ABSTRACT
Sarah Maxwell has traced declining membership in a broad range of feminist organizations and argued that National Organization for Women (NOW) “continues to claim a substantial membership base that is generally thought to be over-estimated.” From its inception in 1966, NOW was focused on structural concerns and built a flexible structure to accommodate its expanding agenda and its members’ often differing priorities. Although many second-wave feminists saw NOW’s federated structure with national, state, and local levels corresponding to the country’s three levels of government as a significant advantage, some younger feminists see it as stifling bureaucracy. NOW’s bureaucratic structure is seen as the antithesis of the Occupy ethos, but there has always been a visionary strand in NOW, in part a legacy of NOW members who traced their feminist roots to Women’s Liberation collectives. If NOW is to survive, veteran members have to relinquish their control of the organization and embrace a commitment to racial as well as gender justice.
