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With Her Fist Raised: Dorothy Pitman Hughes and the Transformative Power of Black Community Activism
The first biography of Dorothy Pitman Hughes, a trailblazing Black feminist activist whose work made children, race, and welfare rights central to the women's movement.
Dorothy Pitman Hughes was a transformative community organizer in New York City in the 1970s who shared the stage with Gloria Steinem for 5 years, captivating audiences around the country. After leaving rural Georgia in the 1950s, she moved to New York, determined to fight for civil rights and equality. Historian Laura L. Lovett traces Hughes's journey as she became a powerhouse activist, responding to the needs of her community and building a platform for its empowerment. She created lasting change by revitalizing her West Side neighborhood, which was subjected to racial discrimination, with nonexistent childcare and substandard housing, where poverty, drug use, a lack of job training, and the effects of the Vietnam War were evident. Hughes created a high-quality childcare center that also offered job training, adult education classes, a Youth Action corps, housing assistance, and food resources.
Hughes's realization that her neighborhood could be revitalized by actively engaging and including the community was prescient and is startlingly relevant. As her stature grew to a national level, Hughes spent several years traversing the country with Steinem and educating people about feminism, childcare, and race. She moved to Harlem in the 1970s to counter gentrification and bought the franchise to the Miss Greater New York City pageant to demonstrate that Black was beautiful. She also opened an office supply store and became a powerful voice for Black women entrepreneurs and Black-owned businesses. Throughout every phase of her life, Hughes understood the transformative power of activism for Black communities.
With expert research, which includes Hughes's own accounts of her life, With Her Fist Raised is the necessary biography of a pivotal figure in women's history and Black feminism whose story will finally be told.
Dorothy Pitman Hughes was a transformative community organizer in New York City in the 1970s who shared the stage with Gloria Steinem for 5 years, captivating audiences around the country. After leaving rural Georgia in the 1950s, she moved to New York, determined to fight for civil rights and equality. Historian Laura L. Lovett traces Hughes's journey as she became a powerhouse activist, responding to the needs of her community and building a platform for its empowerment. She created lasting change by revitalizing her West Side neighborhood, which was subjected to racial discrimination, with nonexistent childcare and substandard housing, where poverty, drug use, a lack of job training, and the effects of the Vietnam War were evident. Hughes created a high-quality childcare center that also offered job training, adult education classes, a Youth Action corps, housing assistance, and food resources.
Hughes's realization that her neighborhood could be revitalized by actively engaging and including the community was prescient and is startlingly relevant. As her stature grew to a national level, Hughes spent several years traversing the country with Steinem and educating people about feminism, childcare, and race. She moved to Harlem in the 1970s to counter gentrification and bought the franchise to the Miss Greater New York City pageant to demonstrate that Black was beautiful. She also opened an office supply store and became a powerful voice for Black women entrepreneurs and Black-owned businesses. Throughout every phase of her life, Hughes understood the transformative power of activism for Black communities.
With expert research, which includes Hughes's own accounts of her life, With Her Fist Raised is the necessary biography of a pivotal figure in women's history and Black feminism whose story will finally be told.
176 pages, Paperback
First published January 19, 2021
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews
February 4, 2021
I had never heard of Dorothy Pitman Hughes before this book. It infuriates me the amount of black history that is missing from our school system. The list of this woman’s accomplishments is astonishing! Feminist, civil rights activist, child welfare advocate, business owner, mother and I’m sure I’m missing a dozen other things. Inspiring read - I’ll be recommending this one.
March 14, 2024
Day to day struggles against oppressive systems are not glamorous or news worthy which is really unfortunate. Women like Dorothy who actively lived in their communities and tried to make things better for her neighbors are one of the greatest things about this country.
October 4, 2023
This biography was a lot more clinical than I would have liked. A good brief of Hughes' life, but I felt like we were taking a fast walk with a tour guide who was running behind and trying to make up time, rather than an indepth look at Hughes' life. I would have liked to take a deeper dive into a lot of different elements of her remarkable life a lot more thoroughly.
June 21, 2024
Without my mom’s intellectual curiosity, I would have never read this biography. Dorothy Pitman Hugh’s image is famous, but her story is not known by most. A good friend of Gloria Steinem’s, their photo taken in 1971, hangs in the National Portrait Gallery.
Dorothy (as she apparently preferred to be called) was a community activist, worker for justice, and feminist. I wish I had known about her before. I am grateful to know about her now. What she did in her life benefited all Americans.
Dorothy (as she apparently preferred to be called) was a community activist, worker for justice, and feminist. I wish I had known about her before. I am grateful to know about her now. What she did in her life benefited all Americans.
March 10, 2021
What a badass. I had no idea she had her hands in so many community empowerment endeavors. Daycares, schools, beauty pageants, feminism, Black Panther, copy/print shops, bed & breakfasts.
March 20, 2021
I received this book as a Goodreads Giveaway in exchange for an honest review. It is very well written and easy to read and but quite short - it left me wanting to know more about Dorothy Pitman Hughes. I think this book should become a part of the core collection of library feminist history titles.
March 14, 2021
We have all seen the iconic image. A black-and-white photograph of a White woman with long sunny hair and Black woman with a gravity defying Afro, standing in solidarity with serious expressions, and their hands raised in the Black Power salute. It is an image forever tied to the women’s liberation movement. Almost anyone who has read about the women’s movement knows who the woman on the left is. Gloria Steinem is the glamorous and fierce journalist who started Ms. Magazine, and was often the face and voice of the movement. But many of us don’t know as much about the other woman in the photo. Dorothy Pitman Hughes and Gloria were speaking partners for several years, traveling the country speaking about civil rights and equality for women. With Her Fist Raised: Dorothy Pitman Hughes and the Transformative Power of Black Community Activism, by historian Laura L. Lovett shares Dorothy’s story from her humble origins in Georgia, through her life as a nightclub singer in NYC by night and a domestic worker by day. Dorothy became involved in community activism first as a child in Georgia, then in her Westside neighborhood in New York, and later in Harlem. Dorothy saw a need in her community for childcare. Rather than waiting for someone else to get involved, Dorothy did something about it herself. This is Dorothy’s pattern in life. She sees a problem, organizes the community, securing funding and volunteers to address the problem.
While writing this book the author had some difficulty locating documentation, realizing that much of Dorothy’s contributions to both the civil rights movement and the women’s movement were on the cutting room floor. In the civil rights movement the news stories, how we often learn about our history, were mostly about the men in the organizations she was a member of. In the women’s movement, much of the public discourse and press was about the middle-class white women working within the movement and their concerns. Dorothy’s contributions to both of the political and social movements were significant. Lovett directly addresses the obvious white-washing of the historical record. Lovett relied largely upon interviews and public record to piece together Dorothy’s life story. In these pages we learn about multiple civil rights organizations and political organizations Dorothy was involved with throughout her life. Starting with the NAACP when she was a child in Georgia and later organizations like CORE in New York city. Dorothy worked with the Black Panthers when they opened a chapter in New York and became a friend and co-conspirator to Malcolm X and his wife before his assassination.
In the pages of this book we learn about the transformative childcare center Dorothy started in her Westside neighborhood of New York, and how she used this institution to not only improve the lives of the children, but of her entire community. We learn of Dorothy’s independent and dauntless spirit while reading about the year she purchased a franchise of the Miss America pageant, because she wanted to see women of color, not only represented in the pageant, but celebrated for their beauty. This was a controversial stance within the women’s movement. The movement opposed the pageant, thinking it was a patriarchal institution that degraded and infantilized women. But Dorothy saw something else in the pageant. She saw it as an opportunity for Black women to feel both empowered and represented within the Miss America pageant and American society.
Dorothy later moved to Harlem with her second husband and began organizing within that community. She saw the need for a local copy and stationery store, because places like this were integral to community organizing and political protest. Recognizing the need for more local Black-owned businesses, Dorothy opened the copy shop herself. Dorothy dedicated her life to improving the lives of her community with tangible things like steady employment, child care, and affordable housing. She believed a community should have a say in how their community is run, giving the residents self-determination and self-governance. She later fought against the city’s planned gentrification of Harlem.
Throughout Dorothy’s life, she has seen a need within a community and taken the challenge head on. She ran up against a plethora of stumbling blocks and closed doors because of the intersectionality of gender, race and class, but she has persevered in her commitment to the issues she has taken on. Dorothy now lives in Jacksonville, Florida, near one of her three daughters, and continues to organize her community in the struggle for equity and self-determination. This book was an inspiring and educational biography of an icon of both the women’s movement and the civil rights movement,
“I begin with “The Image.” The one that immortalized Dorothy Pitman Hughes as an icon of the women’s movement, reproduced on posters, T-shirts, and postcards. In fact, a copy of it is now part of the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery. Used by people like my students to celebrate the defiant, cross-racial, in-your-face assertiveness of a movement that sought to change everything, this image has taken on a life of its own, without giving us information about the life of its subjects.”
While writing this book the author had some difficulty locating documentation, realizing that much of Dorothy’s contributions to both the civil rights movement and the women’s movement were on the cutting room floor. In the civil rights movement the news stories, how we often learn about our history, were mostly about the men in the organizations she was a member of. In the women’s movement, much of the public discourse and press was about the middle-class white women working within the movement and their concerns. Dorothy’s contributions to both of the political and social movements were significant. Lovett directly addresses the obvious white-washing of the historical record. Lovett relied largely upon interviews and public record to piece together Dorothy’s life story. In these pages we learn about multiple civil rights organizations and political organizations Dorothy was involved with throughout her life. Starting with the NAACP when she was a child in Georgia and later organizations like CORE in New York city. Dorothy worked with the Black Panthers when they opened a chapter in New York and became a friend and co-conspirator to Malcolm X and his wife before his assassination.
In the pages of this book we learn about the transformative childcare center Dorothy started in her Westside neighborhood of New York, and how she used this institution to not only improve the lives of the children, but of her entire community. We learn of Dorothy’s independent and dauntless spirit while reading about the year she purchased a franchise of the Miss America pageant, because she wanted to see women of color, not only represented in the pageant, but celebrated for their beauty. This was a controversial stance within the women’s movement. The movement opposed the pageant, thinking it was a patriarchal institution that degraded and infantilized women. But Dorothy saw something else in the pageant. She saw it as an opportunity for Black women to feel both empowered and represented within the Miss America pageant and American society.
Dorothy later moved to Harlem with her second husband and began organizing within that community. She saw the need for a local copy and stationery store, because places like this were integral to community organizing and political protest. Recognizing the need for more local Black-owned businesses, Dorothy opened the copy shop herself. Dorothy dedicated her life to improving the lives of her community with tangible things like steady employment, child care, and affordable housing. She believed a community should have a say in how their community is run, giving the residents self-determination and self-governance. She later fought against the city’s planned gentrification of Harlem.
Throughout Dorothy’s life, she has seen a need within a community and taken the challenge head on. She ran up against a plethora of stumbling blocks and closed doors because of the intersectionality of gender, race and class, but she has persevered in her commitment to the issues she has taken on. Dorothy now lives in Jacksonville, Florida, near one of her three daughters, and continues to organize her community in the struggle for equity and self-determination. This book was an inspiring and educational biography of an icon of both the women’s movement and the civil rights movement,
“I begin with “The Image.” The one that immortalized Dorothy Pitman Hughes as an icon of the women’s movement, reproduced on posters, T-shirts, and postcards. In fact, a copy of it is now part of the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery. Used by people like my students to celebrate the defiant, cross-racial, in-your-face assertiveness of a movement that sought to change everything, this image has taken on a life of its own, without giving us information about the life of its subjects.”
March 30, 2021
Dorothy Pitman Hughes led an important and fascinating life, but this book's organization left me confused about the timeline of events. It felt more like a reading of important bullet points.
February 11, 2022
I had never heard of Dorothy Pitman Hughes and wish I’d learned about her ages ago. Everything she knew about community activism in the 70s is even more relevant today. Everyone should know her name and story.
October 2, 2023
3.5. Incredible life story but, as others have said, much of the book reads like a list of bullet points. Lovett had little primary source material to work with and Pitman Hughes was still living when the book was published, which may have impacted the depth of some topics. However, this was such an important overview of this civil and women's rights leader that I'm hopeful it encourages further research and conversation.
April 15, 2022
The books I've been reading since January have all been somewhat related.
This not only started the "Dorothy" thread -- women who share the name of my mother, who left this earth 25 years ago on 4/9, it is also related to Manning Marable's Living Black History as it's an unintended look at what your personal history looks like if you were too busy doing the things to tend to your own legacy (Marable notes you can't rely on family or fate in these matters; and while it's only mentioned in a couple of short bursts in the book, note Pitman Hughes' efforts to "save" her hometown of Lumpkin, Georgia, from a takeover by the Mead Corp.). Dorothy Pitman Hughes is best known for her iconic "fists in the air" portrait with Gloria Steinem, her "sister under the skin," but she was in CORE, a Black Panther, and a walking intersectional feminist icon in her own right -- a pioneer in child care for all, a key figure in Free To Be (You and Me) with Marlo Thomas, and an entrepreneur whose business was mortally wounded by efforts to gentrify Harlem. Because there was little primary sourcing on any of this (although it's interesting how many obstacles were put in her path) the book is frustratingly short and uneven (a lot about the gentrification battles, perhaps because there were documents, but not enough on her efforts to integrate beauty pageants ... and here is where Hood Feminism comes in because black feminists have different -- and sometimes opposite--concerns than white feminists).
All that said, this was a very good first effort to note her accomplishments while she is still living. Hopefully, this inspires someone (perhaps her daughters -- hint, hint) to expand on her legacy before she is forgotten entirely or a completely different story is told by folks with different agendas.
This not only started the "Dorothy" thread -- women who share the name of my mother, who left this earth 25 years ago on 4/9, it is also related to Manning Marable's Living Black History as it's an unintended look at what your personal history looks like if you were too busy doing the things to tend to your own legacy (Marable notes you can't rely on family or fate in these matters; and while it's only mentioned in a couple of short bursts in the book, note Pitman Hughes' efforts to "save" her hometown of Lumpkin, Georgia, from a takeover by the Mead Corp.). Dorothy Pitman Hughes is best known for her iconic "fists in the air" portrait with Gloria Steinem, her "sister under the skin," but she was in CORE, a Black Panther, and a walking intersectional feminist icon in her own right -- a pioneer in child care for all, a key figure in Free To Be (You and Me) with Marlo Thomas, and an entrepreneur whose business was mortally wounded by efforts to gentrify Harlem. Because there was little primary sourcing on any of this (although it's interesting how many obstacles were put in her path) the book is frustratingly short and uneven (a lot about the gentrification battles, perhaps because there were documents, but not enough on her efforts to integrate beauty pageants ... and here is where Hood Feminism comes in because black feminists have different -- and sometimes opposite--concerns than white feminists).
All that said, this was a very good first effort to note her accomplishments while she is still living. Hopefully, this inspires someone (perhaps her daughters -- hint, hint) to expand on her legacy before she is forgotten entirely or a completely different story is told by folks with different agendas.
March 15, 2021
This is a three star book. That's not a bad thing. I knew who Dorothy Pitman Hughes is. A civil rights activist. But I had no idea of the impact and influence she had on not just the civil rights movement, the women's movement, and most importantly (for her) community development.
The book itself is compact, sticking to "just the facts, ma'am" methodology that helps and hurts the narrative of Dorothy's life. It helps in that the focus is all on Dorothy. It hurts in the sense that sometimes events would move so quickly that I wouldn't realize which decade it was.
The only political quarrel I had with the biography is one of intersectionality. Both Dorothy and the author are passionate about not erasing Black women from the narrative of the Women's movement, but neither offers any comment on the "lesbian purge" that took place. Both Robin Morgan and Kate Millet are mentioned as Dorothy's friends, yet she seems to have no opinion on homophobia. Still, that's no reason to skip this book. I highly recommend it if you want to know more than what's literally behind the picture on the Tshirt.
The book itself is compact, sticking to "just the facts, ma'am" methodology that helps and hurts the narrative of Dorothy's life. It helps in that the focus is all on Dorothy. It hurts in the sense that sometimes events would move so quickly that I wouldn't realize which decade it was.
The only political quarrel I had with the biography is one of intersectionality. Both Dorothy and the author are passionate about not erasing Black women from the narrative of the Women's movement, but neither offers any comment on the "lesbian purge" that took place. Both Robin Morgan and Kate Millet are mentioned as Dorothy's friends, yet she seems to have no opinion on homophobia. Still, that's no reason to skip this book. I highly recommend it if you want to know more than what's literally behind the picture on the Tshirt.
February 9, 2022
I enjoyed Dorothy's story but two things: 1. I wish it were longer; it didnt feel rushed but it was too abbreviated; 2. I did not enjoy the narrator of the audiobook. It was simply a reading rather than a performance and added nothing to the book. She also said simular (no typo) on more than one occasion
June 6, 2021
I’m very glad to have received this book through a Goodreads giveaway. The book presents an accessible and knowledgeable history of Dorothy Pitman Hughes’s life. At just over one hundred pages, the author covers Dorothy’s major life milestones and activism endeavors. The length of the book draws someone like me in, as it isn’t too long or daunting, and the style of writing enhances the book’s accessibility. The accompanying theory woven throughout the book also ties Dorothy’s story to larger phenomena - learning about the difference between movement and community organizing was particularly interesting and really highlights the importance and nuance of organizing for an array of goals.
I’m amazed by the story of Dorothy’s life, and also disappointed that I have not learned about her until now. As the author also points out, the fact that the general public is more familiar with Gloria Steinem than Dorothy Pitman Hughes is an example of the continuing erasure of Black women’s leadership in activism. I was also interested in how varied Dorothy’s career and activism was - community organizing, running a day-care center, a copy store, and a pageant, and being an author and speaker. It’s clear her activism took many forms. One part of her career I found inspirational is her holistic and self-deterministic approach to education. Her day-care center taught children to be advocates for themselves and for their communities.
I am also glad to know that the proceeds of the book are going to Dorothy, as this is her story. I will definitely be looking up Dorothy’s books to find out how I can borrow/buy them!
I’m amazed by the story of Dorothy’s life, and also disappointed that I have not learned about her until now. As the author also points out, the fact that the general public is more familiar with Gloria Steinem than Dorothy Pitman Hughes is an example of the continuing erasure of Black women’s leadership in activism. I was also interested in how varied Dorothy’s career and activism was - community organizing, running a day-care center, a copy store, and a pageant, and being an author and speaker. It’s clear her activism took many forms. One part of her career I found inspirational is her holistic and self-deterministic approach to education. Her day-care center taught children to be advocates for themselves and for their communities.
I am also glad to know that the proceeds of the book are going to Dorothy, as this is her story. I will definitely be looking up Dorothy’s books to find out how I can borrow/buy them!
January 28, 2021
The iconic photo on the cover of this book from Esquire magazine 1971 is well known and while Gloria Steinem may be a household name, the lesser-known human rights activist next to her, Dorothy Pitman Hughes, finally gets her time to shine in this concise and accessible biography. After losing her father to KKK violence, she moved to New York and became a social justice warrior with child welfare and intersectionality at her forefront. She empowered communities in poverty, women, and other underserved populations, founded a day care center, spoke nationally about women of color’s rights, co-founded Ms. Magazine, and was a pivotal figure in Harlem’s Black-owned business community. Written with clarity and focus, Lovett helps to round out the availability of quality books about women’s history and American feminism.
March 30, 2022
I love Gloria Steinem, and she routinely points toward the women who were truly instrumental in starting the feminist movements of the 60's and 70's, so I knew I had to read this book. Dorothy is an amazing subject. I am so glad someone took the time to research and record her history. Her accomplishments and her contribution to her neighbourhood and to her race are impressive. We as women owe her a debt of gratitude.
The book tells a story in a segmented way, so the story does not get told linearly but rather in a way that relates to the area of her life the author is focused on for each chapter. Its told by a historian, so there are a lot of dates and references to other events of note from the corresponding time periods. If history isn't something you enjoy you might have a difficult time with the writing style of this book. I found it riveting and I couldn't put it down.
The book tells a story in a segmented way, so the story does not get told linearly but rather in a way that relates to the area of her life the author is focused on for each chapter. Its told by a historian, so there are a lot of dates and references to other events of note from the corresponding time periods. If history isn't something you enjoy you might have a difficult time with the writing style of this book. I found it riveting and I couldn't put it down.
July 9, 2021
Dorothy Pitman Hughes, who is in the iconic photograph that captured her and Steinem, with fists raised…The Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery added the image to its gallery.
The book says it so well ‘The symbolism of a Black and White woman standing
together, demonstrating the Black Power salute is as important now as it was in the 70s. ‘
‘Dorothy’s life is a testament to the power of partnerships, the impact of community action, and the ability to confront and overcome racism at a personal level. Her photographs with Gloria can be read as symbols of hope and of how much remains to be done. ‘
The book says it so well ‘The symbolism of a Black and White woman standing
together, demonstrating the Black Power salute is as important now as it was in the 70s. ‘
‘Dorothy’s life is a testament to the power of partnerships, the impact of community action, and the ability to confront and overcome racism at a personal level. Her photographs with Gloria can be read as symbols of hope and of how much remains to be done. ‘
April 11, 2021
Gloria Steinenm is a household name when it comes to the works of the feminism movement. But she didn't do it alone. Standing next to her and working along side her was a woman named Dorothy Pitman Hughes. This is her story. Not does it cover her life, it covers her work in the movement, including her work for the black feminist movement, which often gets overlooked. The author did such a great job with this book.
I recieved a copy of the book via edelweiss plus and am voluntarily leaving an honest review
I recieved a copy of the book via edelweiss plus and am voluntarily leaving an honest review
November 21, 2023
The photo is iconic, but I knew little about Dorothy Pitman Hughes herself. Much time has been spent reporting on white feminists such as Gloria Steinem, ignoring the black feminist in the movement. If you're the same as me, give this book a try. The best quote from the book isn't even from Dorothy, but something she adopted as important practice, "Where we spend our money, is where we give our power," attributed to reverend Dennis Dillon. She was an important advocate of power for black women, and the book details how she worked at this for herself and her greater community.
July 13, 2022
Dorothy Hughes epitomizes the way race, class, and sex act as oppressive tools in society; and as an eraser to remove her foundational nature for the Feminist movement of the 1970s. The telling itself felt rushed, however, I was able to learn a lot in a short amount of time about an incredible women and her many endeavors to empower others. I hope this book and others illuminate Black women's foundational role in the freedom struggle movement.
September 9, 2021
A solid, and important, biography of a woman I am embarrassed to say I knew nothing about. I would recommend this to anyone who calls themselves a feminist. My biggest criticism is that it ended so abruptly and left me wanting more.
June 10, 2023
One of the most badass women in American History. All women in America owe her a debt of gratitude for her work towards equality. She’s yet another black American who had been erased from our history books. What a shame. Consider me a huge fan girl from here on out. Thank you, Dorothy.
January 14, 2021
Great book and easy to read.Not very many books can keep me interested but this one for sure did.Great book
February 5, 2021
I am really happy to know about Dorothy Pitman Hughes in more detail. This was a wonderful addition to In Search of the Color Purple.
April 6, 2021
A bit superficial.
August 10, 2021
There's no question that Dorothy Pitman Hughes has led a revolutionary, radical, inspiring life. However, this telling of her story felt very clinical and sparse on details.
September 3, 2021
very interesting to hear about her role in this group since most of what we hear is from the males in the group.
September 11, 2021
This was an audiobook.
October 15, 2021
I listened to this book and quite honestly, the reader negatively impacted my experience. I think I'll pick up a physical copy and try again.
November 8, 2022
Another one I think should be required reading for upperclasses or college reading. Dorothy was a powerhouse that should be a household name, easily recognized.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews