And we're also trying to translate that newfound unity into a political reality come November. It's a lot to take on, but we thrive on a good challenge. In addition to this unique and very real alliance with other groups, the march represents another first in the history of the modern feminist movement. It is the first time a major national protest is targeting extremist opponents and taking on their attacks on all fronts, rather than championing a particular issue, such as reproductive rights or constitutional equality. To organize this national mass action, NOW has deployed and hired eight full-time staff members who operate out of a new West Coast campaign office in San Francisco.
Telephones there ring off the hook like a public TV telethon.
Two activists from Madison, Wisc., need low-cost housing. A local volunteer says she'll bring friends along on an afternoon of leafletting. A coalition partner offers a good list for phone banking. NOW members called for the march in California primarily out of concern for the anti-affirmative action measure on the ballot there. Their vote came during NOW's annual national conference last July in Columbus, Ohio.