Jean Carroll was a passionate advocate for women’s rights in the United States. She was an active member of the National Organization for Women (NOW) and worked tirelessly to ensure that women in the U.S. had access to the same rights as men.
Carroll was born in 1950 in Baltimore, Maryland. She attended Howard University, and while there she became involved in the civil rights movement. After graduation, she went on to pursue a Master’s degree in public administration at American University. During this time, she met and married her husband, William.
In 1973, Carroll helped found the National Women’s Political Caucus (NWPC), which aimed to increase the number of women in the political arena. She served as the NWPC’s Washington, D.C. coordinator and helped organize the National Women’s Conference in Houston, Texas, in 1977. At the conference, she was a delegate from Maryland and spoke on the need for an Equal Rights Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.
In 1978, Carroll was elected as the first president of NOW. During her tenure, she led NOW’s campaign for an Equal Rights Amendment and lobbied Congress to pass the Pregnancy Discrimination Act. She also worked to ensure that women had access to abortion services and contraceptive information.
In addition to her work in NOW, Carroll helped found the Women’s Legal Defense Fund and the National Women’s Law Center. She also served as a board member of the National Women’s History Project and the Women’s Action Alliance.
Throughout her career, Carroll was a vocal advocate for women’s rights. She was a tireless defender of the Equal Rights Amendment and worked diligently to ensure that women had access to the same rights as men. Her work made a lasting impact on the lives of countless women in the U.S.
