Opposition to women's liberation
Evans strongly asserts that she did not perceive herself as a supporter of the modern women's liberation movement. Although she was a pioneering figure for women in politics in Charlotte, North Carolina, and a staunch member of the Democratic Party, Evans never publicly aligned herself with women's liberation. In fact, as she explains here, she believed that feminists gave Republican women a forum around which they could unite, much to the detriment of Democratic women's abilities as a group.
Citing this Excerpt
Oral History Interview with Martha W. Evans, June 26, 1974. Interview A-0318. Southern Oral History Program Collection (#4007) in the Southern Oral History Program Collection, Southern Historical Collection, Wilson Library, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Full Text of the Excerpt
- WILLIAM (BILL) MOYE:
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And you have been active in that sphere but not in the women's
lib?
- MARTHA W. EVANS:
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Oh no, I don't have any part of that.
- WILLIAM (BILL) MOYE:
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You don't approve of people running, say, because she is a
woman?
- MARTHA W. EVANS:
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No, I sure don't.
- WILLIAM (BILL) MOYE:
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And Martha McKay and those people?
- MARTHA W. EVANS:
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Oh, I think they are off their rockers. All they are doing, in my
opinion, is giving the Republican women a forum.
- WILLIAM (BILL) MOYE:
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Republican women?
- MARTHA W. EVANS:
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Uh-huh. You look at the list. Marilyn Bissell, Republican. Ruth
Easterling is a registered Democrat but she is basically Republican
mentally and philosophically. Look at all of them,
all they are doing is giving these people a forum. The Democratic women
now are just sadsacks.
