Susan Brownmiller

Susan Brownmiller (born Susan Warhaftig; February 15, 1935 – May 24, 2025) was an American journalist, author, and feminist activist whose 1975 book Against Our Will: Men, Women, and Rape advanced the argument that rape constitutes a deliberate mechanism of patriarchal power rather than an impulsive sex crime. The work examined rape's historical role across societies, from wartime atrocities to domestic violence, positing it as a tool for male groups to subjugate female groups through instilled fear. It debunked myths attributing rape to uncontrollable lust, influencing legal changes like the criminalization of marital rape in U.S. states and the proliferation of survivor support services, while sparking widespread debate on sexual violence. Brownmiller's thesis drew criticism for essentializing male aggression as inherent and collective, as well as for racially charged analyses, such as her treatment of the Emmett Till case, which some viewed as reviving stereotypes of Black male criminality. Earlier in her career, she contributed to civil rights and anti-Vietnam War efforts before focusing on women's liberation, and later opposed pornography as a vector of misogyny, positioning her against pro-sex feminists.

Susan Brownmiller, born Susan Warhaftig, entered the world on February 15, 1935, in Brooklyn, New York, as the only child of Jewish parents Samuel Warhaftig, a sales clerk, and Mae Warhaftig, a secretary. Her family belonged to the lower-middle class, with modest circumstances that tightened during the Great Depression but improved temporarily in the World War II years due to wartime economic boosts. This white-collar household offered no significant material advantages, shaping a pragmatic upbringing amid urban Jewish immigrant-descended communities in Brooklyn.

Brownmiller's early environment emphasized familial support and basic education, with her parents fostering a sense of security through attentive nurturing. She attended the East Midwood Jewish Center on Ocean Avenue two afternoons weekly for instruction in Hebrew language and biblical history, instilling cultural and religious foundations typical of mid-20th-century American Jewish families in New York. These experiences, combined with public schooling in Brooklyn, provided a structured yet unprivileged childhood that prioritized self-reliance over extravagance.

Brownmiller, born Susan Warhaftig to a lower-middle-class Jewish family in Brooklyn, New York, received an early education that emphasized Hebrew language and Jewish history. This grounding in cultural and religious traditions shaped her initial worldview amid a post-Depression-era household environment.