Feminist Betty Friedan Dies at 85
At home, on her 85th birthday, writer and feminist, Betty Naomi Goldstein Friedan, died today of congestive heart failure.
Born in Peoria, Illinois, Friedan attended Smith College in Northampton, Massachusetts, and also did some graduate work at the University of California in Berkeley. She had a 20-year marriage to Carl Friedan, and her son, Daniel Friedan, is a noted theoretical physicist.
Friedan authored the 1963 bestseller "The Feminine Mystique" which dealt with women's roles in society and promoted the then radical idea that women might aspire to separate identities as individuals. She also cofounded the National Organization for Women and became its first president in 1966, covering a wide range of groundbreaking issues for women.
Other books by Betty Friedan include "The Second Stage" (1981), "The Fountain of Age" (1993), and her 2000 memoir "Life So Far."
Betty Friedan is considered one of the most influential people in feminist politics. More on Friedan can be found at wikipedia and the National Women's Hall of Fame.
"The problem that has no name - which is simply the fact that American women are kept from growing to their full human capacities - is taking a far greater toll on the physical and mental health of our country than any known disease."
- Betty Friedan
May she rest in peace.
No comments:
Post a Comment