In their first publication as a collective the Furies remark the following: “As a collective, in addition to building outside projects, we are spending much time building an ideology which is the basis for action.”1 Clearly demonstrated within these words is the constant spirit of activism which motivated the Furies during their time as a collective. This spirit is reflected prior to the Furies as several of the women had been involved in civil rights movements, primarily the feminist movement. Dr. Charlotte Bunch, for example, helped establish the Washington, D.C chapter of the Women’s Liberation.
With this so ingrained into this group and these women, there are a few questions that arise: how did the ideologies of these women change through being involved, and did their activism (particularly the types) transform due to their experiences in the Furies? Before examining these questions though it needs to be understood what sorts of activism these women were engaging in before the Furies as well as the activism of the Furies. And eventually, there is a legacy of advocacy from these women to be found here which extends beyond those two years they spent as a collective.
1 Ginny Berson, “The Furies,” The Furies vol. 1, issue 1, January 1972, pp. 1.