Aileen Clarke Hernandez (May 23, 1926 –February 13, 2016) was an American labor leader, civil rights activist, and feminist who made history as the second national president of the National Organization for Women (NOW). Her lifelong work for racial justice and gender equality placed her at the forefront of 20th-century social change.
Early Life and Education
Born in Brooklyn, New York, Hernandez was the daughter of Jamaican immigrants. She studied political science at Howard University and later earned a master’s degree in government from California State University, Los Angeles. Her education grounded her in the principles of democracy and social justice that guided her activism.
Career and Activism
Aileen Clarke Hernandez first worked with the International Ladies’ Garment Workers’ Union before being appointed to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) by President Lyndon B. Johnson in 1965. Frustrated by the government’s slow response to gender discrimination, she resigned in protest—an act that propelled her into feminist leadership.
In 1970, she became president of NOW, making her the first woman of color to lead a major feminist organization in the United States. Hernandez pushed for intersectionality long before the term became common, insisting that the women’s movement address issues of race, class, and economic inequality.
Legacy
Aileen Clarke Hernandez died on February 13, 2016, but her legacy endures. She remains celebrated as a champion of civil rights, labor justice, and women’s equality, remembered for breaking barriers and demanding that feminism include every voice.
