Chapter 23

An Era of Activism

Section 1

The Women’s Movement

feminism• The theory of political, social, and economic equality of

men and women• In the 1950s society still forced the cult of domesticity on

women• By 1960, 38% of women worked, many due to economic

necessity

Education for women

• 1950, only 25% of BA degrees were earned by women

• 1970, 43% of BA degrees were earned by women

• Many employers would not give women a chance in the workplace because they said that if they trained them, they would loose money when women left to have children

• Many employers believed that women belong at home

Women were discriminated against in pay.

• In 1963, women earned 59 cents for every dollar that men made doing the same job.

• By 1973, the figure had dropped to 57 cents!

The Civil Rights Act of 1964• Contained title VII, which said that it was illegal

to discriminate based on sex.• The Civil Rights movement not only gave

women Title VII, it also showed them how to organize.

The Feminine Mystique

• Written by Betty Friedan• Wrote about “the problem with no name” of

housewives being dissatisfied with their lives.

Consciousness-raising groups

• Groups of women who met to discuss important women’s issues

• Many of these women had never participated in a group like this

National Organization for WomenNOW

• Organized in 1966 by 28 professional women, including Betty Friedan

• Wanted fair pay and equal job opportunities• Critics said that NOW only benefited middle-

class, white women; other critics called these women “feminazis”.

Rush Limbaugh may have been right when he said,

"Feminism was established so as to allow

unattractive women access to the mainstream

of society."

Feminism critics

Our Bodies, Ourselves

• The first version, published in 1970, was little more than a collection of mimeographed papers that sold for 30 cents. The success of the book was its novel approach—a book written by women (who were not medically trained) for women. Its goal was to teach women about their bodies and recognize the value of their personal experiences with the health system. The book challenged women to take an active part in their own health care and to be critical consumers. For the most part it reflected the health concerns of white, educated women ages 25 to 45.

Gloria Steinem• Founded Ms. Magazine• About feminist issues• Challenged traditional roles of women

Not all women within the NOW organization held the same opinions.

• Some said that the movement was too radical with the rejection of marriage and childbearing

• Others feared that these ideas would split the movement. They believed that women wanted an equality with men, not a rejection of them

Roe vs. Wade• 1973 Supreme Court case that legalized abortion• Allowed women to have abortions in the first three

months of pregnancy with no state restrictions

Equal Rights Amendment (ERA)• Approved by Congress in 1972

• It failed ratification by the states in 1982

Opposition to Women’s Rights• Phyllis Schalfy, criticized the ERA by saying that it

would take away women’s rights (support by husband, military service exemption, single-sex colleges)

• Many mothers felt slighted by the movement• African American women said they were more

discriminated against because of race than because of gender

Section 2

Ethnic Minorities Seek Equality

Latinos face discrimination• Latinos – Spanish speaking people from many

different countries who share a similar culture• Chicanos, Mexican-Americans, make up the

largest group of Latinos in the U.S.• Many were discriminated against in the

workplace

Cesar Chavez• Fought for rights of migrant farm workers, people who move from

state to state to work farm lands; these people were exploited• Formed United Farm Workers (UFW) to fight for the rights of farm

workers• Used a boycott of grapes to gain better conditions for grapes

workers

Jose Angel Gutierrez• Founded the political party, La Raza Unida

• Worked for better housing and jobs; supported Latino political candidates

Asian Americans fight discrimination• Prejudice against Japanese Americans was strong

after WWII; they formed the Japanese American Citizen League (JACL) to fight it.

• Won small payment for property that was taken during their internment.

• They still faced discrimination in pay.

Native American discrimination• Placed on poverty stricken reservations

• Discriminated in hiring and pay

• Couldn’t vote in some states until the 1940s

• States tried to strip culture

American Indian Movement (AIM)• Group that fought for Native American treaty

rights and self-government (autonomy)

American Indian’s Protest• 1972 – marched to Washington, D.C. and occupied

Bureau of Indian Affairs building for six days (Broken Treaties Protest)

• 1969 – took over Alcatraz Island in San Francisco Bay; said they owned it under Fort Laramie Treaty

• 1973 took over Wounded Knee village- resulted in the deaths of two AIM members and many wounded

Under Kennedy and Johnson, Native Americans make some gains.

• 1972 Indian Education Act – parents and tribal councils gain control over schools

• 1975 Indian Self-Determination and Indian Assistance Act - gave Indians autonomy

Section 3

The Counterculture

counterculture• Young people whose values ran against the mainstream• Valued youth, spontaneity, and individuality• Called “hippies”• Freer attitudes towards dress, style, drug use, and sexuality

Woodstock• Music and Arts Festival in Bethel, NY, in 1969• 400,000 hippies showed up; many more than were expected• Peaceful gathering as police ignored most drug laws

Altamont• Took place at Altamont Speedway in California,

Dec. 1969• 300,000 gathered for Rolling Stones concert• Hell’s Angels to provide security; beat a man to

death who approached the stage with a gun

Section 4

The Environmental and Consumer Concerns

Rachel Carson• Wrote a book, Silent Spring, about the effects

of DDT on the environment• Began the Environmental Movement; led the

government to ban the use of DDT.

Nuclear Regulatory Commission

• Created 1974 to make sure that nuclear power plants were operated safely

Environmental Protection AgencyEPA

• Created in 1970 to enforce environmental laws and enforce pollution control standards

Clean Air Act

• 1970

• Passed to address the concerns of pollution

Clean Water Act

• Gave grants to build better sewage plants and reduce water pollution

Ralph Nader

• Wrote the book, Unsafe at Any Speed, about cars that did not meet safety standards

• Corvair pulled off the market