Jacqueline Ceballos facts for kids

Jacqueline "Jacqui" Michot Ceballos (born September 8, 1925) is an American feminist and activist. She worked hard to make things fairer for women. Jacqui was once the leader of the New York branch of the National Organization for Women (NOW). She also started an organization called Veteran Feminists of America. This group helps share the stories of women who fought for women's rights in the past. Jacqui Ceballos was part of a famous debate in 1971 about women's roles. This debate was even shown in a movie called Town Bloody Hall. She also appeared in another film about feminist history, She's Beautiful When She's Angry.

Early Life and Education

Jacqueline Michot was born in Mamou, Louisiana, on September 8, 1925. She was one of seven children. She went to public school in Lafayette. Jacqui studied music at Southwestern Louisiana Institute. She focused on singing, hoping to become an opera singer. After college, she moved to New York City to follow her dream.

In 1951, Jacqui married Alvaro Ceballos, a businessman from Colombia. They had four children together. In 1958, her family moved to Bogota, Colombia. There, Jacqui started the city's first opera company. It was called El Teatro Experimental de la Opera. Later, while her marriage was ending, she read a book called The Feminine Mystique by Betty Friedan. Jacqui said this book inspired her to become an activist for women's rights. Her husband helped her open a clothing business in New York.

Fighting for Women's Rights

In 1967, Jacqui Ceballos moved back to New York City with her four children. She went to her first meeting of the National Organization for Women (NOW). NOW is a group that works for women's equality. From 1967 to 1973, she served on NOW's boards at both local and national levels. She helped create a committee to share information and a group of speakers. She also helped start the New Feminist Theater.

The Famous Town Hall Debate

In 1971, Jacqui Ceballos became the president of New York NOW. She took part in a big public debate on April 30, 1971. It was called A Dialogue on Women's Liberation. She debated with famous writers like Norman Mailer and Germaine Greer. This debate was filmed and later became a documentary movie called Town Bloody Hall. During the debate, Jacqui argued that women should have a say in changing the world around them.

Working with Other Groups

Jacqui Ceballos became NOW's Eastern Regional Director in 1971. She represented NOW at the 1972 Democratic National Convention. In 1974, she helped start the Women's Forum. She was the first executive director of this group. She also worked as a representative at the United Nations International Women's Conference. Jacqui helped create the National Women's Political Caucus with many other important feminists. In 1972, she joined the team at Ms. magazine.

In 1970, Jacqui helped Betty Friedan organize the Women's Strike for Equality. This was a big protest for women's rights. She also helped Friedan organize protests against The New York Times newspaper. They were speaking out because the newspaper's staff was all male.

In 1977, Ceballos joined the Women's Institute for Freedom of the Press (WIFP). WIFP is a group that helps women communicate more. It also connects the public with media created by women. In 2014, Jacqui Ceballos was featured in the film She's Beautiful When She's Angry.

Veteran Feminists of America

In 1975, Jacqui Ceballos took a break from general activism to start a business. She opened a public relations company to promote feminist education courses. She also started a speaker's bureau called New Feminist Talent. In the 1980s, some people started to go against feminism. Because of this, Jacqui Ceballos, along with Dorothy Senerchia, Barbara Seaman, and other early feminists, started the Veteran Feminists of America (VFA). The main goal of VFA was to keep the history of the women's rights movement alive. They also wanted to honor the women and men who led the movement.

Personal Life

As of 2012, Jacqui Ceballos lives in Phoenix, Arizona. Her daughter, Michele, started a non-profit dance and education group there. Jacqui's husband, Alvaro, passed away from Alzheimer's disease at age 92 in Cucuta, Colombia.

See also

• List of women's rights activists