ROBIN MORGAN, FORMER CHILD STAR TURNED FEMINIST ICON, DIES AT 85

Robin Morgan, the beloved child star of the 1940s and ’50s who later became a pioneering poet, writer, editor and second-wave feminist, has died at the age of 85.

Morgan died Saturday in New York after experiencing a series of health problems in recent weeks, her son, Blake Morgan, confirmed. Her death came only days after the passing of her close friend and fellow activist Gloria Steinem.

Once known as the “Ideal American Girl” and “Little Robin Morgan,” she went on to become one of the most influential voices of the modern women’s movement. During the 1960s and ’70s, she challenged social conventions and became known for her activism, writing and outspoken opposition to established institutions.

Morgan was among the organizers of the first major protest against the Miss America pageant in 1968. Two years later, she edited Sisterhood Is Powerful, an influential collection widely regarded as one of the foundational works of second-wave feminism.

Despite her activism, Morgan always considered herself first and foremost a poet and artist. Her son said she had a unique ability to turn complex ideas into powerful, memorable phrases.

“She was someone who was able to take very big ideas and distill them succinctly, like a poet, into a few words,” Blake Morgan said.

Morgan’s influence extended far beyond her books. She is widely credited with popularizing the feminist term “herstory” and helping bring the clenched-fist female symbol into the women’s liberation movement.

Her poetry became closely connected to feminist activism. Her works Monster and Arraignment were embraced by activists and helped define the movement’s increasingly outspoken voice.

Morgan frequently challenged people on both the political left and right. In 1970, she was arrested after protesters occupied the offices of Grove Press during a dispute involving employees seeking to unionize. That same year, she published the widely circulated essay “Goodbye to All That,” in which she criticized a number of prominent male figures within the counterculture.

Her personal life was equally unconventional. Morgan had relationships with both men and women and was married for more than two decades to gay poet Kenneth Pitchford. The couple had one son, Blake, who went on to become a musician, producer and record company founder.

Morgan later wrote about her extraordinary life in her 2001 memoir, Saturday’s Child. She ultimately authored more than 20 books, including The Word of a Woman: Feminist Dispatches and the poetry collections Monster and Dark Matter.

She also continued the Sisterhood series with Sisterhood Is Global in 1984 and Sisterhood Is Forever in 2002. For several years, she served as editor-in-chief of Ms. Magazine.

Steinem once described Morgan as an ideal “utility player” for the feminist movement, praising her ability to organize, write and communicate across different forms of activism.

Morgan helped establish several feminist organizations, including New York Radical Women and the Sisterhood Is Global Institute. In 2005, she joined Steinem and Jane Fonda in launching the Women’s Media Center.

In later years, Morgan remained active through radio and public speaking. She was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease 16 years before her death, a condition that influenced some of her later poetry and a 2015 TEDWomen talk.

Long before she became a feminist icon, Morgan had been one of America’s most recognizable child performers.

Born in 1941 in Lake Worth, Florida, and raised in New York, she began modeling at just 3 years old. At 5, she hosted her own radio program, Little Robin Morgan, and appeared on the popular game show Juvenile Jury.

From 1949 to 1957, she starred in the television comedy series Mama and also appeared on programs including Robert Montgomery Presents and Kraft Television Theatre. Her popularity led to magazine features and even Robin Morgan dolls.

But behind her carefully crafted image as the perfect child star was a fiercely independent young girl who was already questioning authority.

During one episode of Juvenile Jury, Morgan was expected to joke about a boy deserving physical punishment. Instead, she spoke out against spanking altogether. She later recalled the incident as one of the first political acts she had ever taken.

As a teenager, she began attending classes at Columbia University, participating in poetry workshops and becoming increasingly involved in civil rights and anti-war activism.

She eventually met Kenneth Pitchford in 1962, beginning a relationship that would profoundly shape her personal life. The two later married and remained together for more than 20 years.

From child star to revolutionary writer and feminist trailblazer, Robin Morgan built a life that was anything but conventional—and left behind a legacy that continues to influence generations of activists and writers.