Bella Abzug speaking out in 1972

 Who can forget Bella Abzug?  To know her was to either love or hate her.  Nobody was lukewarm about Bella.  She was a passionate feminist, anti-war protestor, liberal. leftie New Yorker who served in Congress in the ‘70’s, spoke loudly and often, and always always wore a hat.

Born in the Bronx in 1920, she was the quintessential scrappy city kid. She began her career  as a lawyer, at a time when women were not welcome in the profession and never took no for an answer. In and out of office she spoke on behalf of women's rights, human rights and ordinary people until her death in 1998. She was definitely a larger than life figure.

Her personality, like her voice, was abrasive. She spoke her mind and wore her heart on her sleeve, and always, always had a wonderful hat on her head.  Her hats became her trademark.   When asked about them, she once  observed rather tartly:

“I began wearing hats as a young lawyer because it helped me to establish my professional identity. Before that, whenever I was at a meeting, someone would ask me to get coffee.”

 Which is why Bella Abzug is Hat Person of the Week.