# data[].attributes.headline
Women Who Fought for Civil Rights and Equality

# data[].attributes.subject
Women Who Fought for Civil Rights and Equality

# data[].attributes.body
Edith (Edie) Windsor was a powerhouse in the LGBTQ+ movement. She fought for same sex marriage and was known for helping to overturn a law that helped same sex marriage become possible. She was a prominent reason that the Obama administration and federal agencies extended rights, privileges, and benefits to married same sex couples.

# data[].attributes.body
Stacey Abrams is a American politician. She was the first African America woman to lead in the House of Representatives. She is a advocate for pro-choice, women's rights, and voter rights. She fights to keep our democratic processes free of corruption and works to ensure women's rights over their own bodies are protected. To learn more about Stacey and her mission, check out her website below.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Join John Lewis and Stacey Abrams!

Stacey Abrams for Governor

Stacey knows our beginnings do not have to dictate who we will become. She has a boundless belief in Georgians' capacity to prosper; and she has the courage, commitment to service, and experience to make this vision a reality.
General election: November 6, 2018

Learn More

Stacey's Vision for Georgia

Join Team Abrams

Get the latest from Stacey

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Meet Stacey | Stacey Abrams for Governor

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Join John Lewis and Stacey Abrams! Stacey Abrams for Governor Stacey knows our beginnings do not have to dictate who we will become. She has a boundless belief in Georgians' capacity to prosper; and she has the courage, commitment to service, and experience to make this vision a reality.

# data[].attributes.body
Coretta Scott King was and activist and leader in the civil rights movement. Her husband Martin Luther King Jr. was a prominent figure in the civil rights movement. Coretta was know for incorporating her civil rights work into her music. After her husbands assassination she took the reins in fighting for racial equality. She later broadened her fight for rights and became an advocate for the LGBTQ+ community. Coretta Scott King started the the King Center, check out he website bel to learn about the center and more about Coretta Scott King.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
AS THE FOUNDER OF THE KING CENTER, ARCHITECT OF DR. KING’S LEGACY, AND LIFELONG HUMAN RIGHTS ACTIVIST FOR SOCIAL CHANGE AND PEACE, CORETTA SCOTT KING WAS AMONG THE MOST PROMINENT WOMEN LEADERS OF OUR TIME.

# data[].attributes.body
Women are incredible. Because of the women below, we have the rights we have today. Read, watch, and listen about these incredible women. The women below have fought and been advocates for the rights of many. These ladies fought for women's rights, minority rights, LGBTQ+ rights and many others. It's hard to be in middle school, there are a lot of tough things and adversity you have to face. The ladies described here all had to overcome adversity and find their voice because they were women. They can show us how to overcome adversity and find our voice too. All the ladies on this page faced hard times and still accomplished great things. Find your voice when it comes to social justice! The information below will show you how amazing and powerful women can be despite adversity and maybe after you'll feel inspired to make change too.

# data[].attributes.body
1.) Pedagogical Lens: For this I chose to use a culturally responsive and feminist lens. I wanted to include sources that would bring in many different cultural perspectives and opinions would would broaden the students horizons. They may find connections to the women or welcome a different perspective. I also chose to use the feminist lens for 2 reasons. One being because the girls in the class may feel empowered to hear women overcome adversity ad it ma inspire them. The second reason being it challenges male students to look from a new perspective that they cannot relate to.

2.) Why is this relevant to middle school students?
This is relevant to middle school students because they are at an age where they are starting to face adversity and opposing views. This is also often the age that girls start to recognize and feel the bias that is against them in the world. It is important to show young men ad women how strong and inspiring women can e. It is also important to show them that they can learn from the mistakes and actions of others. Students can use these resources to tackle writing assignments about facing adversity themselves.

3.) How do the resources support the topic of facing adversity and women in social justice?
All of these sources give background on the adversity these women have faced in their lives, how they overcame it, and then what they accomplished in spite of it. These resources show some of these women's most important accomplishments and how they got to wear they are today.

# data[].attributes.body
Rosa Parks was an American activist who was known for her pivotal role in the civil rights movement. She is most famous for refusing to surrender her seat to a white passenger on a segregated bus. This started the Montgomery Bus Boycott and it was an effort to end racial segregation of public facilities. Follow along and participate in the webquest below to learn more about Rosa Parks and the really cool things she stood for.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
by Peggy Terrell

This lesson explores the spirit of Rosa Parks whose commitment to personal justice launched a movement that would eventually end the practices of bus segregation in the South.

Introduction
Rosa Parks was an important person in the Civil Rights Movement.Her refusal to give up her seat on a bus on December 1, 1955 in Montgomery, Alabama and her arrest thereafter launched a widespread boycott of public transportation in her city, which lasted for 381 days.Her courage helped other people stand up for what they believed in.As a result, an unjust law, which allowed unfair treatment of people because of their race, was over-turned. This WebQuest will explore the life and history of Rosa Parks and the Montgomery Bus Boycott.It will also help students to develop an understanding of the oppressive statutes and ordinances which existed in the Southern area of the United States, collectively know as Jim Crow laws. What did Rosa Parks do to help the civil rights movement?What would have happened if she had moved to the back of the bus?Would our nation be different without her?It took courage and a strong willed woman to fight for social injustice.In order to know who Rosa Parks was, you will need to view the websites, plus read and learn about her life. Before you begin this WebQuest, place your name on the handout that I have given you.The first part of the handout is a group activity.I will assign you a group.The second part will be completed individually.EACH student must complete BOTH handouts.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Rosa Parks and the Montgomery Bus Boycott

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
by Peggy Terrell This lesson explores the spirit of Rosa Parks whose commitment to personal justice launched a movement that would eventually end the practices of bus segregation in the South.

# data[].attributes.body
Stormé DeLarverie was a LGBTQ+ trailblazer. She was known for sparking the Stonewall riots which led to the start of the LGBTQ+ revolution. Stormé was known as a drag king and performer. She was called the "Rosa Parks of Stonewall". Check out the video below and the picture that is floating around in purple to learn more about this LGBTQ+ icon.

# data[].attributes.body
These sources are a variety of forms of reading and writing. There are articles, podcasts, websites, webquests, and photos. Students can use these materials to connect to writing pieces. Along with this, many of the sources offer writing prompts or students. The variety of types of sources allow students to interact wit the materials in many ways. There also also poems and other sources like this attached with expose students to figurative language and creative writing. Within the sources there is a multitude of connections to other content areas like history, politics, and social justice. Students can use these resources to support future writing assignments.

# data[].attributes.body
Michelle Obama was first widely known for being the first African-American First Lady, married to the first African American President. During her years as the first lady, she was a role model for women everyone and worked to advocate for women's and children's rights and nutrition.  Alongside her husband, Michelle Obama fought for the rights of LGBTQ+ Americans and fought for same sex marriage and awareness for gender based violence.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
First Lady Michelle LaVaughn Robinson Obama is a lawyer, writer, and the wife of the 44th President, Barack Obama. She is the first African-American First Lady of the United States. Through her four main initiatives, she became a role model for women and an advocate for healthy families, service members and their families, higher education, and international adolescent girls education.

Each of us also comes here tonight," Michelle Obama told the Democratic National Convention in 2008, "by way of our own improbable journey" and "driven by a simple belief that . . . we have an obligation to fight for the world as it should be." Michelle Obama's journey began in the South Side of Chicago, where Fraser and Marian Robinson instilled in their daughter a heartfelt commitment to family, hard work, and education.

Her father was a pump operator for the Chicago Water Department, while her mother stayed at home to care for Michelle and her older brother Craig. As she watched her father refuse to give in to multiple sclerosis, use two canes to get to his job, and save money to send her to college, she learned that "the only limit to the height of your achievements is the reach of your dreams and your willingness to work hard for them."

Michelle earned a bachelor's degree from Princeton University and a juris doctor degree from Harvard Law School. In 1988, she returned to Chicago to join the firm of Sidley Austin. It was there that she met Barack Obama, a summer associate she was assigned to advise. They were married in 1992.

By that time Michelle had turned her energies to public service. She was assistant commissioner of planning and development in Chicago's City Hall before becoming the founding executive director of the Chicago chapter of Public Allies, an AmeriCorps program that prepares young people for public service. In 1996, she joined the University of Chicago as associate dean of student services, where she developed the university's first community service program. In 2002, she went to work for the University of Chicago Medical Center, where in 2005 she became the vice president of community and external affairs. During these years the Obamas' daughters Malia and Sasha were born.

As first lady, Michelle Obama initiated Let's Move! a program aiming to end childhood obesity within a generation. Through it, elected officials, business leaders, educators, parents, and faith leaders worked together to provide more nutritious food in schools, bring healthy and affordable food into underserved communities, plant vegetable gardens across America, and provide new opportunities for kids to be more active. Each year local schoolchildren helped plant and harvest the garden she started on the White House South Lawn. Its vegetables and fruits were served at the White House and donated to soup kitchens and food banks.

During Barack Obama's second term Michelle spearheaded the Reach Higher Initiative to help students understand job opportunities and the education and skills they need for those jobs. She encouraged young people to continue their education past high school in technical schools and community colleges as well as at colleges and universities. Worldwide, she championed the education of girls and women. In a commencement address at the City College of New York she told graduates, "Never view your challenges as obstacles." It is a lesson she has embodied all her life. Throughout her time in the White House Mrs. Obama worked to support veterans and military families. She also focused her energies on what she calls her most important role: MominChief to her daughters, who grew into accomplished young women during their eight years in the White House.
The Presidential biographies on WhiteHouse.gov are from "The Presidents of the United States of America," by Frank Freidel and Hugh Sidey.
Learn more about Michelle Obama's spouse, Barack Obama.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
First Lady Michelle LaVaughn Robinson Obama is a lawyer, writer, and the wife of the 44th President, Barack Obama. She is the first African-American First Lady of the United States. Through her four main initiatives, she became a role model for women and an advocate for healthy families, service members and their families, higher education, and international adolescent girls education.

# data[].attributes.body
Ruth Bader Ginsburg is arguably the most influential female Supreme Court justice's to ever come into office. During her over 25+ year term she fought for gender equality and fought against gender discriminations. She was known for uniting the liberal block of the court. She was dedicated to education and made incredible accomplishments in her own education. RBG was known for not letting her personal struggles sidetrack or decrease her intensity. She had an exceptional career in politics and was an advocate for women's rights. Her style was know as slow but steady, and calculated. She would attack issues one at a time and hard, there was no getting in her way. Find out more about RBG and all the awesome ways she fought for women below!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Ruth Bader Ginsburg died on Friday, September 18, in Washington, D.C. She was 87. Ginsburg had served as a United States Supreme Court justice since 1993. As the second woman to sit on the nation's top court, she fought fiercely for women's rights, for herself and others.

Memorials were held around the country. People brought flowers and lit candles. They carried signs quoting her. "Women belong in all places where decisions are being made," read some. "Fight for the things you care about, but do it in a way that will lead others to join you," read others.

AMANDA ANDRADE-RHOADES- BLOOMBERG/GETTY IMAGES

After two days at the Supreme Court Building, Ginsburg was to lie in state × state JEFF GREENOUGH-GETTY IMAGES a style appropriate for a person of high rank (noun) The military general was buried in state. at the U.S. Capitol on September 25. She's the first woman in American history to receive this honor.

Ginsburg faced gender discrimination as she worked her way toward the Supreme Court. This led her to support issues such as equal pay and opportunities for all. In doing so, she became a role model and cultural icon.

DAVID HUME KENNERLY-GETTY IMAGES

Journey to the Court

Joan Ruth Bader was born in 1933 in Brooklyn, New York. As a young girl, she loved books. One day, reading while walking, she fell and broke her nose.

Ruth graduated from high school and went to Cornell University, in New York. There, she met Martin Ginsburg. They married in 1954.

Ruth and Marty were accepted to Harvard Law School. But he was called for active military duty, so Ruth put her studies on hold. She took a job at the U.S. Social Security Administration. When her employer found out she was pregnant, Ruth was given a lesser role at lower pay.

In 1956, while Marty and Ruth were at Harvard, she was one of nine women in a class of more than 500. After Marty was diagnosed with cancer, Ruth went to class for both of them, typing up his notes and papers as well as her own. When Marty got a job in New York, Ruth gave up her last year at Harvard to go with him and finish her studies at Columbia Law School.

Ruth graduated from Columbia in 1959, tied for first in her class. But she was unable to get a job at a leading law firm. And Supreme Court clerkships × clerkship DARRENMOWER-GETTY IMAGES a job that gives a person a chance to work with and learn from a judge (noun) After finishing law school, Harry applied for a clerkship with a judge. went to men, not women.

LIBRADO ROMERO-THE NEW YORK TIMES

Ruth didn't get angry. She got even. She taught at Rutgers Law School, in New Jersey, from 1963 to 1972, and pushed for equal pay for women there. In 1972, she began teaching at Columbia. She helped start the Women's Rights Project at the American Civil Liberties Union. And in 1980, she joined the U.S. Court of Appeals.

"I Dissent"

President Bill Clinton appointed Ginsburg to the Supreme Court in 1993. She was sworn in on August 10 of that year, with her husband by her side. She had already established herself as an important voice for gender equality. She ruled on a number of landmark × landmark CHRIS MADDALONI/CONTRIBUTOR -GETTY IMAGES historic (adjective) Brown v. Board of Education was a landmark lawsuit that made segregation illegal in schools. cases in her career.

JEFFREY MARKOWITZ-SYGMA/GETTY IMAGES

A Supreme Court justice can write a dissenting opinion when he or she disagrees with the majority. Ginsburg did this often. In 2014, she explained why: "Justices continue to think and can change," she said. "I am ever hopeful that if the court has a blind spot today, its eyes will be open tomorrow."

On September 19, the Supreme Court released statements from the eight current justices who served with Ginsburg. Here are some of their words.

"We at the Supreme Court have lost a cherished colleague. Today we mourn, but with confidence that future generations will remember Ruth Bader Ginsburg as we knew her-a tireless and resolute champion of justice." -Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr.

"She was the essence of grace, civility, and dignity. She was a superb judge who gave her best and exacted the best from each of us, whether in agreement or disagreement." -Justice Clarence Thomas

"My dear friend and colleague Ruth Bader Ginsburg was an American hero. She spent her life fighting for the equality of all people, and she was a pathbreaking champion of women's rights." -Justice Sonia Sotomayor

"Justice Ginsburg will go down as a leading figure in the history of the court. She will be remembered for her intelligence, learning, and remarkable fortitude. She has been and will continue to be an inspiration for many." -Justice Samuel A. Alito

JABIN BOTSFORD-THE WASHINGTON POST/GETTY IMAGES

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Ruth Bader Ginsburg died on Friday, September 18, in Washington, D.C. She was 87. Ginsburg had served as a United States Supreme Court justice since 1993. As the second woman to sit on the nation's top court, she fought fiercely...

# data[].attributes.body
Oprah Winfrey is known for being a talk show host, producer, actress, author and philanthropist. She was a trailblazer in breaking down stereotypes for African American women and became the richest African American in the 20th century and was North America's first black multi-billionaire. She has been ranked as the greatest black philanthropist in American history and in 2007 was ranked as the most influential woman in the world. Below is a really cool book on Oprah Winfrey! Check it out and see how Oprah came to be the woman she is!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
The story of how a young Southern girl who was raised on a pig farm became one of the most influential and inspiring people in the world.

We all know Oprah Winfrey as a talk-show host, actress, producer, media mogul, and philanthropist, but the "Queen of Talk" wasn't always so fortunate. She suffered through a rough childhood and went on to use her personal struggles as motivation. Oprah's kindness, resilience, and determination are just some of the many reasons why her viewers--and people all around the world--love her. The richest African American person of the twentieth century, Oprah is often described as the most influential woman in the world.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The story of how a young Southern girl who was raised on a pig farm became one of the most influential and inspiring people in the world. We all know Oprah Winfrey as a talk-show host, actress, producer, media mogul, and philanthropist, but the "Queen of Talk" wasn't always so fortunate.

# data[].attributes.body
Barbara Smith is a American lesbian feminist and she has played a huge role in Black Feminism and LGBTQ+ rights in the United States. She originated the term "identity politics" and has fought and strived for inclusive politics. Below you'll find a podcast interview and an article with more about Barbara Smith!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
From Eric Marcus: Barbara Smith inspires me to sit up straight, pay attention, and strive to do better. That's the power of her unapologetic truth-telling, passion, and open-hearted joy for life. We first met in my living room in upstate New York nearly two decades ago for one of a dozen new interviews that I conducted for the second edition of Making Gay History . (The other interviewees included Al Gore and Ellen DeGeneres, among others.)

It was Barbara's founding of Kitchen Table: Women of Color Press and her involvement in the 1979 National March on Washington for Lesbian and Gay Rights that caught my interest, but those topics were only the jumping-off point. We had a memorably far-ranging conversation about her lifetime of activism and scholarship-all accompanied by plenty of laughter, although some of the laughter you'll hear is my incredulous response to the shocking things Barbara shared with me. Have a listen.

---

Get better acquainted with Barbara Smith by watching this short video . For an in-depth look at her life and work, read Ain't Gonna Let Nobody Turn Me Around: Forty Years of Movement Building with Barbara Smith , edited by Alethia Jones and Virginia Eubanks. Listen to Barbara talk about coming out here , and check out her oral history , which is kept at Smith College.

For more on Barbara's broad and intersectional social justice agenda, read this Autostraddle interview and watch this lecture . Read about her frustrations with the mainstream LGBTQ civil rights movement in the Nation and the New York Times . Watch Barbara in conversation with young black feminist leaders here . For a list of books she's written and edited, go here .

In 1974, Barbara co-founded the Combahee River Collective . She was one of the primary authors of its statement , a powerful articulation of lesbian-inclusive black feminist politics.

In 1977, Barbara published " Toward a Black Feminist Criticism ," the groundbreaking essay that prompted her invitation to speak at Howard University the following year. Learn more about Frances Cress Welsing, the psychiatrist who responded to Barbara's speech by declaring homosexuality "the death of the race," here .

In 1980, Barbara and her friend Audre Lorde co-founded Kitchen Table: Women of Color Press, the first national publishing company run by and for women of color; Barbara describes the founding of the press in this essay . Kitchen Table published dozens of works , including Barbara's own Home Girls: A Black Feminist Anthology. You can read it here and hear Barbara talk about it here .

To learn more about Audre Lorde, watch read her the this short video , listen to this interview about her experiences as a young black lesbian in 1950s New York City, or . For more audio recordings of Audre, visit poetry . Lesbian Herstory Archives website

At the top of Barbara's Making Gay History episode, she describes a photo of her and her sister at the 1979 National March on Washington for Lesbian and Gay Rights (you can see it below). Read more about the march here and listen to the speech Audre Lorde gave to the many thousands who assembled for the march's rally. Hear more audio from the march here and here , and read the program of events .

Episode Transcript

Eric Marcus Narration: I'm Eric Marcus, and this is Making Gay History!

Barbara Smith has never been a single-issue activist. Her entire life she's demanded justice and dignity for those whose voices aren't heard. That's just how she was raised.

Barbara and her twin sister Beverly were born in 1946 in Cleveland, Ohio. That's where the family had settled after leaving small-town Georgia in the Jim Crow south. Their mother, Hilda, the first person in the family to earn a college degree, died when they were nine. The sisters were then raised by their extended family, in a household of women who put great stock in education.

In the mid-1960s, Barbara attended Mt. Holyoke, an all-women's college where she later recalled she was surrounded by "lesbian undercurrents that were not spoken." At the time, Barbara wasn't aware of any gay rights efforts, and while her feelings for women were nothing new, she didn't come out until the mid-1970s.

In 1974, Barbara co-founded the Combahee River Collective, a black feminist organizing group dedicated to the struggle against " racial, sexual, heterosexual, and class oppression. " In 1980, Barbara and Audre Lorde-the self-described black lesbian feminist mother poet warrior-co-founded the Kitchen Table: Women of Color Press. It was run by and for women of color whose writings got short shrift by the mainstream publishing industry.

By the time I interviewed Barbara, she'd been speaking truth to power for decades-as a woman against misogyny, as an African American against racism, as a lesbian against homophobia, and as a black lesbian against those in the gay rights movement who sidelined the concerns of LGBTQ people of color.

So here's the scene. It's January 29, 2001, and Barbara has driven from her home in Albany, New York, to my weekend place a half hour south. We're seated on an overstuffed sofa looking at photographs that Barbara brought with her. She shows me a photo of herself and her twin sister at the 1979 National March on Washington for Lesbian and Gay Rights.

---

Barbara Smith: This is my sister and me at the march in '79.

Eric Marcus: Oh my!

BS: And I'm the one on the right, with my hair braided. And I was thinking about that as I pulled that picture out. I mean it took hours to get my hair braided. I only did it, like, a couple of times. Because I am so not into the muss and fuss of it all. I was thinking, like, just seeing the fact that I had my hair braided shows how special I thought this march was.

EM: Do you recall anything in particular about the march? People who spoke or other impressions?

BS: I just remember the feeling of incredible joy. And being there. And excitement. There is such a kick in being visible and out, you know. And doing that in a mass way. I think that if one is, like, manifesting or if one is visible, and by yourself, that's really kind of scary. That scares me. To this day. But the thing is to have the support of numbers.

Everything, like this is a general statement about the '70s. Or the second half of the '70s, which was the period when I was first out. There was a feeling that we could do anything. I had the feeling that we could do anything. That everything was possible. Um, because we were toppling such mammoth taboos and such mammoth notions.

EM: Such as...

BS: That women were supposed to, you know, be passive. And stay at home and have babies. And in a black nationalist context, stay home and have babies for the Nation. There's an extreme amount, it seems to me, of male chauvinism in a certain black context, which is a direct result of racism and the deficit of never being able to lead and have freedom in a racist country. So to make up for white supremacy, in certain black political contexts, the black men are even more chauvinistic. Because they're really going to show, you know, who's boss. Because they are so rightfully angry about not being recognized as capable and full human beings in a context where white men get to call the shots.

Being a lesbian feminist as I was in that period was about just sticking holes, you know, in every cherished value and belief.

EM: When you say you were doing feminist lesbian work, what do you mean by that?

BS: There was a actual lesbian feminist movement which was very vital and had great positive impact on the way that issues in a variety of movements were shaped and were defined during that period. And we worked with gay men. Like, you know, we were able to work with gay men, you know, who were ready to deal with us as non-second-class citizens. So the thing is that the line between, you know, lesbian feminism and feminism and the lesbian and gay liberation movement, those lines were not, like, hard and fast. So lesbian feminists were active in the reproductive rights movement. Lesbian feminists were key in building the movement against domestic violence and sexual assault. If it wasn't for lesbians, there would be no movement. But the thing is, a lot of that history is erased.

Um, we really... We were so.... What's the word? Um, hated. We were so hated and so ostracized, I believe, by our communities of color. There was nothing sane to be heard. Hardly anything sane to be heard about the reality that not everybody is heterosexual in a people of color context anywhere.

EM: What were the kinds of things you'd hear?

BS: I spoke... Howard University used to have national black writers' conferences. They sponsored them throughout the '70s. And I was invited to the last one which they ever had. It was in 1978. I had written "Toward a Black Feminist Criticism" and published that in 1977, and as a result of that, I was invited to speak at that conference. And I was supposed to speak from the essay, where I talk about lesbian this, and lesbian that, and lesbian the other.

It's such a perfect example of how black people were dealing with the reality of both gender and sexuality politics. Um, so I was invited to speak. It was on their first panel they'd ever had about black women writers.

EM: But it wasn't black lesbian writers?

BS: No, no. And they wouldn't even invite any other feminists. I asked them to invite... "Would you please put another feminist on this panel?" And they refused to do that. It was at one of their large auditoriums at Howard. Um, the place was packed. You know maybe 500 people. I read excerpts of "Toward a Black Feminist Criticism." And then I wrote a few paragraphs that were specifically aimed at the black community. Not cruel things, by any means. Just interpretive things that would be helpful given that the essay had originally been written for a primarily white and feminist audience. So, you know, I read it, you know, and then I sat down. And all hell broke loose.

EM: Why?

BS: Because they were so upset.

EM: What did you say that upset them?

BS: That lesbians exist and we deserve not to be hated. Oh yeah. Oh no. They went wild. You gotta read the essay. You should read the essay. Because, like, when I tell you how upset they were, you should see what they were responding to. Which was like, "Hey, you know, there's a black women's literary tradition. You know, it's as strong and long as anybody else's. And it's legitimate. And we should use a feminist perspective to look at writing by black women. There is such a thing as sexism. And the people who are most marginalized in this whole mix are black lesbians and black lesbian writers. But yet, we are going to continue and do what we do."

The first person who got up is a person who is still with us named Frances Cress Welsing. She's a psychologist. And she's well-known. She basically said, "Well, you know, I really feel sorry for the sister and, you know, I pity her..."

EM: You?

BS: Yeah. Me! Me! Yeah. "I really feel sorry for her. And feel... And, you know, like, I have pity on you since you can't be a heterosexual like me. But, you know... But, you know, you have my sympathy." Whatever. "But, homosexuality will be and is the death of the race." That was the first statement. "Homosexuality is the death of the race." And they were off and running. And I was just devastated.

Just to tell you how frightening the atmosphere was there... There was a whole little row of my friends, people had come from Boston, New York... And Audre Lorde was there. Now Audre of course is known as a warrior and the bravest of the brave and what have you. She did not open her mouth. The crowd turned ugly, you know. They were so angry and so frightening.

And, see, Audre being several years older than I-12 years older exactly-um, she had been involved in the black arts movement of the 1960s and '70s. And they knew her as, you know, one of their poets. And then when she came out... or at least when they began to reevaluate her as this lesbian, she really paid a high price for that. And I think she was so scarred by that experience... The attack was so visceral and so violent... I can't think of any other word except for violent, Audre did not open her mouth. And she said to me later that she was sorry that she didn't say anything or couldn't.

And when I went to the back of the auditorium when the ordeal was finally over, I saw someone who I vaguely knew. A black male critic. And I was saying how awful it was. I mean 'cause... I mean, these are my people. And they are aiming all this hatred at me. And I say to this guy... I was speechless, practically. And I was looking to him for some kind of like, "Oh yeah, it was really rough." And you know what he said to me? He said, "Well, at least you weren't lynched." Black person to black person. One to another. You know. "Well, at least you weren't lynched."

EM: What were some of the other things that people said to you?

BS: I really can't remember much other than that. But it's like one of those traumatic experiences that you probably... You can remember the feeling, you don't necessarily remember the details.

One of things that someone said... I don't know if I should tell you this. But it flatters me. I like it. She said... I think this was a straight woman. She said... And of course you also have to remember that most of the people there had never heard anything about lesbian and gay reality except for how awful it was, how sinful it was, how sick it was, and how debased it was. But, anyway, this black woman, who I've seen fairly recently, said, "Well, you know, what I remember is just how beautiful you were." She said, "You know, you were just so beautiful." And I did look very nice. I made a special effort to look very nice.

EM: Did you? Why was it important for you to look nice that day?

BS: You know, being raised by black women as I was, you try never to go out looking like you just rolled out of bed or whatever. And it was particularly important-Howard! Howard, the most distinguished black university in this country. I mean, after all.

It was particularly important, I thought, for me to look well because the stereotype of course is that the reason that one is a lesbian, one of them, is that because you're so unattractive that no male would want you. And we used to laugh a lot about that and joke about that, you know, in the '70s when we were all young and gorgeous. Because we would say, "Well, they obviously never been to the bars we've been to." Every woman was more gorgeous than the last.

Not only were we young, but we also had this inner glow of spirit, of spirit released. Because, you know, we were creating something that was just so amazing and magnificent, which was our own way of being in the world. So not only did we have the glamour of youth or the looks of youth, we also had this incredible self-confidence.

EM: Did you ever go back to Howard?

BS: No. Howard... I've not spoken at Howard since then. I don't get invitations from black institutions, to speak at black institutions, except for Spelman.

---

EM Narration: The homophobia Barbara encountered at Howard University was hardly an anomaly-and it didn't end there. In the early 1980s, black civil rights leaders were making preparations for the 20th anniversary of the 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. Barbara and the National Coalition of Black Gays-or NCBG-tried to persuade the organizers to invite a gay person to speak at the celebration.

The suggested speakers included James Baldwin, Audre Lorde, and Barbara herself. But despite that impressive short list, NCBG was told there would be no gay speaker. That's when several gay African American men decided to step in-or rather sit in... at the office of Walter Fauntroy. He was the District of Columbia's non-voting Congressional representative.

A quick heads-up. I'm not sure what I did back in 2001 when I recorded Barbara's interview because in the story that follows, the audio quality isn't up to our usual standards , but it's a story worth hearing.

---

BS: And they went to his office and they sat in his office. And they were arrested over this issue of whether there was going to be a black gay or lesbian speaker at that march. And as a result of that sit-in, and those arrests, indeed we did get our speaker. Audre Lorde was the speaker as it turned out. And it was just so ironic. I mean, he was a guy who had been in the civil rights movement, who participated in sit-ins...

EM: Who?

BS: Fauntroy. Yeah. Had been... You know, like this is a tactic that he had used against the white power structure. And then, because of homophobia, it was a tactic that had to be used against him. He made the infamous statement that, as far as he was concerned, that gay rights... He said, "If we had someone speaking about gay rights, then we might as well have someone speak about penguin rights." Subsequently, like, at gay prides and what have you, there were people who would actually dress up as penguins. To make the point. Gay. Penguins. Whatever. Anyway... That was quite a triumph. But you know that was one piece of work that we did together. And then...

EM: That march was in November of '83?

BS: Yes. And so then I moved to...

EM: Audre Lorde spoke there?

BS: Yes, she did. Yes, she did. It was incredible. You know it's like, well, there's my friend kicking, kicking behind. No. It was an incredible feeling. Just feeling for that moment that at least truth and sanity is being conveyed to a group of people for whom this is news.

EM: And they knew who she was?

BS: I don't think they knew really who she was. A lot of black people did not know who she was.

EM: Did they know at the time she spoke that she was a lesbian?

BS: Absolutely. Oh yeah. Oh no. She always told people that up front. She always led with, "I am a black, lesbian, warrior, mother, cancer survivor here to do my work. Are you doing yours?"

EM: So it was a big, it was a high point...

BS: It was a very, very big deal. It's a very important piece of black lesbian and gay history. I mean, my life's work in the context of LGBT organizing has been to try to raise the level of understanding and to lessen the level of homophobia and sexism in black contexts. That's my life's work.

I think the reason that my politics have remained as steadfast and strong as they have is because I've always had a base of women of color, of people of color, to fall back on and to rely upon so that I'm just not just this one crazy voice saying, "Did you ever think about racism and police brutality or poverty and homelessness?"

The ethical framework that I was raised with, some of it through the church, some it just through the people around me who functioned in this way, was that I had responsibility. And also I was to be decent and caring about all in need.

I mean there's just been this real move to the right in the country in general. And it has affected the lesbian and gay movement, too. You know, "Give me gay marriage, you know, I'll shut up. I'll never do anything to disrupt or turn over your little apple cart. I will not mention those other people. They can, you know, like... Whatever iceberg they're floating on, they can just sink or swim on their own. You know, the poor, the people on welfare, you know, people of color, women. Don't care about them. You don't have to be threatened by me. And I'll even vote Republican if that's what you'd like me to do." I mean, a non-movement. Making no connections. You know. Nothing that has revolutionary potential because when all you want is a few reforms given to you by corporate entities and/or by the government, you're not really talking about fundamental political and social change. You're not.

EM: Because that comes from where?

BS: That comes from the fervor of people who are the most oppressed, saying, "It has got to be different from now on." That has been my experience of how movements are built. That's the spirit of Stonewall. That's the spirit of the women's movement. It was the spirit of the anti-slavery movement. It was the spirit of the black civil rights movement. Nobody in Washington said, "I think black people really need to be treated better here." They didn't say that. They didn't give a flying F-U-C-K. They did not care.

EM: I want to speak briefly about '93. You said that '93 march was difficult to go to. What happened?

BS: Everything has gotten more corporate. And we also had the impression that they wanted people to be presentable. That they wanted to show a really kind of a bland and non-threatening face to middle America.

It wasn't just about people of color. It was about anything that wasn't squeaky clean vanilla, you know, sell it on the evening news. And that I find offensive. You know when I talk about the joy of being at those early demonstrations, part of it was just seeing how outrageous people were and could be. And how very lovable they were in that, you know. That included people who were sex radicals. It included people, you know, in drag. It included people who were in, you know, into leather.

It thrilled me in some ways being a girl, having been a girl who was raised in a Midwestern city-albeit Cleveland, you know, which faces East, admittedly-um, coming from definitely a family who had come from the deep South, and being raised in the black Baptist church, that I could actually be talking to a guy in a dress. And very happy to be doing so. That thrills me. Because it's about breaking boundaries. It's about, like, finding what connects you to other people that doesn't have to do with trappings. You know? That's a part of what we were fighting for. Even though I myself... I always describe myself as being pretty socially conservative though politically radical because of that background that I just described to you. The only thing I do outrageous is fight for revolution and freedom, you know. But the thing is, in the supermarket, it's just, you know, there's the middle-aged black lady again.

---

EM Narration: In the years after I first met her, Barbara Smith got deeply involved in local politics and helped elect Albany County's first African American district attorney. That was before she ran for public office herself and won a seat representing her neighborhood on the local Common Council from 2006 to 2013. During her final year in office, she also helped elect the city of Albany's first female mayor.

In 2014, Barbara and her co-authors, Alethia Jones and Virginia Eubanks, published Ain't Gonna Let Nobody Turn Me Around: Forty Years of Movement Building with Barbara Smith . It's an account of Barbara's contributions to black feminism, black women's studies and literary criticism, urban politics, and plenty more.

Recently, Barbara was invited by the New York Times to reflect on life after Stonewall. Her piece was entitled "Why I Left the Mainstream Queer Rights Movement." In it, Barbara acknowledged that the LGBTQ civil rights movement had made great legislative and social strides, but noted that many in the community continue to struggle. And " Gaining rights for some while ignoring the violation and suffering of others does not lead to justice. At best, it results in privilege. "

After more than four decades as an activist, Barbara is still trying to keep us honest. I think that's what Audre Lorde would call "doing the work."

---

Many thanks to everyone who makes Making Gay History possible: senior producer Nahanni Rous, producers Josh Gwynn and Katherine Cook, deputy director Inge De Taeye, audio engineer Jeff Towne , researcher Brian Ferree, photo editor Michael Green, and our social media team, Cristiana Peña, Nick Porter, and Denio Lourenco. Special thanks to Jenna Weiss-Berman and our founding editor and producer, Sara Burningham. Our theme music was composed by Fritz Meyers.

Making Gay History is a co-production of Pineapple Street Media, with assistance from the New York Public Library's Manuscripts and Archives Division and the ONE Archives at the USC Libraries.

Season six of this podcast has been made possible with funding from the Jonathan Logan Family Foundation, the Calamus Foundation, Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS, the Small Change Foundation, Irwin and Andra Press, and our listeners, including Ann Northrop. Thanks, Ann!

Stay in touch with Making Gay History by signing up for our newsletter at makinggayhistory.com. Our website is also where you'll find previous episodes, archival photos, full transcripts, and additional information on each of the people and stories we feature.

So long! Until next time!

###

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
From Eric Marcus: Barbara Smith inspires me to sit up straight, pay attention, and strive to do better. That's the power of her unapologetic truth-telling, passion, and open-hearted joy for life. We first met in my living room in upstate New York nearly two decades ago for one of a dozen new interviews that I conducted for the second edition of Making Gay History .

# data[].attributes.body
"When they go low, we go high"

# data[].attributes.body
Maya Angelou was know for being a world-famous poet and author. She not only made incredible contributions to literature, but she was an activist for civil rights and was a coordinator in the Southern Christian Leaderships conferences, originally created by Martin Luther King Jr. See what else Maya Angelou did below!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Prior to the start of World War II, Angelou moved back in with her mother, who at this time was living in Oakland, California. She attended George Washington High School and took dance and drama courses at the California Labor School.

When war broke out, Angelou applied to join the Women's Army Corps. However, her application was rejected because of her involvement in the California Labor School, which was said to have Communist ties. Determined to gain employment, despite being only 15 years old, she decided to apply for the position of a streetcar conductor. Many men had left their jobs to join the services, enabling women to fill them. However, Angelou was barred from applying at first because of her race. But she was undeterred. Every day for three weeks, she requested a job application, but was denied. Finally, the company relented and handed her an application. Because she was under the legal working age, she wrote that she was 19. She was accepted for the position and became the first African American woman to work as a streetcar conductor in San Francisco. Angelou was employed for a semester but then decided to return to school. She graduated from Mission High School in the summer of 1944 and soon after gave birth to her only child, Clyde Bailey (Guy) Johnson.

In 1969, Angelou published I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, an autobiography of her early life. Her tale of personal strength amid childhood trauma and racism resonated with readers and was nominated for the National Book Award. Many schools sought to ban the book for its frank depiction of sexual abuse, but it is credited with helping other abuse survivors tell their stories. I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings has been translated into numerous languages and has sold over a million copies worldwide. Angelou eventually published six more autobiographies, culminating in 2013's Mom & Me & Mom.

Angelou carried out a wide variety of activities on stage and screen as a writer, actor, director, and producer. In 1972, she became the first African American woman to have her screen play turned into a film with the production of Kunta Kinte's grandmother in the television miniseries Georgia, Georgia. Angelou earned a Tony nomination in 1973 for her supporting role in Jerome Kitty's play Roots in 1977. Look Away, and portrayed

Angelou died on May 28, 2014. Several memorials were held in her honor, including ones at Wake Forest University and Glide Memorial Church in San Francisco. To honor her legacy, the US Postal Service issued a stamp with her likeness on it in 2015. (The US Postal Service mistakenly included a quote on the stamp that has long been associated with Angelou but was actually first written by Joan Walsh Anglund

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Poet, dancer, singer, activist, and scholar Maya Angelou is a celebrated author best known for her unique and pioneering autobiographical writing style.

# data[].attributes.body
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is serving as a U.S. Representative, she is the youngest woman ever to serve in the United States Congress. AOC is a trailblazer in politics today, she is known for always speaking her mind and not backing down on what she believes is right. She has worked many jobs and is a dedicated and hard worker. From her, we can learn to stand up to those who are wrong and challenge the system that tries to disadvantage women. Watch some of AOC's best moments below!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s Best Moments From Her First Year in Office

# data[].attributes.body
Sojourner Truth was a former slave who became an advocate for women's rights in the nineteenth century. Read more about her below!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
MLA - Michals, Debra. "Sojourner Truth." National Women's History Museum. National Women's History Museum, 2015. Date accessed.

Chicago - Michals, Debra. "Sojourner Truth." National Women's History Museum. 2015. www.womenshistory.org/education-resources/biographies/sojourner-truth.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
A former slave, Sojourner Truth became an outspoken advocate for abolition, temperance, and civil and women's rights in the nineteenth century. Learn more at womenshistory.org.

# data[].attributes.body
Susan B. Anthony is a champion in the world of women's rights. She fought for equal work opportunities, equal pay, and was the most visible leader in the women's suffrage (right to vote) movement. Read more about this really cool woman below!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Champion of temperance, abolition, the rights of labor, and equal pay for equal work, Susan Brownell Anthony became one of the most visible leaders of the women's suffrage movement. Along with Elizabeth Cady Stanton, she traveled around the country delivering speeches in favor of women's suffrage.

Susan B. Anthony was born on February 15, 1820 in Adams, Massachusetts. Her father, Daniel, was a farmer and later a cotton mill owner and manager and was raised as a Quaker. Her mother, Lucy, came from a family that fought in the American Revolution and served in the Massachusetts state government. From an early age, Anthony was inspired by the Quaker belief that everyone was equal under God. That idea guided her throughout her life. She had seven brothers and sisters, many of whom became activists for justice and emancipation of slaves.

After many years of teaching, Anthony returned to her family who had moved to New York State. There she met William Lloyd Garrison and Frederick Douglass, who were friends of her father. Listening to them moved Susan to want to do more to help end slavery. She became an abolition activist, even though most people thought it was improper for women to give speeches in public. Anthony made many passionate speeches against slavery.

In 1848, a group of women held a convention at Seneca Falls , New York. It was the first Women's Rights Convention in the United States and began the Suffrage movement. Her mother and sister attended the convention but Anthony did not. In 1851, Anthony met Elizabeth Cady Stanton. The two women became good friends and worked together for over 50 years fighting for women's rights. They traveled the country and Anthony gave speeches demanding that women be given the right to vote. At times, she risked being arrested for sharing her ideas in public.

Anthony was good at strategy. Her discipline, energy, and ability to organize made her a strong and successful leader. Anthony and Stanton co-founded the American Equal Rights Association. In 1868 they became editors of the Association's newspaper, The Revolution, which helped to spread the ideas of equality and rights for women. Anthony began to lecture to raise money for publishing the newspaper and to support the suffrage movement. She became famous throughout the county. Many people admired her, yet others hated her ideas.

When Congress passed the which give voting rights to African American men, Anthony and Stanton were angry and opposed the legislation because it did not include the right to vote for women. Their belief led them to split from other suffragists. They thought the amendments should also have given women the right to vote. They formed the National Woman Suffrage Association , to push for a constitutional amendment giving women the right to vote.

In 1872, Anthony was arrested for voting. She was tried and fined $100 for her crime. This made many people angry and brought national attention to the suffrage movement. In 1876, she led a protest at the 1876 Centennial of our nation's independence. She gave a speech-"Declaration of Rights"-written by Stanton and another suffragist, Matilda Joslyn Gage.

"Men, their rights, and nothing more; women, their rights, and nothing less."

Anthony spent her life working for women's rights. In 1888, she helped to merge the two largest suffrage associations into one, the National American Women's Suffrage Association. She led the group until 1900. She traveled around the country giving speeches, gathering thousands of signatures on petitions, and lobbying Congress every year for women. Anthony died in 1906, 14 years before women were given the right to vote with the passage of the in 1920.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Champion of temperance, abolition, the rights of labor, and equal pay for equal work, Susan Brownell Anthony became one of the most visible leaders of the women's suffrage movement. Along with Elizabeth Cady Stanton, she traveled around the country delive

# data[].attributes.body
Kamala Harris is the first woman and first woman of color to be elected into the vice presidency. Kamala Harris is a inspiration for women everywhere and shows the true power of strong, independent women. Watch Kamala Harris' historic victory speech below!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Kamala Harris's historic victory speech in full: 'You chose truth'