Zella Luria: Leading the Charge

Activism

Professor Luria's time at Tufts coincided with many movements for societal change, evoked by the student posters below. Among them were the resistance to the Vietnam War and the feminist movement with its corresponding shifts in the role of women. She was often on the forefront of these crusades, fighting passionately to make the world a more peaceful and equitable place for all.

Teachers..join our strike for peace
Cambodia too?
Tufts Against Violence Against Women

Professor Luria was vehemently opposed to the Vietnam War and supported banning ROTC from campus. Additionally, she was devoted to making the world better for women, supporting the educational work of the Women’s Center, and promoting awareness around abortion, sexual assault, and many other issues. She also pushed to improve life for women employed at Tufts by actively promoting policies such as maternity leave, accommodations for child care, and increased hiring of female professors. Zella’s drive to make a difference continued into her retirement – following her career at Tufts, she volunteered with the Center for Constitutional Rights, performing evaluations on political asylum seekers.

Click any item in the carousel below to see it in more detail.

Content advisory: one item in the carousel display below, Professor Luria's Letter to the Editor titled "Greeks Don't Deserve Leniency," includes content related to sexual assault.

"To induce hope requires big changes: Decent housing, stable jobs, and schools with teachers who believe that the children of the slums can and will be effectively educated."

– Zella Luria, "Is Poverty a culture" Boston Globe, December 11, 1966