Florynce “Flo” Kennedy: The Life of a Black Feminist Radical

Description

Often photographed in a cowboy hat with her middle finger held defiantly in the air, Florynce "Flo" Kennedy (1916–2000) left a vibrant legacy as a leader of the Black Power and feminist movements. In the first biography of Kennedy, Sherie M. Randolph traces the life and political influence of this strikingly bold and controversial radical activist. Rather than simply reacting to the predominantly white feminist movement, Kennedy brought the lessons of Black Power to white feminism and built bridges in the struggles against racism and sexism. Randolph narrates Kennedy's progressive upbringing, her pathbreaking graduation from Columbia Law School, and her long career as a media-savvy activist, showing how Kennedy rose to founding roles in organizations such as the National Black Feminist Organization and the National Organization for Women, allying herself with both white and black activists such as Adam Clayton Powell, H. Rap Brown, Betty Friedan, and Shirley Chisholm. Making use of an extensive and previously uncollected archive, Randolph demonstrates profound connections within the histories of the new left, civil rights, Black Power, and feminism, showing that black feminism was pivotal in shaping postwar U.S. liberation movements. Acknowledgments Introduction 1. Political in the Sense That We Never Took Any Shit: Family and the Roots of Black Feminist Radicalism, 1916-1942 2. Similarities of the Societal Position of Women and Negroes: Education and Protest in New York City, 1943-1948 3. All Men and Flo: Struggling to Survive as an Attorney, 1948-1960 4. The Fight Is One That Must Be Continued: In the Courtroom, in the Press, and in Political Organizations, 1961-1965 5. Black Power May Be the Only Hope America Has: Black Power, Feminism, and the New Left, 1966-1967 6. Absorbed Her Wisdom and Her Wit: Creating the Women's Liberation Movement, 1967-1968 7. I Was the Force of Them: Leading the Women's Liberation Movement, 1968-1969 8. Not to Rely Completely on the Courts: Black Feminist Leadership in the Reproductive Rights Battles, 1969-1971 9. Form It! Call a Meeting!: Building a Black Feminist Movement, 1971-1980 Epilogue. Until We Catch Up: The Struggle Continues Notes Bibliography Index