What I appreciated most about Gloria was she let me feel normal. I graduated in engineering as one of three women in a class of over 150. In her world, a feminist was a woman that wanted to be judged for her capabilities and not her gender.
She was very inspirational and empowering when I first read her books as a young engineer. Teresa, Switzerland She was a stalwart in my life and my evolution as a feminist and a supporter of the rights of women. I met Gloria Steinem once, at the very beginning of her career and of my own.
Fresh out of Wellesley College, I travelled with a friend, another aspiring journalist, to cover the World Festival of Youth and Students, held in Vienna in the summer of 1959. The festival, it was widely acknowledged, was sponsored by the Soviet bloc; it came in the wake of the failed Hungarian revolt against communism and attracted young people from all over the world. From the US, there were two delegations, one called the New York group, the other the Cambridge crowd.
Gloria Steinem was the super-glamorous, gorgeous, dynamic “secretary” of the Cambridge crowd. In her low-cut summer frock and what we called, even back then, “fuck-me sandals” she was a knockout, everywhere, directing operations, arranging for Ella Fitzgerald (no less) to give a free concert, feeding journalists stories, prompts, questions. I don’t think her official title was anything more than secretary, but clearly she was the person in charge.
I was not surprised when she emerged several years later as a key figure in the burgeoning women’s movement. Her combination of brains and a well-nourished sense of humour brought strength, wit, and intelligence to the movement. And now, when we really need her like again, she is gone – but I pray her memory will continue to strengthen all of us who care about women’s lives and futures.
Nancy Harmon Jenkins, 89, journalist, Camden, Maine In March of 2014, I was surprised to see Gloria Steinem got on my uptown 6 subway train here in NYC. It was fairly busy on the train but when someone offered her a seat she declined and said she was just going a couple of stops. She was very smiley and casual and even though it was likely most passengers in the car wouldn’t have known who she was, somehow it was clear everyone knew she was someone.
Extract — continue reading at the source.
