Florynce R. Kennedy

1916 – 2000 

Florynce Rae Kennedy was a civil rights attorney and feminist activist. Her controversial tactics and provocative tone drew criticism but also helped publicize national debates on abortion, racism in the media, women’s equality, and consumer protection. Kennedy was one of the first African American women to graduate from Columbia Law School. 

She represented activists such as H. Rap Brown and members of the Black Panthers as well as the estates of Billie Holiday and Charlie Parker against record companies that had withheld royalties. Kennedy was an integral part of the feminist movement beginning in the 1970s. She toured the country on the lecture circuit, often with friend and fellow activist Gloria Steinem, while continuing to lead protests including a rally outside the 1976 Democratic National Convention in New York.