Chapel Hill rape cases jolt the local chapter of NOW into action
Slifkin describes the highly attended NOW meeting during which the issue of rape was finally confronted. Earlier in the interview, she mentioned that she thought the Chapel Hill chapter of NOW lagged behind the national NOW in its concern with rape. Arguing that Chapel Hill was still fairly insulated, Slifkin believes it was the rape of three older women in Chapel Hill that finally jolted the Chapel Hill chapter into action.
Citing this Excerpt
Oral History Interview with Miriam Slifkin, March 24, 1995. Interview G-0175. 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
Oh you should have
been here when we had our rape talk. That was some mob scene. This room,
the dining room, the hallway, and even into the hall, full of people, we
opened the porch door, people were out there. It was incredible. I
couldn't believe, I felt we weren't going to have many because the NOW
people weren't enthusiastic, but people were interested.
LYNNE DEGITZ
This was after the rape of the older woman?
- MIRIAM SLIFKIN:
-
Yeah, I think that was what did it. After those three rapes. Because it
just killed all the myths. There was no way you could explain that by
these myths.
