained a widely read Facebook page [25] where she shares stories and primary sources about Alice Pauls' work for the 19th Amendment and ratification of the ERA. Nicolson has a dozen websites reflecting her diverse interests, including her own blog. [26]

Tea with Alice and Me

Nicholson has written a one-woman play called, "Tea With Alice and Me" about how Paul has inspired and informed her activism. [27] Nicholson shares this show through her long time partnership with Martha Wheelock's film company, Wild West Women. [28]

Zoe Nicholson teaching high school Zoe Nicholson Teaching High School.jpg
Zoe Nicholson teaching high school

Personal life

Zoe Nicholson was born in Wisconsin in 1948. [29] In the 1970s, Nicholson lived in Newport Beach. [14] She has worked as a systems analyst, production tester, and project leader on Wall Street, as well as co-founding a specialized recruiting firm offering expertise in client/server architecture and graphical design. [20] She also taught religion at a boys high school in Quincy, Illinois. [30]

Education

Nicholson attended the Academy of the Sacred Heart High School, a school run by the Society of the Sacred Heart (RSCJ) in Lake Forest, Illinois. [30] After high school, she earned a bachelor's degree in Catholic theology from Quincy University in 1969 [30] and a master's degree in ethics and religion from the University of Southern California in 1975. [20]

Magic Speller Bookstore Magic Speller Bookstore.jpg
Magic Speller Bookstore

Magic Speller bookstore

Nicholson left teaching in 1976 to open a women's bookstore in California called Magic Speller Bookstore, which was part of the feminist bookstore movement. [31]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Equal Rights Amendment</span> Proposed amendment to the U.S. Constitution

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sonia Johnson</span> American activist and writer

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alice Paul</span> American suffragist, feminist, and activist (1885–1977)

Alice Stokes Paul was an American Quaker, suffragist, feminist, and women's rights activist, and one of the foremost leaders and strategists of the campaign for the Nineteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which prohibits sex discrimination in the right to vote. Paul initiated, and along with Lucy Burns and others, strategized events such as the Woman Suffrage Procession and the Silent Sentinels, which were part of the successful campaign that resulted in the amendment's passage in August 1920.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">National Woman's Party</span> American political party (1916–2021)

The National Woman's Party (NWP) was an American women's political organization formed in 1916 to fight for women's suffrage. After achieving this goal with the 1920 adoption of the Nineteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution, the NWP advocated for other issues including the Equal Rights Amendment. The most prominent leader of the National Woman's Party was Alice Paul, and its most notable event was the 1917–1919 Silent Sentinels vigil outside the gates of the White House.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eleanor Smeal</span> American feminist leader

Eleanor Marie Smeal is an American women's rights activist. She is the president and a cofounder of the Feminist Majority Foundation and has served as president of the National Organization for Women for three terms, in addition to her work as an activist, grassroots organizer, lobbyist, and political analyst.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">National Organization for Women</span> American feminist organization

The National Organization for Women (NOW) is an American feminist organization. Founded in 1966, it is legally a 501(c)(4) social welfare organization. The organization consists of 550 chapters in all 50 U.S. states and in Washington, D.C. It is the largest feminist organization in the United States with around 500,000 members. NOW is regarded as one of the main liberal feminist organizations in the US, and primarily lobbies for gender equality within the existing political system. NOW campaigns for constitutional equality, economic justice, reproductive rights, LGBTQIA+ rights and racial justice, and against violence against women.

Maureen Fiedler, SL is an American progressive activist, radio host, and a member of the Sisters of Loretto. She has a long history working with interfaith coalitions on a variety of issues including: social justice, peace, anti-racism work, gender equality, human rights and female ordination in the Catholic Church. She holds a doctorate in Government from Georgetown University. She is the executive producer and host of the radio show Interfaith Voices, which she originated.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Betty Gram Swing</span> American militant suffragist

Betty Gram Swing, born Myrtle Eveline Gram, was an American militant suffragist.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kate Kelly (feminist)</span> American feminist (born October 29, 1980)

Kathleen Marie Kelly is an American activist, human rights lawyer, and Mormon feminist who founded Ordain Women, an organization advocating for the ordination of women to the priesthood in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Kelly was excommunicated from the church in 2014. She is also a nationally known advocate for ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) and abortion access.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Flora Crater</span> Virginia politician

Flora Crater (1914–2009) was a Virginia politician, lobbyist, and activist. Her causes included women's rights, school integration, collective bargaining, and minority rights. She most famously led the Virginia lobby for the Equal Rights Amendment and was the first president of the Virginia chapter of the National Organization for Women. She was the first woman to run for statewide office in Virginia.

This is a Timeline of second-wave feminism, from its beginning in the mid-twentieth century, to the start of Third-wave feminism in the early 1990s.

Equality Amendment

The Equality Amendment is a proposed Amendment to the U.S. Constitution by legal scholars Kimberlé Crenshaw and Catharine MacKinnon. It was first proposed in December 2019 in the Yale Law Journal. This proposal is an updated version of the Equal Rights Amendment written by Alice Paul from the National Women's Party, which was first proposed in 1923 and has not been ratified. This is different from the 2021 Equality Act, which has been proposed in Congress to prohibit discrimination based on biological sex, gender identity or sexual orientation.

Jessica Neuwirth is an American lawyer and international women's rights activist. She is one of the founders of Equality Now, an international women's rights organizations established in 1992, and the founder and director of Frontline Women's Fund, a project hosted by the Sisterhood is Global Institute to support women's organizations around the world. She is the founder and President Emerita of the ERA Coalition and Fund for Women's Equality.

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).

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">A Group of Women</span> American militant feminist organization

A Group of Women was an American feminist organization in the 1980s who committed a series of actions in support of the ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment. Sonia Johnson was a notable member of this organization that advocated for the use of civil disobedience to raise awareness about the need for the ERA.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mary Lee Sargent</span> American feminist activist

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.

Women Hunger for Justice was a direct action protest in support of the ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment in Illinois in 1982. The fast received significant attention in the press and included the participation of Sonia Johnson, Sister Maureen Fiedler and Zoe Nicholson.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Day of Rebellion for the ERA</span>

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.

References

  1. Nicholson, Zoe (March 21, 2022). Moreno Perri, Julia (ed.). "About Zoe". Zoe Nicholson.
  2. Orr, Amy. "Longtime Equal Rights Amendment Activist Keeps The Faith". www.Gazettes.com. Retrieved 2021-05-20.
  3. 1 2 "ZOE NICHOLSON VFA Fabulous Feminist". www.veteranfeministsofamerica.org. Retrieved 2021-05-20.
  4. "National NOW Twitter Account". Twitter. Retrieved 2022-07-24.
  5. Foley, Erin (2022-03-11). ""Suffrage is Unfinished Business": Equality Activist Zoe Nicholson Wants You to Know That Women Are Still Not in the Constitution". FORTHE. Retrieved 2024-05-07.
  6. "Zoe Nicholson". PBS SoCal. Retrieved 2024-04-17.
  7. 1 2 Kornhaber, Spencer (2010-10-14). "Knows the Constitution Says, 'Don't H8'". OC Weekly. Archived from the original on 2015-09-24. Retrieved 2016-03-16.
  8. "Texas A&M University". Archived from the original on August 17, 2011. Retrieved August 12, 2011.
  9. Hardman, Camille; Lane, Gary (2022-03-13), Still Working 9 to 5 (Documentary), Allison Janney, Jane Fonda, Rita Moreno, Artemis Rising Foundation, Mighty Fine Entertainment, retrieved 2024-05-07
  10. "The Documentary". Still Working 9 to 5. Retrieved 2024-05-07.
  11. 1 2 "Documentary about gender equality in wake of Dolly Parton, Jane Fonda film '9 to 5' features Long Beach activist". Press Telegram. 2022-03-12. Retrieved 2024-05-07.
  12. "26 Jun 1982, Page 17 - The Oshkosh Northwestern at Newspapers.com". Newspapers.com. Retrieved 2021-05-20.
  13. Keller, Laura. "Fight for the ERA in Champaign-Urbana | Public i Contact" . Retrieved 2024-04-17.
  14. 1 2 "Bush Turns Down ERA Pleas". Abilene Reporter-News. June 15, 1982.
  15. "ERA hunger striker won't quit despite her condition". The Galveston Daily News. May 31, 1982.
  16. "26 Jun 1982, Page 17 - The Oshkosh Northwestern at Newspapers.com". Newspapers.com. Retrieved 2021-05-20.
  17. "How a Long Beach social justice activist went on a journey to reunite with her mentor 40 years after they fasted for the ERA". Press Telegram. 2019-01-06. Retrieved 2024-04-17.
  18. "FASTERS: Hungering for Justice". The Los Angeles Times. May 27, 1982.
  19. "Chained ERA Supporters Stage "Day of Rebellion" In Senate". Logansport Pharos-Tribune. June 4, 1982.
  20. 1 2 3 "Eclipse Global". Archived from the original on March 30, 2012. Retrieved August 11, 2011.
  21. "CSF - College of Communication". Archived from the original on 2010-06-09. Retrieved 2011-08-11.
  22. 1 2 "ERA Backers Break Fast, Toast an 'Era for Women'". Abilene Reporter-News. June 24, 1982.
  23. "ERA Backers Ready for Arrest in "Day of Rebellion"". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. June 3, 1982. Retrieved 2024-04-17.
  24. Nicholson, Zoe. "Miss Alice Paul".
  25. "Online With Zoe". www.facebook.com. Retrieved 2024-05-07.
  26. "Zoe Ann Nicholson". Onlinewithzoe.typepad.com. Archived from the original on 2016-03-21. Retrieved 2016-03-16.
  27. Nicholson, Zoe. "Tea with Alice and Me". Miss Alice Paul. Retrieved 2023-01-23.
  28. ptommey. "ERA ~ The Big Picture". Wild West Women, Inc. Retrieved 2024-04-20.
  29. "ZOE NICHOLSON VFA Fabulous Feminist". www.veteranfeministsofamerica.org. Retrieved 2024-04-20.
  30. 1 2 3 Dahlquist, Amanda (December 2008). "The Equal Rights Amendment, 26 years later: Illinois Heritage". Illinois Heritage. 11 (6): 15–19.
  31. "ZOE NICHOLSON VFA Fabulous Feminist". www.veteranfeministsofamerica.org. Retrieved 2024-05-07.