THE VFA PIONEER HISTORIES PROJECT
Sue Purrington
July 28, 1938 – November 28, 2016
“I made a pledge in my life that what I was going to do was make sure Roe would stay legal. Roe meant that most women did not have to die in back alleys, or fear for their lives.”
Former executive director, Chicago chapter, National Organization for Women (NOW). Strong ally in the fight for LGBT rights. Member of Emergency Relief Committee, Fayette Co., Tennessee, “freedom rider” years, 1960s. Early participant, Jane Collective; Chair of Illinois Pro-Choice Alliance. Supported Coalition of Labor Union Women, Chicago Abortion Fund, Congress of Racial Equality. Former head of Independent Voters of Illinois. Political campaigns:Mayor Harold Washington and U.S Senator Carol Mosely Braun. Member, Democratic Socialists of America, 1992. Recipient, Debs-Thomas-Harrington award, Democratic Socialists of America, 1992. Longtime aide, Chicago 5th ward alderman, Leslie Hairston, 2000s.
More About Sue:
- Obituary, Windy City Times
- Sue Purrington’s 50 Years In Politics To Be Honored
- National Organization for Women, Chicago Chapter Records, Special Collections and University Archives, University of Illinois at Chicago
- Chicago Women’s History Center oral history interview 2013