Fifty years ago today, protesters took on the Miss America Pageant in Atlantic City, sparking the feminist revolution, with hundreds of women protesting the pageant's ideal of femininity. Just a few blocks away another protest was taking place: the first-ever Miss Black America contest.
In an interview with Boston NPR station WGBH, Stephanie Yuhl, professor of history and social movements expert, says both protests were daring, serious and successful. And although they were independent of each other, it's not surprising they were happening at the same time, considering the historical context. "One of the great criticisms about white feminism in this period is that it was tone-deaf to African Americans and the concerns of other women of color," says Yuhl.
To read the entire article and listen to the audio interviews, please go to WGBH.org.
Related Coverage:
- WGBH, Feb. 22
