Johnnie Tillmon Blackston (born Johnnie Lee Percy) was born in Scott, Arkansas, on April 10, 1926. She became a pioneering welfare rights activist and was the first chairperson of the National Welfare Rights Organization (NWRO). Tillmon’s advocacy highlighted the intersection of race, gender, and poverty, emphasizing that welfare is a women’s issue. Her 1972 essay in Ms. magazine, “Welfare Is a Woman’s Issue,” remains a seminal work in feminist and social justice literature. Tillmon’s efforts laid the groundwork for future movements advocating for economic justice and women’s rights.?
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