THE VFA PIONEER HISTORIES PROJECT

Clara Johnson

October 17, 1924 – March 24, 2017

“I worked very hard on the Equal Rights Amendment, and it went down in failure. I have heard that women are up from $0.59 to $0.79 for every dollar made by a man. That’s progress, but it’s not enough.” – Clara Johnson, September 1995

Chemist, Author and Activist. Joined the Peoria National Organization for Women (NOW) and worked for the passage of the Equal Rights Amendment, 1974. Ran an unsuccessful write-in campaign for mayor of Peoria as a feminist challenger to the all-male list of candidates, 1976. Served as office manager at the Illinois NOW headquarters during the 1980s. Co-founded Prairie Moon, a feminist bookstore, 1989. Member of FFRF, the League of Women Voters, NAACP and American Atheists.