Nancy Spero

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Overview

Nancy Spero born Cleveland, OH August 24, 1926 (d. 2009). Feminist and antiwar artist. Works include “The War Series”, 150 pieces against Vietnam War, 1966-70; “Torture of Women” depicting events in Chile, 1976.

Quotations

“It’s horrific, trying to show the insanity and brutality of war. I couldn’t do it in a realistic fashion, so it got kind of surreal. Even though I was responding to Vietnam, all these grotesques—these surreal images—are my response to war. That was my subject matter, and it still is. For the most part, one wouldn’t realize it was about Vietnam. You know, as they say, 'It’s art because I say so'—so, it’s Vietnam because I say so, or Iraq because I say so.” (quote & photo Art21)

Susie Stageberg

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Overview

Susie Williamson Stageberg born Badger, IA January 30, 1877 (d. 1961). “Mother of the Farmer-Labor Party.” Took anti-militarist stand, 1922. Opposed World War II and Korean War.

Quotations

“It is heartbreaking to think how slowly we emerge from the jungle morass of mass violence. Men seem so definitely inclined to that type of prowess that we often wonder if one of the most effective cures for war will have to be the placing of the so-called 'weaker sex,' the mothers of the world, in the places of national authority and international diplomacy.” (Louise Tilly, Women, Politics and Change, 1993, p. 450; photo mnopedia.org)

Elizabeth Cady Stanton

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Overview

Elizabeth Cady Stanton born Johnstown, NY November 12, 1815 (d. 1902). Suffragist; abolitionist; co-founder of Seneca Falls Convention, 1848.

Quotations

"The evils of bad government fall ever most heavily on the mothers of the race, who, however wise and far-seeing, have no voice in its administration, no power to protect themselves and their children against a male dynasty of violence and force." (Hist. Woman Suffrage II:87; photo Freethought Almanac)

Starhawk

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Overview

Starhawk (née Miriam Simos) born St. Paul, MN June 17, 1951. Pacifist anarchist witch. Trained and led numerous nonviolent protests and arrests at Diablo Canyon nuclear site, 1981; Livermore Weapons lab, 1982; WTO Seattle, 1999; anti-Iraq War, 2003; Republican National Committee, 2004; Israel's wall, 2008.

Quotations

"Life is moved by a power deeper than the power of the gun and the bomb." (Dreaming the Dark, 1982, p. 3)

"We need women’s actions. . . to assert that compassion is not weakness and brutality is not strength, to dramatize our support for nurturing and life affirming values." ("Why We Need Women's Actions." Jan, 28, 2003; photo Facebook)

Ellen Gates Starr

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Overview

Ellen Gates Starr born Laona, IL March 19, 1859 (d. 1940). Socialist; labor organizer; social worker; artist. Organizer of women’s strikes. Co-founded Hull House with Jane Addams, 1889. Protected woman protestor from police.

Quotations

“As an American citizen, I protest against the arrest of this person, who is doing nothing against the law.” (New York Times, Feb. 11, 1940; photo janeaddamsproject.org)

Dorothy R. Steffens

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Overview

Dorothy R. Steffens born NY May 5, 1921 (d. 1999) Quaker economist. Executive Director of US WILPF, 1971-77. Led peace delegation to Hanoi, 1971; headed delegation to Chile to investigate allegations of Pinochet regime's human rights abuses, 1973; led peace mission to Northern Ireland, 1974. Organized Women's Disarmament Conference at UN, 1975; attended Vietnam peace accord, Paris, 1975.

Quotations

"We witnessed the almost total destruction of this largest medical center in Vietnam. With 940 beds and 250 doctors, this teaching hospital was the pride of the Vietnamese. . . It is our hope that the American people will wish to make a tangible expression of reconciliation and good will to the people of Vietnam by rebuilding Bad Mai Hospital." (Westport Fairpress, March 7, 1973)

Jill Stein

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Overview

Jill Stein born Chicago, IL May 14, 1950. Physician and politician. Won 469,501 votes as Green Party presidential candidate, the most successful female candidate in history, 2012; ran strong antiwar campaign.

Quotations

“United States foreign policies have been based, unfortunately, on brute military force and wars for oil. Under my administration, we will have a foreign policy based on international law and human rights and the use of diplomacy. And instead of fighting wars for oil, we will be leading—as America, we will be leading the fight to put an end to climate change.” (Oct. 24, 2012, Third Party candidates in final debate; photo Wikipedia)

Gloria Steinem

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Overview

Gloria Steinem born Toledo, OH March 25, 1934. Feminist editor and writer; pacifist; nonviolent activist. Bowles Fellowship in India, 1956-57; founding editor of Ms. magazine, 1972. Supported United Farm Workers; opposed Vietnam War with tax resistance, 1965. Active in nuclear freeze efforts; voiced early opposition to Iraq War.

Quotations

“From pacifist to terrorist, each person condemns violence—and then adds one cherished case in which it may be justified.” (1972; photo Wikipedia)

Sandra Steingraber

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Overview

Sandra Steingraber born Champaign, IL August 27, 1959. Biologist and ecologist; poet. Jailed 10 days for peacefully blocking entrance to Inergy fracking facility, Ithaca, 2013. Founded We Are Seneca Lake to protest fracking, 2014.

Quotations

“Citizens write, testify, protest. Mothers contemplate civil disobedience. Some have done it.” (poem to Gandhi, “Invitation to Albany”, Jan. 27, 2013)

“Accepting a jail sentence demonstrates seriousness of intent, shows respect for the law, opens a bigger space in the public conversation for all-important media stories.” (Nov. 30, 2014)

Rita Steinhagen

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Overview

Rita Steinhagen born January 20, 1928 (d. 2006). Catholic nun; medical technician; volunteer Witness for Peace Nicaragua; twice arrested in protest against School of Americas, 1996; sentenced to 6 months prison, 1997. Founded the Minneapolis-based Bridge organization for runaway youth, 1971.

Quotations

"Unfortunately, civil disobedience is the only thing that gets people's attention." ("Sister Soldier", mda.com, Nov. 18, 1998; photo http://bit.ly/FO90ip)

Ruth Steinkraus-Cohen

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Overview

Ruth Steinkraus-Cohen born Cleveland, OH June 8, 1920 (d. 2002). Internationalist promoter of UN; published UN Calendar for Peace 20+ years; sponsored jUNe Day hospitality for UN; protested movie "Amerika"; promoted lectures on international law; pianist.

Quotations

"The UN is doing God's work on earth. From the atom to cruelty in zoos, there's a UN body paying attention to it." (Westport Magazine, Jan. 2001; photo flickr.com)

Doris Stevens

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Overview

Doris Stevens born Omaha, NE October 26, 1888 (d. 1963). Chronicler of American suffragists; Executive Secretary of the Congressional Union for Womens Suffrage; arrested 1917, sentenced to 60 days in Occoquan Prison but pardoned after 3 days; arrested picketing Metropolitan Opera house, 1919.

Quotations

"Nothing in this world so ruffles the pompous dignity of a court as non-resistant defendants." (Jailed for Freedom, p. 212)

Annalee Stewart

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Overview

Annalee Stewart (née Kyger) born Bloomington, IL February 17, 1900 (d. 1988). First woman Methodist minister 1924; WILPF national president, 1946-50; Legislative Secretary lobbyist, 1949-64; opposed Korean War, Vietnam War; questioned Cold War and Nato; co-chair WILPF Committee to Oppose Conscription of Women for World War II; opposed nuclear weapons, germ warfare; strong advocate of UN; delegate to First Inter-American Womens’ Conference, 1947.

Quotations

On NATO: “We fear the day when the major emphasis and money will go into military aid programs and rearmament and the spread of the kinds of weapons that were then being developed and it would be more difficult to get that which our organization has worked for since the beginning since Jane Addams proposed 49 years ago world disarmament under law.” (Aug. 18, 1964, Hearings of House Committee on Agreement for Cooperation, p. 63; photo Swarthmore.edu)

Lynne Irene Stewart

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Overview

Lynne Irene Stewart born Brooklyn, NY October 8, 1939. Human rights lawyer; sentenced to 28 months prison for helping terrorist, 2009.

Quotations

"Once we allow the government to define the people we’re defending, it’s a slippery slope downward to the government will just no longer need lawyers, no longer need defenses, no longer need any kind of court proceeding, because they will decide in advance who is guilty and who is not." (Democracy Now, June 24, 2004)

"I see myself as being a symbol of what people rail against when they say our civil liberties are eroded, I hope this will be a wake-up call to all the citizens of this country, that you can't lock up the lawyers, you can't tell the lawyers how to do their jobs. I will fight on, I'm not giving up, I know I committed no crime. I know what I did was right." (NYTimes 11 Feb. 2005; photo 2005 wikicom pd)

Brenda Stokely

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Overview

Brenda Stokely born Harlem, New York December 19, 1945. Co-chair New York City Labor Against the War (NYCLAW). Organizer Million Worker March opposing war Oct. 2004; Black Socialist labor leader; opposes Israeli occupation; founder Troops Out Now 2004, Blacks in Solidarity Against the War 2005.

Quotations

"We're going to bring down the imperialist powers who think they have the right to slaughter our children!" (Jan. 19, 2003, Washington DC; photo lpa.ipg.com)

Lucy Stone

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Overview

Lucy Stone born West Brookfield, MA August 13, 1818 (d. 1893). Peace orator, pioneer feminist, suffragist, abolitionist; rescued Stephen Foster from Cape Cod mob with nonviolent confrontation; inspired Susan Anthony, Frances Willard and Julia Ward Howe.

Quotations

"I expect to plead not for the slave only, but for suffering humanity everywhere. Especially do I mean to labor for the elevation of my sex." (to her mother, March 14, 1847)

"Make the world better." (last words to her daughter Alice, 1893; photo Wikipedia)

Dorothy Stowe

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Overview

Dorothy Stowe (née Rabinowitz) born Providence, RI December 22, 1920 (d. 2010). Quaker by convincement. Co-founded Don't Make a Wave Committee to protest the Amchitka atomic tests, eventually becoming the organization Greenpeace, 1971.

Quotations

"Who knew that four people at a kitchen table could give rise to a movement that has offices in 40 countries? You couldn't possibly have predicted it." (mid-day.com, July 24, 2010; photo quazoo.com)