Well-known and beloved entertainer Pearl Bailey is appointed “U.S. Ambassador of Love” by President Richard Nixon. She says: “No one can figure out your worth but you.”
Feminist writer and activist Kate Millett publishes the controversial best-selling book Sexual Politics, which critiques the role of patriarchy in Western literature and society. In it, she says: “Many women do not recognize themselves as discriminated against; no better proof could be found of the totality of their conditioning.”
African American lawyer Eleanor Holmes Norton is appointed chair of the New York City Commission on Human Rights, the first woman in this position. Later, she is elected to the U.S. Congress, representing Washington, D.C.
Mountaineer Arlene Blum is part of the first women’s climbing team to reach the summit of Alaska’s Mt. McKinley (known by the locals as Denali). When team leader Grace Hoeman is taken ill, Blum, then twenty-five years old, assumes command of the six-person team. Later, Blum is the first woman to attempt to ascend Mount Everest. She says: “As long as you believe what you’re doing is meaningful, you can cut through fear and exhaustion and take the next step.”
Photographer Annie Leibovitz is retained by Rolling Stone magazine. She quickly becomes the magazine’s main photographer and wins worldwide fame for her many photographs of actors, political figures, and artists.
Comanche activist LaDonna Harris forms Americans for Indian Opportunity; she is active in the movements for civil rights, the environment, women’s issues, and world peace.
Diane Crump is the first woman jockey to ride in the Kentucky Derby.
Prolific writer Joyce Carol Oates receives the National Book Award for her novel Them. Throughout her long career, she is awarded numerous honors. One of her many achievements is reinventing the genre called “Gothic fiction,” which Oates uses to reimagine whole stretches of American history.
In the U.S. Congress, there are twelve women representatives and one senator. At this time, there are no female governors.
Marie Cox founds the North American Indian Women’s Association (NAIWA), the first organization to address the unique issues of its members as both women and American Indians.
A group of women collaborate to form the Boston Women’s Health Collective and write Our Bodies, Ourselves. They educate women about childbearing, sexuality, and women’s health; over eight editions, the book has sold more than four million copies.
Ruth Westheimer earns her Ph.D. in family counseling on her way to becoming talk show host Dr. Ruth, providing frank sexual advice.