80th Anniversary

The Triangle Branch of WILPF celebrated our 80th Anniversary and International WILPF’s 100 Anniversary on November 6th. More than 70 WIILPF members, friends, and allies attended the event. Because of the critical nature of the times we live in, we decided not to have a keynote speaker. Instead we asked our allies to be the keynoters for the event, sharing the work that they are engaged in and suggesting ways that others can strengthen collaborations and provide support and solidarity. Remarks were shared by community activists in organizations including the Chapel Hill-Carrboro and state NAACP, Rogers Road Community Center, A Phillip Randolph Institute, Bill of Rights Defense Committee, Balance and Accuracy in Journalism, Jewish Voices for Peace, Black Workers for Justice, Frack Free NC, and Abrahamic Initiative on Middle East (AIME).

These presentations were preceded by brief remarks from Lucy Lewis, Triangle WILPF Steering Committee, outlining key highlights of WILPF and local branch herstory. Triangle WILPF was founded in 1935 by Charlotte Adams, and has a long history in our community both for independently organized vigils, protests, and advocacy but also as catalysts for other organizations and activities.

Following dinner, Ruth Zalph and Peggy Misch were honored as WILPF Wise Women Elders for their decades of work for peace, freedom and justice. Ruth most recently walked across the state of North Carolina this fall with the NAACP’s Journey for Justice, a march from Selma to DC for “our jobs, our schools, our votes and our lives.” Peggy was honored in absentia, as she was in Palestine, the oldest member of a Code Pink delegation harvesting olives; she received the award at WILPF’s December 12 meeting.

The Raging Grannies began and ended the evening’s events with songs written for the occasion, and everyone present joined them in a finale of “We Shall Not Be Moved.”