Abzug From Peace Activism to Feminist Leadership

Bella Abzug’s Journey from Peace Activist to Feminist Leader

Bella Abzug went from lawyer to warrior for peace in 1961.

She helped start Women Strike for Peace, bringing 50,000 women to the streets against nuclear tests. Their work paid off when Kennedy signed the 1963 Test Ban Treaty.

Later, as the Vietnam War raged, Abzug kept fighting.

Then in 1977, she led the National Women’s Conference in Houston, where 2,000 delegates backed a bold 26-point plan for women’s rights.

Meanwhile, Phyllis Schlafly held a rival rally nearby that sparked decades of culture wars. The story of this pivotal moment awaits at Bella Abzug Park in New York.

50,000 Women Took to the Streets Against Nuclear Testing

Bella Abzug and Dagmar Wilson started Women Strike for Peace in 1961 after meeting at Wilson’s home in Washington. Their first action brought together 50,000 women across 60 American cities to protest nuclear testing.

Women carried signs saying “End the Arms Race—Not the Human Race” and spoke out against radioactive fallout in children’s milk.

Abzug became the group’s national legislative chairwoman, turning ordinary housewives with protest signs into a serious political force.

Lawyer-Turned-Activist Brought Political Smarts to Peace Movement

Abzug created Women Strike for Peace’s legislative committee and led many visits to congressional offices.

She met with powerful members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and spoke at Democratic Platform Committee hearings.

The group went beyond street protests by creating “lobby-by-proxy” campaigns where members shared facts about radiation with Congress and everyday Americans.

In 1962, fifty women traveled to Geneva to push for a test ban, showing how Abzug’s legal background helped them gain political access.

Kennedy Signed Test Ban Treaty Thanks to Mothers’ Pressure

Kennedy signed the Limited Test Ban Treaty on October 11, 1963, banning nuclear tests in the atmosphere, space, and underwater.

Kennedy’s science adviser directly credited Women Strike for Peace for convincing the President to support the treaty.

The group’s concerns proved right – the Baby Tooth Survey found children born in 1963 had 50 times more Strontium-90 in their teeth than children born in 1950.

Their “Pure Milk Not Poison” campaign helped secure this major arms control agreement.

Peace Activists Shifted Focus to Vietnam War

After winning the test ban in 1963, Women Strike for Peace turned to fighting the Vietnam War by 1964. Abzug led this shift with the same drive.

The group became the first to protest against U.S.involvement in Vietnam, organizing demonstrations before most national anti-war groups even formed.

Women Strike for Peace joined with younger women in 1969 to create the first all-women’s march in Washington, D.C., calling themselves the Jeannette Rankin Brigade.

Abzug Campaigned for Anti-War Politicians Before Running Herself

Bella worked on antiwar Senator Eugene McCarthy’s campaign during the 1968 Democratic presidential race.

She stayed active in Women Strike for Peace until she won her own election to Congress in 1970, serving as chairwoman for nearly ten years.

At age 50, Abzug won a House seat on a strong feminist and peace platform.

She joined just 12 women in the House and made history as the first member of Congress openly supporting women’s liberation.

Congress Got Its First Openly Feminist Representative

In 1971, Abzug helped start the National Women’s Political Caucus with Gloria Steinem, Shirley Chisholm, Betty Friedan, and Patsy Mink.

She wrote a law that got $5 million for what became the National Women’s Conference.

Working with Congresswoman Patsy Mink, she backed HR 9924, creating the framework for International Women’s Year events.

Abzug pushed for groundbreaking bills including the Equal Rights Amendment and gave crucial support for Title IX, which changed women’s access to education and sports.

Jimmy Carter Put Abzug in Charge of Women’s Year Commission

President Carter picked Abzug to lead the National Commission on the Observance of International Women’s Year in early 1977.

The commission grew to 42 members with big names like Betty Ford, Maya Angelou, Coretta Scott King, and Gloria Steinem.

From February through July 1977, all 50 states and six territories held meetings involving 130,000 participants. Abzug coordinated this huge effort to elect delegates and develop ideas for the national conference.

Historic Houston Conference Opened With Olympic-Style Torch Relay

The National Women’s Conference ran November 18-21, 1977, bringing together 2,000 elected delegates and 20,000 attendees in Houston.

A torch relay started at the site of the 1848 Seneca Falls women’s rights convention, carried by over 3,000 runners wearing “Women on the Move” t-shirts.

Famous athletes including Katherine Switzer, Donna de Varona, and Billie Jean King joined Abzug and Betty Friedan for the final mile.

The final report, “The Spirit of Houston,” went to President Carter and Congress in March 1978. Texas Congresswoman Barbara Jordan gave the main speech with First Ladies watching from the front row.

Phyllis Schlafly Organized Rival Rally Just Five Miles Away

Conservative leader Phyllis Schlafly set up a competing “Pro-Life, Pro-Family Rally” at Houston’s Astro Arena on November 19, just five miles from the official conference.

The conservative gathering drew 15,000-20,000 people, filling more seats than the official conference venue could hold.

Schlafly called the National Women’s Conference “Federal Financing of a Foolish Festival for Frustrated Feminists.”

Her rally united previously separate conservative groups under a single “family values” banner for the first time.

Women Approved Bold 26-Point Plan for Gender Equality

Conference delegates passed a complete 26-point National Plan of Action covering equal rights, childcare, healthcare, gay rights, and anti-discrimination measures.

Despite heated debates over hot topics like abortion and lesbian rights, the feminist coalition stayed united through the final vote.

Betty Friedan seconded the resolution supporting gay and lesbian rights, completely changing her 1969 position when she had called lesbianism a “lavender herring.”

Carter Fired Abzug, Triggering Mass Resignations

Carter formed the National Advisory Committee for Women in April 1978 with Abzug as chairwoman, but faced growing pressure from conservatives.

In January 1979, Carter fired Abzug after she criticized his economic policies, prompting 26 of 40 committee members to resign in protest.

Schlafly called the Houston weekend the “Battle of Midway” for the pro-family movement. Her counter-rally successfully energized the religious right and helped stop ERA ratification.

The conservative gathering became the foundation for the organized religious right that would shape Republican politics through the Reagan years and beyond.

Visiting Bella Abzug Park, New York

Bella Abzug Park is at 542 West 36th Street between 10th and 11th Avenues, free and open daily from 6am to 11pm.

You can watch three fountains that shut off automatically when it’s windy. Two entrances connect directly to the 34th Street-Hudson Yards 7 train station.

The park has monthly movie nights, salsa and bachata dance classes, plus seasonal wellness events. Paradis in the Park café serves food and drinks during events.

This article was created with AI assistance and human editing.

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