Explores the global history and contributions of the feminist revolution.
The Feminist Revolution offers an overview of women's struggle for equal rights in the late twentieth century. Beginning with the auspicious founding of the National Organization for Women in 1966, at a time when women across the world were mobilizing individually and collectively in the fight to assert their independence and establish their rights in society, the book traces a path through political campaigns, protests, the formation of women's publishing houses and groundbreaking magazines, and other events that shaped women's history. It examines women's determination to free themselves from definition by male culture, wanting not only to "take back the night" but also to reclaim their bodies, their minds, and their cultural identity. It demonstrates as well that the feminist revolution was enacted by women from all backgrounds, of every color, and of all ages and that it took place in the home, in workplaces, and on the streets of every major town and city. This sweeping overview of the key decades in the feminist revolution also brings together for the first time many of these women's own unpublished stories, which together offer tribute to the daring, humor, and creative spirit of its participants.
KIRKUS REVIEWS, STARRED REVIEW
Richly illustrated, engagingly written history of second-wave feminism and successor movements from the 1960s to the present. [...] Essential for students of women's rights and popular political movements in the modern era and an inspiration for future actions.
BOOKLIST
This collection of essays, firsthand accounts, photos, and posters is equal parts highly readable prose and collector’s item. Morris, a women’s-studies professor, and Withers, a cultural theorist, have gathered critical components of the history of women’s resistance and presented them here for careful consumption. The language of the text is extremely informative and well researched. The authors are clear from the beginning that theirs is the narrative of the women’s-rights movement as it has been experienced in the U.S. and the UK, to avoid alienating other global initiatives. The images and media included range from campaign buttons to festival posters to inspirational artwork, all of which strengthen the power of the corresponding text. The book is divided into sections, the topics of which range from workplace equity to health care to sexuality to music. The authors stress the importance of an intersectional movement and urge readers to reach beyond their own biases as women or allies. Their book is a love letter to all the radical fighters who have come before.
