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Her foundation, Gloria's Foundation, published the announcement on social media. “Yesterday, Gloria Steinem passed away peacefully at her home in New York City, surrounded by some of the many who loved her. Gloria’s near-century on earth were years well-lived, and she continued working for equality until the very end,” it said.

Gloria Steinem wearing playboy bunny costume. Photo filed, 1980.

This wasn't just a symbolic photoshoot. Steinem and Hughes were friends and had been working together for years. Steinem first met Hughes, a Black feminist, civil rights activist, and community organizer, in 1969 while reporting on a childcare center she had helped establish in New York. The two began traveling across the country together, speaking about women's liberation while also drawing attention to the ways sexism, racism, and class inequality were connected.