Women’s History Month: Day 19 & Maggie Savoy
Sad to read about the passing of legendary journalist Jimmy Breslin. He was the best man at the wedding of newspaper editor Jim Bellows and women’s page editor Maggie Savoy.
Maggie was an outspoken feminist who did not live long enough to witness the victories of the Women’s Liberation Movement.
In a 1970 article Savoy wrote for the American Society of Newspaper Editors, she took editors to task for not fully explaining the issues central to the women’s movement. She wrote: “Blunt fact: American women are second class citizens. They want a fair shot at the starting line. Like other minority groups – they are the fighting victims of stereotyping, myths, mis- and un-truths, attitudes, prejudices, chauvinism.” She challenged male editors to catch on to the issues. She asked them, “Do you duck the responsibility of helping your women’s editor achieve excellence for her 51 percent of your readership? Or do you just listen to one, two or a dozen irate society women and sign, ‘Don’t rock the boat.’” So outspoken was Savoy that when the feminist organization KNOW, Inc. issued a short list of “Reporters You Can Trust,” her name was on the list.
In her final newspaper column, Savoy wrote about the need for real equality and for the end to negative liberation stereotypes. She also wrote about how she explained women’s liberation to men:
Depending on the inquisitor I answer variously. If he’s intellectual, I remind him: ‘Our brains weigh the same; it’s our paychecks that are slim and unladylike.’ If he’s a politician, I simply remind him: ‘We outnumber you.’ If he said – and some still do – ‘Women’s place is in the home,’ I brighten. ‘It’s so wonderful we want to share it. Here’s my dishrag.’
Savoy learned that she had esophageal cancer on July 28, 1970, and would only live for a few more months.
Here is a link to my paper about Maggie.
