Robin Morgan, pioneering feminist activist and former child star, dies at 85

Robin Morgan, a wholesome child star of the 1940s and 1950s who grew up to become an all-American radical, poet and pioneering second-wave feminist, has died at 85.

Robin Morgan dies at 85: Feminist icon and poet

She passed away on Saturday in New York following recent health issues. Her son, Blake Morgan, confirmed she was still working on new books and poems shortly before her death. Her passing comes just days after the loss of her close friend and fellow activist, Gloria Steinem.

During the 1960s and 1970s, Robin embodied and inspired historic changes in how women lived. The onetime ‘Ideal American Girl’ transformed into a rule-breaker and justice seeker with a notable list of achievements, a prison record and an FBI file. In 1968, she was among the organisers of the first protest against the Miss America pageant, where activists famously tossed their bras into a ‘Freedom Trash Can’. She also edited the 1970 essay anthology Sisterhood is Powerful, considered an essential text of the modern women's movement. Furthermore, Robin is widely credited with coining the term ‘herstory’ and popularising the clenched fist and female symbol icon.

Yet, she considered herself primarily an artist. "She was someone who was able to take very big ideas and distill them succinctly, like a poet, into a few words," Blake shared, noting her famous phrase, "hate generalises, love specifies."

In her personal life, Robin embraced unconventionality. She was married for over two decades to gay poet Kenneth Pitchford, describing their relationship as a "two-member commune". She consistently refused labels, recalling being chastised by conservatives and feminist peers alike.

Beyond her grassroots activism, Robin authored more than 20 books and previously served as editor-in-chief for a prominent national feminist magazine. Gloria once called her an ideal "utility player", gifted in almost every way a protest movement might require. Despite a Parkinson's disease diagnosis 16 years ago, Robin remained fiercely active, hosting a syndicated radio show and continuing to fight for equality until the very end.

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