Bella Abzug
Bella Abzug
Bella Abzug (1920-1998), politician, lawyer, and feminist, known for her advocacy of equal rights for women and minorities.
Abzug was born Bella Savitsky in New York City. She earned her undergraduate degree from Hunter College in 1942 and her law degree from Columbia University in 1947. In 1944, while in school, she married Martin Abzug; the couple had two daughters.
After leaving law school, Abzug opened a private law practice. She founded the antinuclear weapons group, Women Strike for Peace, in 1961 and was an outspoken critic of the Vietnam War (1959-1975). Abzug entered politics in 1970, winning election to the United States House of Representatives as a candidate of the Democratic Party. She represented a Manhattan, New York, district in Congress until 1976, when she gave up her seat to run unsuccessfully for the United States Senate.
As a congresswoman, Abzug was a forceful advocate for women and helped start several influential women’s organizations. In 1971, along with leading feminist Gloria Steinem and others, Abzug cofounded the National Women’s Political Caucus to encourage more women to get involved in the political process. She also worked for other minority causes, including gay rights. She gained a reputation in Congress for being blunt and forceful, and her strongly worded speeches won both praise and criticism for their forthrightness.
After several unsuccessful campaigns for mayor of New York City and for various federal offices, Abzug left politics and worked on environmental issues and advocated breast cancer research. She wrote several books, including Bella! Ms. Abzug Goes to Washington (1972) and Gender Gap: Bella Abzug’s Guide to Political Power for Women (1984). (1)