Wilma Scott Heide
Ms Heide was the third president of NOW, serving form 1971-74. During her tenure, Ms Heide grew the organization to 700 chapters and 50,000 members world wide with a budget of three quarters of a million dollars, from an budget of $28,000 and 3,000 members when she took office! She was succeeded by Karen DeCrow.
Jean Witter is a NOW leader from Pittsburg, PA. She and Wilma Scott Heide led 20 ERA members to the Senate, where they disrupted proceedings on the 18-year-old vote to demand hearings on the Equal Rights Amendment. Her dedication to ERA inspired her to go to law school at the age of 40 so that her speeches for the ERA would have more weight. An opinion letter she wrote to Congress on the necessity for an extension to the original ERA timeline—a sign that every letter counts!
Laura Carter Callow
Ms Callow is an art teacher and mother of three. She has dedicated herself to civil rights for women through letter writing, activism, advocacy, community organizing and speeches. She is known at home as the “Susan B. Anthony of Michigan.”
Jean Muirhead
Muirhead, Jackson, Mississippi attorney, spoke on the legal status of women at our October 1972 meeting of ERA supporters to form a coalition for a ratification campaign.
Gloria Steinem
Ms Steinem argued at a Senate Hearing in May 1970 that women’s movement was part the larger quest for civil rights and a well‐intentioned effort to promote democratic principles. Click here to read her testimony. She is also well known for her creation of ‘Ms’ Magazine. To read some articles in ‘Ms’ Magazine, click here!
Kristin Lems
Ms Lems is a folk singer who performs at many of our events and helps connect culture to politics.
Peter Kastner
Mr Kastner is a Canadian actor who has contributed greatly to our cause through his performance of The ERA Song!