LEGEND

Iconic Feminist and Groundbreaking Activist Dorothy Pitman Hughes Dies at 84

She set up the first shelter for battered women in New York City.

Dorothy Pitman Hughes, the groundbreaking activist and child-welfare advocate known for one of the most famous photos of the feminist movement, has died at the age of 84. She passed away on Dec. 1 in Tampa, Florida at her daughter’s home, according to the AP, which cited Maurice Sconiers of the Sconiers Funeral Home. Hughes is widely known for a 1971 photo in which she and Gloria Steinem are pictured together raising their fists. The two founded Ms. Magazine together that year, the first national American feminist magazine. Hughes, also an author and public speaker, was a transformative force in the feminist movement. She organized New York City’s first shelter for battered women, co-founded the New York City Agency for Child Development, and co-founded the Women’s Action Alliance.