6.9

League of Women Shoppers (LWS)

Origins and Objectives

• Founded in 1935 in New York City to address working conditions for female laborers in department stores.

• Key Individuals: Aline Davis Hays became the first president, leading a group of middle and upper-class women.

• Motivation: Emerging from the Great Depression and influenced by New Deal era politics, aimed to use consumer power to effect social change.

Early Activities

• Protests and Picketing: In 1938, members protested against Russek's Department Store, highlighting poor worker conditions.

• Membership Growth: By 1939, reached 25,000 members across 14 chapters, advocating for justice in consumer practices.

• Strategies: Engaged in boycotts, picket lines, and awareness campaigns focusing on consumer responsibility and worker rights.

Radical Roots and Gender Activism

• Political Alignments: Many members aligned with socialist and labor movements, even influencing notable figures like Eleanor Roosevelt.

• Intersectionality: Addressed race and class issues before the Second Wave of feminism, though often from a privileged standpoint, using fashion shows and upscale events to draw attention.

Consumer Activism Framework

• Consumer Movement: LWS considered consumption an active tool for social reform, distinguishing from earlier groups like the National Consumers League (NCL) which adopted more paternalistic views.

• Grassroots Education: Offered lectures and distributed pamphlets educating women about labor issues and legislative actions, contributing to a politically informed consumer base.

Legislative Engagement

• Legislative Focus: Actively monitored bills related to civil rights, labor rights, and relief efforts, striving to influence public policy toward consumer rights and worker protections.

• Key Legislation: Supported the Wagner Act of 1935 which recognized workers’ rights to unionize and bargain collectively.

Challenges and Red Scare Impact

• Anti-Communism Setup: Under the scrutiny of the Dies Committee, branded as a communist front. Accusations of subversive activities arose due to their social reform efforts.

• Disbandment: By 1948, political pressures led to a decline in membership and effectiveness, as many were blacklisted.

• Legacy: Despite targeting women’s economic power, LWS served as an early model of organized, cross-class activism, laying groundwork for future civil rights movements.

Critical Analysis

• Privileged Activism: Critiqued for using their social and economic status to foster change while failing to fully acknowledge their privilege.

• Inequality in Efforts: Their methods occasionally alienated working-class women they sought to support, exposing classism within the movement.

• Long-term Effects: Although initially aimed at uplifting economically disadvantaged groups, the LWS's approach sometimes reinforced the status quo instead of dismantling systemic inequalities.