Feminist Majority Foundation 10th Anniversary Tribute to Peg Yorkin Emphasizes Importance of Women's Philanthropy
Hundreds of feminists paid tribute to
the Feminist Majority Foundation and Board Chair Peg Yorkin at the Feminist Majority Foundation's 10th Anniversary Celebration and Tribute to Yorkin. The celebration featured highlights of the Feminist Majority Foundation's and the Feminist Majority's work over the years, and emphasized the importance of women's philanthropy. After years of anonymous giving, Yorkin went public with a $10 million endowment to the Feminist Majority Foundation in 1991 -- the largest single gift ever to a women's rights organization.
The show, held on October 13 at the Director's Guild of America theater in downtown Los Angeles, featured a video retrospective of Yorkin's life narrated by her daughter, Nicole, and son, David. Using vintage photos of Yorkin from childhood to the present and period music, Nikki and David provided a sparkling and witty overview of Yorkin's life as an aspiring actress, a theater producer, and a feminist activist from the days of the Equal Rights Amendment through the production of the National Organization for Women 20th Anniversary show, to the founding of the Feminist Majority and Feminist Majority Foundation.
In her speech at the show Yorkin reiterated that while passion and hard work have been all-important in making gains for women, money has been critical too. "That's one of the reasons I agreed to be honored tonight," said Yorkin. "Running a feminist movement takes a lot of money. I truly believe it is incumbent upon those of us women who can afford it and even some who can't, to help keep feminism alive."
"Peg went public with her donation to deliver a message to encourage other people, but most especially women, to rid this world of sexism," said Feminist Majority Foundation president Eleanor Smeal at the celebration.
Yorkin has also given generously to feminist political candidates. Many elected officials attended the function to show their appreciation, including U.S. Senators Barbara Mikulski (D-MD) and Barbara Boxer (D-CA), and U.S. Representatives from California Jane Harman, Juanita Millender-McDonald, Nancy Pelosi, Loretta Sanchez, and Maxine Waters. Senator Mikulski remembered the 1992 election which doubled the number of women in the U.S. Congress. "Until 1992 I was one of only two women in the United States Senate. . . . The gains we have made a tribute to the hard work of many, including the Feminist Majority. . . . I add my voice tonight in saluting you, Peg . . . you're virtually a PAC [political action committee] for women candidates unto yourself!"
The 10th Anniversary Show's success was due in large part to the invaluable hard work of Feminist Majority Foundation board members and Event Planning Committee members Carol A. Lief, Mavis Leno, and Lorraine Sheinberg. An abortion clinic violence video made pro-bono by Don Scotti and Andy Kuehn of Kaleidoscope Productions provided a chilling expose of the ongoing, escalating violence at women's health clinics. The Feminist Majority Foundation's National Clinic Defense Project will use the video for educational purposes. Susan Hill, President of the National Women's Health Organization and owner of eight clinics, many in areas where abortion services would otherwise be unavailable, took the stage to thank the Feminist Majority for helping her to open her Jackson, Mississippi clinic right after the fatal shootings in Brookline, Massachusetts. The show raised over $150,000 for the National Clinic Defense Project.
Kathy Spillar, National Coordinator of the Feminist Majority Foundation, tackled the question of "why that name ‹ the Feminist Majority? We use the name because a majority of women self-identify as feminists, and a majority of men say they support they movement to strengthen women's rights. We are determined to fight the false image that we are a small and unpopular minority."
Jay Leno made a video for the celebration asking people on the street about feminism and women's rights, and spoke at the event. (The video was also broadcast on the October 15 Tonight Show). The show began with a performance by the Sparkids (dancers for the Los Angeles Sparks women's basketball team) and ended with Kay Weaver singing "I Am Woman." Also attending and speaking at the event were Los Angeles Sparks general manager Rhonda Windham, who talked about how Title IX allowed her to attend college on an athletic scholarship; and United Farm Workers vice president Dolores Huerta, who spoke of her work helping to organize the Feminist Majority's Feminization of Power campaign to encourage more feminist women to run for office.
For more information about the Feminist Majority and Feminist Majority Foundation's history, see our Chronology.€
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