Dawn Keetley, John Pettegrew, eds.. Public Women, Public Words: A Documentary History of American , vol. 2, 1900-1960, and vol. 3, 1960 to the Present. Lanham: Rowman & Littlefeld Publishers, 2002. 552 pp. $82.50, cloth, ISBN 978-0-7425-2235-0.

Reviewed by Stephanie Gilmore

Published on H-Women (June, 2004)

Back to the Source: U.S. Feminism over the reconsider feminist activism and think about dif‐ Twentieth Century ferent approaches to understand the many wom‐ In 2000, self-identifed third-wave feminists en (no feminist men's works appear in these two Jennifer Baumgardner and wrote volumes) who, individually and collectively, that "for anyone born after the early 1960s, the sought to improve the status of women in U.S. so‐ presence of feminism in our lives is taken for ciety. granted. For our generation, feminism is like fuo‐ Some of the documents in these volumes have ride. We scarcely notice that we have it--it's sim‐ been anthologized elsewhere; others are pub‐ ply in the water."[1] Although not all women have lished for the frst time here. Through their care‐ benefted uniformly from feminist gains and fem‐ ful selection and organization, Keetley and Pette‐ inist goals, and though they remain very much grew have provided an important resource for us contested today, there is simply no way to deny to use as we write the histories of feminism in the the veracity of their claim that feminism has al‐ . With these documents, the editors tered the landscape of U.S. society and culture. combat the idea that feminism was, and is, "the But just how did feminism get "in the water?" In battle of a homogenous group of women in the Public Women, Public Words: A Documentary His‐ name of a single cause such as sufrage or equal tory of American Feminism, Dawn Keetley and rights with men" (vol. 2, p. xiii). John Pettegrew have ofered three volumes (two In volume 2, which begins at the turn of the of which I review here) of feminists' treatises, twentieth century, they document how the so- strategy papers, transcribed speeches, and other called frst wave of feminism was far more than documents to help us contemplate answers to this the fght for sufrage. Instead, they marshal evi‐ question. By bringing together so many docu‐ dence to illustrate that feminism from the end of ments into one collection, they have done much of the nineteenth century and into thefrst half of the legwork for us, ofering texts that allow us to the twentieth century included peace activism, H-Net Reviews scholarly and popular discussions about sex and (Mary White Ovington, "Socialism and the Femi‐ gender, education, public housekeeping, political nist Movement" [1924], vol. 2, pp. 363-366). The in‐ mobilization, and the vote--both securing it and tricacies of such debates about with whom wom‐ using it efectively for women's issues and rights. en should align their votes or how they could (or (Writings on free love, birth control, and sexuality should) use the vote to efect greater change has are largely absent from volume 2, but these topics been the subject of several monographs, but the may be covered in volume 1.) Part 1, entitled "Va‐ selections in this volume ofer some of the sources rieties of Modern Feminism," allows readers to necessary to initiate a sophisticated classroom dis‐ read frst-hand debates over feminism--what it cussion or to consider such issues in diferent meant, whether it was just about women, and ways. how to educate others about feminism. For exam‐ Beyond the vote, of course, this volume illu‐ ple, we can hear various perspectives on femi‐ minates how feminists of the early twentieth cen‐ nism across the decades as we move from Emma tury debated two issues that resonate with femi‐ Goldman's musings on "The Tragedy of Women's nists today: work and war. Keetley and Pettegrew Liberation" (vol. 2, pp. 12-15) to Ellen Glasgow's ofer twenty selections on "work, labor, and so‐ exploration of "Feminism" (vol. 2, pp. 19-22) to M. cialism." This multifaceted discourse on women's Carey Thomas's defense of women's university ed‐ labors suggests that feminists in the frst half of ucation (vol. 2, pp. 55-63)--all of which evaluate the twentieth century dealt more efectively with women's contemporary roles in the context of class than feminists of later years. Although femi‐ broader social institutions. Through such writ‐ nists of the second and third waves have been ings, it is clear that women from a variety of back‐ criticized for not giving necessary attention to grounds and political afliations saw feminism as class, it may be the case that we need to broaden a perspective or framework through which to un‐ more modern conceptions of feminism so as to derstand contemporary issues. recognize those whom historian Susan Hartmann Looking backward, it likely appears that the calls "the other feminists" in labor unions and oth‐ pursuit of "equality" with white middle-class, edu‐ er non-mainstream feminist organizations. In the cated men was an efective route to political, so‐ earlier decades of feminist activism, both prior to cial, and economic change for women, but for the vote and during the "doldrums," feminist la‐ feminists one hundred years ago, this was not a bor activism was vibrant and documents from au‐ foregone conclusion. Although most feminists saw thors across the political spectrum, from Mother the vote as a necessary step, many debated the ef‐ Jones ("You Don't Need a Vote to Raise Hell" fcacy of the vote in overhauling the system. For [1925], vol. 2, pp. 400-404) to Mary McLeod example, black women explored questions of Bethune ("Faith That Moved a Dump Heap" what the nineteenth amendment meant for black [1941], vol. 2, pp. 380-386) and policymakers in enfranchisement (Robert M. Patterson, "The Ne‐ the Women's Bureau ("What the Women's Bureau gro Woman in Politics" [1922], vol. 2, pp. 256-258), Has Accomplished" [1930], vol. 2, pp. 391-394), while union women queried whether or not the demonstrate the ways in which feminists debated vote would amount to signifcant change for fe‐ issues of labor and how they saw themselves as male workers (Corinne Roosevelt Robinson, et al., both a part of and apart from socialism, labor "Is Woman Sufrage Failing?" [1924], vol. 2, pp. unions, and activism. 262-267). Socialist feminists grappled with prob‐ The sixteen fnal selections of volume 2 lems facing turn-of-the-twentieth-century society, demonstrate the ways in which women sought to raising theoretical and practical questions about understand international and domestic issues of the relationship between socialism and feminism

2 H-Net Reviews war and peace. Whether appealing to women's works they chronicle here. Instead, the compiling patriotism and encouraging women to enlist and of these primary sources raises signifcant ques‐ fght in World War II (Daisy Harriman, "Women tions about the rise of identity politics in postwar Enlist Now!" [1941], vol. 2, pp. 469-470; Minnie L. U.S. society, about how we distinguish the feminist Mafett, M.D., "We Too Must Fight This War" "waves" from one another, and about the ways [1942], vol. 2, pp. 470-475) or pursuing a prewar that feminism was related to contemporaneous and postwar agenda of peace (Jane Addams, social movements. "Women and War" [1915], vol. 2, pp. 457-459; The twenty-two documents that comprise Charlotta A. Bass, "You Can Vote for Peace" [1952], "black feminism" and "lesbian identities and cri‐ vol. 2, pp. 480-482; Sophia Wyatt, "One Day Strike tiques of heterosexuality" call up the importance for Peace" [1962], vol. 2, pp. 482-484), for a variety of identity politics in postwar social movements. of women, feminism ofered a critical lens As Frances Beal made clear when she spoke of the through which to see and understand war abroad "double jeopardy" of being black and female (vol. and "homeland security." It is striking to compare 3, pp. 60-66) and "Radicalesbians" demonstrated arguments some feminists used for public house‐ when they wrote of "the woman-identifed wom‐ keeping with those arguments that other femi‐ an" (vol. 3, pp. 109-112), "woman" was never a sin‐ nists used against the war--both clearly indicate gular category--a point that feminists articulated that "equality" feminism was not the only way forcefully. Although self-identifcation is too im‐ women pursued change for women and for the portant a feminist project to deny, cataloging fem‐ world in which they lived. Although U.S. feminism inist activism around identity obscures the impor‐ has been discussed historically as a philosophy tant ways in which feminists from a variety of rooted in equality, documents on these subjects backgrounds dealt with the same issues--rape, indicate that many feminists saw diference as workplace issues, sexual desire and love, racism, their path to social and cultural change, and there and reproductive freedom. Divorcing black, les‐ is much more research to be done on this topic. bian, and multicultural feminists from "main‐ If volume 2 illustrates the ways in which fem‐ stream" feminism denies the important and obvi‐ inists in the frst half of the twentieth century coa‐ ous coalitions and continuities among feminists. lesced around a variety of issues, volume 3 Perhaps scholars will use these documents to demonstrates the importance of identity politics move beyond the sisterhood/diference debate in the century's second half. Keetley and Pette‐ and analyze important issues around which sec‐ grew outline two important distinctions from ond-wave feminists coalesced in spite of, and be‐ "mainstream" feminism (which, here, encompass‐ cause of, diferences. es liberal feminism, women's liberation, and radi‐ That said, the editors do ofer a section on cal feminism): black feminism and lesbian femi‐ some "second-wave issues." Keetley and Pette‐ nism. Although this is a collection of documents, I grew have pulled together important treatises, wish the editors had explored the ways in which documents, and calls to action on such issues as black feminism and lesbian feminism were not child care (Louise Gross and Phyllis MacEwan, merely responses to white, heterosexual femi‐ "On Day Care" [1970], vol. 3, pp. 197-201), welfare nism but also how they grew up in response to (Johnnie Tillmon [with Nancy Stephan], "Welfare challenges among African Americans and gay is a Women's Issue" [1972], vol. 3 pp. 201-204), men (obviously not mutually exclusive cate‐ women's health (Women's Health Collective, "The gories)--what sociologist Benita Roth calls "sepa‐ Male-Feasance of Health" [1970], vol. 3, pp. rate roads to feminism." That they did not, of 204-206), the Equal Rights Amendment (National course, does not detract from the important

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Organization for Women, "ERA Position Paper" pp. 450-458), Wendy Kaminer ("Feminism's Identi‐ [1967], vol. 3, pp. 251-58), housework (Pat Mainar‐ ty Crisis" [1993], vol. 3, pp. 458-466), Barbara di, "The Politics of Housework" [1968/1970], vol. 3, Ehrenreich ("Beyond Gender Equality: Toward the pp. 190-194), and even the role and responsibility New Feminism" [1993], vol. 3, pp. 447-450), and of historians to feminism and to feminists (Linda (with bell hooks, Urvashi Vaid, and Gordon, "What Should Women's Historians Do: Naomi Wolf, "Let's Get Real about Feminism-The Politics, Social Theory, and Women's History" Backlash, the Myths, the Movement" [1993], vol. 3, [1978], vol. 3, pp. 286-291; Gerda Lerner, "New Ap‐ pp. 467-476). Of course, this is not to suggest that proaches to the Study of Women in American His‐ these feminists are somehow "past their prime" tory" [1969], vol. 3, pp. 280-286). They also ofer and need to be relegated to the "second wave." In twenty selections on "pop culture feminism," fact, I am quite pleased to see that many scholars which documents the ways in which feminists and activists who began their careers in the era of claim, assign, and challenge media images of the second wave are identifying with (or at least women, feminists, and feminism. Feminists dis‐ not distancing themselves from) so-called third- cuss the politics of identifying with such cultural wave feminism, and the writings Keetley and Pet‐ phenomena as the Riot Grrls (Punkgrrrl, "I Wanna tegrew have chronicled here are landmark pieces Riot" [1998], vol. 3, p. 425), hip-hop (Joan Morgan, on the current state of U.S. feminism. However, "The Bad Girls of Hip-Hop" [1997], vol. 3, pp. aside from Rebecca Walker and Anastasia Higgin‐ 426-427), Xena (Wendy Bryan, "Xenatopia" [1998], botham, young feminists' writings--including vol. 3, pp. 386-388), or Barbie (Virginia Eubanks, work by Baumgardner, Richards, Inga Muscio, "Hacking Barbie with the Barbie Liberation Orga‐ Barbara Findlen, and many others--are curiously nization" [1998], vol. 3, pp. 408-411), demonstrat‐ absent. ing the importance of culture in women's lives. The criticisms of this edited collection, then, The editors provide these selections to give a are minor and deal only with the choices Keetley thumbnail sketch of the media in late-twentieth- and Pettegrew made when undertaking this com‐ century U.S. culture, and these documents suggest pendium of feminist thought--and some of the that culture and politics are not at odds with one choices may refect external issues, such as copy‐ another but are, instead, refections of one anoth‐ right. Although the two volumes, even in textbook er. The pursuit of cultural issues is, in many ways, binding, might make assigning this collection in a the pursuit of political issues--an important ele‐ classroom cost prohibitive (volumes 2 and 3 cur‐ ment of third-wave feminism. rently are available only in hardbound editions at With sixteen selections on the future of femi‐ $75.00 each; volume 1 is available textbook-bound nism, it is clear that feminists are saying much for $26.95), this collection is a valuable resource about where feminism is at the turn of the twen‐ for both researching and teaching feminist move‐ ty-frst century and where it is headed. Although ments in the United States. Scholars will surely younger feminists are represented in the section fnd it useful to have in one place a variety of doc‐ on "Pop Culture Feminism," very few of the au‐ uments, many of which are rarely seen in docu‐ thors whose works are cataloged in "Toward a mentary collections. Third Wave" are age-representative of the third As the documents in Public Women, Public wave. Instead of seeing many young women's Words: A Documentary History of American Fem‐ names, Keetley and Pettegrew ofer writings by inism make clear, feminism did not just "get" into bell hooks ("Black Students Who Reject Feminism" the water; feminists struggled to get it there. [1994], vol. 3, pp. 490-492), Katha Pollitt ("Are Reading (or re-reading) these documents invites Women Morally Superior to Men?" [1992], vol. 3,

4 H-Net Reviews us to raise vital questions about what we know about the history of U.S. feminism. Historians could use this rich documentary collection to ex‐ plore questions about continuities, diferences, and ideological shifts among feminists across the twentieth century. Where did feminist attention to work and labor go, and why? At what times was the body a site of feminist rhetoric, writing, identity, and activism, and to what ends? When and why did feminists start to debate who was an appropriate sex partner and what was feminist sex? How did identity politics transform femi‐ nism? At what costs? (How) Did feminists tran‐ scend them, and if they did, were they successful? Having all of these documents at one's fngertips can only enhance one's ability to ask and answer such questions. Notes [1]. Jennifer Baumgardner and Amy Richards, Manifesta: Young Women, Feminism, and the Fu‐ ture (: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2000): 17. [2]. Susan M. Hartmann, The Other Feminists: Activists in the Liberal Establishment (New Haven: Yale University Press, 1998). [3]. Benita Roth, Separate Roads to Feminism: Black, Chicana, and White Feminist Movements in America's Second Wave (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2004).

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Citation: Stephanie Gilmore. Review of Keetley, Dawn; Pettegrew, John, eds. Public Women, Public Words: A Documentary History of American Feminism, vol. 2, 1900-1960, and vol. 3, 1960 to the Present. H-Women, H-Net Reviews. June, 2004.

URL: https://www.h-net.org/reviews/showrev.php?id=9514

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