Gloria Steinem Instagram – Aileen Hernandez was the woman who could solve anything. Indeed, when a group of women from across the country gathered in 1971 to organize an electoral arm of the women’s movement, Aileen’s wisdom and leadership made sure the meeting was effective. Without Aileen, there wouldn’t have been the National Women’s Political Caucus.
This week on Substack, I’m sharing a speech I delivered at Aileen’s Celebration of Life in 2017. Whether this piece reminds you of her legacy or introduces you to it, I hope we all pledge to honor Aileen’s contributions to justice by standing up for institutions like the EEOC that are under attack right now.
Without telling Aileen’s story and the stories of other great Black path breakers, we render invisible the African-American women who disproportionately led the feminist movement. My hope is we all understand who was really there and work together to safeguard their contributions to justice.
Image: Handwritten speech by Gloria Steinem for Aileen Hernandez’s Celebration of Life in 2017. From the archives of @gloriasfoundation | Posted on 14/Feb/2025 20:30:00
