09/03/2026
Rest in peace to Gloria Steinem, the groundbreaking journalist, author and activist who helped change how America talked about women, power and equality.
She exposed the exploitation of women through her journalism, co-founded Ms. magazine, fought for the Equal Rights Amendment and helped establish organizations that gave women a stronger voice in politics, media and the workplace. For more than five decades, she fought for reproductive freedom, equal pay, political representation and a woman’s right to determine the course of her own life.
She also understood that feminism could not ignore race or class. Steinem worked closely with Black feminist and civil rights activist Dorothy Pitman Hughes, traveling the country together to speak about the different realities women faced. She openly credited Black women with teaching her much of what she understood about feminism.
She also shared the stage many times with one of our favorites, bell hooks. Their public conversations did not avoid their differences. They explored them, speaking honestly about race, gender, power and the future of feminism. Their friendship showed that solidarity does not require women to have the same experiences. It requires them to listen, learn and keep showing up for one another.
Gloria Steinem did not simply write about change. She helped move it forward.
Her work opened minds, challenged institutions and gave generations of women permission to question the rules they had been handed.
Rest in peace, Gloria Steinem. Your voice helped women recognize the power of their own.
