“Battling Bella” Abzug was a Congresswoman, lawyer, and ardent feminist leader — during the 1970s she was one of the most recognizable women in U.S. politics. Abzug biographer and historian Leandra Zarnow joins Then & Now for a conversation with UCLA History Professor Katherine Marino about Abzug’s legacy that touches on an array of pivotal women’s rights policies, the founding of the National Women’s Political Caucus, and an intersectional approach to progressivism. Now, in the era of #MeToo, new political leaders such as Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, and an approaching election with an historic number of female candidates, Zarnow reflects on the significance of and need to build upon Abzug’s trailblazing legacy today.
Find Professor Zarnow’s book, Battling Bella: The Protest Politics of Bella Abzug” here.