1973 Press Photograph of African American Feminist Activist Florynce Kennedy
- Single photograph measuring 8 x 10 inches. Manuscript captions verso reading “Florence Kennedy / (Fla) / Womens Lib” and “
- United States , 1973
United States, 1973. Single photograph measuring 8 x 10 inches. Manuscript captions verso reading “Florence Kennedy / (Fla) / Womens Lib” and “FLORYNCE KENNEDY / WOMEN’S RIGHTS” with stamps “PHOTO BY AKIRA SUWA” and “MAR4-1973”. Near Fine.. Florynce Kennedy (1916–2000) was an African American activist, lecturer, and lawyer. She attended Columbia University as a pre-law student, graduating in 1948; she was rejected from Columbia Law School but the decision was reversed when she threatened legal action for racial and gender discrimination. Kennedy went into private practice in 1954; she represented Billie Holliday’s and Charlie Parker’s estates, and defended Black Panthers H. Rap Brown and Assata Shakur and radical feminist Valerie Solanas. She founded The Feminist Party, which nominated Shirley Chisholm for president, sued the Catholic Church, lectured on issues of race and gender, and organized and participated in numerous protests.
Shortly after this photograph was taken in 1973, Kennedy organized the National Black Feminist Organization. The group first met in New York City, and its first attendees included Faith Ringgold, Ringgold’s daughter Michele Wallace, Margaret Sloan-Hunter, and other prominent African American feminist activists. In the photograph, Kennedy wears a pin reading “DEFEAT THE FETUS FETISHISTS”. Abortion rights were an important cause for Kennedy; the pin is likely related to the October 1973 protests by the Women’s National Abortion Action Coalition against the New York City Archdiocesan “Respect Life Week”, where the slogan appeared on many protestors’ signs.[1]
[1] “Respect Life Week Stresses the Unborn,” The New York Times, October 3, 1972, 22.
Shortly after this photograph was taken in 1973, Kennedy organized the National Black Feminist Organization. The group first met in New York City, and its first attendees included Faith Ringgold, Ringgold’s daughter Michele Wallace, Margaret Sloan-Hunter, and other prominent African American feminist activists. In the photograph, Kennedy wears a pin reading “DEFEAT THE FETUS FETISHISTS”. Abortion rights were an important cause for Kennedy; the pin is likely related to the October 1973 protests by the Women’s National Abortion Action Coalition against the New York City Archdiocesan “Respect Life Week”, where the slogan appeared on many protestors’ signs.[1]
[1] “Respect Life Week Stresses the Unborn,” The New York Times, October 3, 1972, 22.