Cynthia Hlass oral history interview, April 30, 1997

Interviewed by Joyce Durand. Hlass describes her childhood in great detail, including her parents’ expectations for her. She talks about attending Northwestern University for two years, and then training to be an airline attendant with Trans World (TWA). Hlass eventually received a degree in sociology and psychology from Mercer University in Atlanta in 1977. She discusses her personal life, her children, her parents, and interestingly weaves that in with a discussion about her parents’ inability to understand why she was involved in the Women’s Movement or her affiliation with NOW. Hlass explains that after she became a member of NOW in Atlanta, she immersed herself within the movement -- eventually becoming the president of her local chapter. Hlass describes how, in 1975, she was nominated to travel to the Soviet Union to represent NOW and to personify the women’s liberation movement. She says that in order to raise money for the trip she had to avoid using terms like “feminist,” or “Women’s Movement,” or “Women’s Liberation.” She recalls that during her tenure as president of Atlanta NOW, the organization filed suit against Atlanta Magazine for unequal pay amongst their women employees. Spending many hours at the state Capitol lobbying for the Equal Rights Amendment and for rape-related issues, particularly “spousal rape,” Hlass repeatedly utilized the media to help transmit the NOW’s message to the public. She discusses her encounters with powerful Georgian politicians, the issues that are still a concern for her, and the legacy of the Women’s Movement.