Martha Burk
Encyclopedia
Martha Burk is an American political psychologist
, feminist, and former Chair of the National Council of Women's Organizations
.
She is widely known for a disagreement beginning in 2002 with William "Hootie" Johnson, then chairman of Augusta National Golf Club
, over admission of female members to Augusta National. Burk contended that hosting the Masters Tournament at a male-only club, constituted sexism
because 15% of the club's membership were CEO's, many of them Fortune 500
CEO's.
Johnson characterized Burk's approach as a "offensive and coercive", and despite efforts to conflate
the issue with sexism and civil rights, Johnson maintained the issue had to do with the rights of any private club.
For her part, Burk — whose childhood nickname was also Hootie — was "called a man hater, anti-family, lesbian, all the usual things." For his part, Johnson was portrayed as a Senator Claghorn
type — that is, a blustery defender of all things Southern — despite his very real, progressive social record.
Following the discord, two club members resigned, Thomas H. Wyman, a former CEO of CBS, and John Snow
, when President George W. Bush nominated him to serve as Secretary of the Treasury. Pressure on corporate sponsors led the club to broadcast the 2003 and 2004 tournaments without commercials.
By 2011, no woman had been admitted to Augusta National. The controversy was discussed by the International Olympic Committee
when re-examining whether golf meets Olympic criteria of a "sport practiced without discrimination with a spirit of friendship, solidarity and fair play."
.
She authored Cult of Power: Sex Discrimination in Corporate America and What Can Be Done About It, published Scribner in 2005, and more recently Your Money and Your Life: The High Stakes for Women Voters in '08 and Beyond (2008).
Burk served as Senior Policy Advisor for Women's Issues to New Mexico
Governor Bill Richardson from 2007-2010, when he left office due to term limitations.
Her husband is Ralph Estes, an academic whose research focuses on corporate accountability.
Psychologist
Psychologist is a professional or academic title used by individuals who are either:* Clinical professionals who work with patients in a variety of therapeutic contexts .* Scientists conducting psychological research or teaching psychology in a college...
, feminist, and former Chair of the National Council of Women's Organizations
National Council of Women's Organizations
The National Council of Women's Organizations is an American non-profit umbrella organization of women's organizations. Formerly headed by Martha Burk, it has a membership of 11 million women through its 215 member organizations...
.
She is widely known for a disagreement beginning in 2002 with William "Hootie" Johnson, then chairman of Augusta National Golf Club
Augusta National Golf Club
Augusta National Golf Club, located in Augusta, Georgia, is a famous men's golf club. Founded by Bobby Jones and Clifford Roberts and designed by Alister MacKenzie on the site of a former indigo plantation, the club opened for play in January 1933. Since 1934, it has played host to the annual...
, over admission of female members to Augusta National. Burk contended that hosting the Masters Tournament at a male-only club, constituted sexism
Sexism
Sexism, also known as gender discrimination or sex discrimination, is the application of the belief or attitude that there are characteristics implicit to one's gender that indirectly affect one's abilities in unrelated areas...
because 15% of the club's membership were CEO's, many of them Fortune 500
Fortune 500
The Fortune 500 is an annual list compiled and published by Fortune magazine that ranks the top 500 U.S. closely held and public corporations as ranked by their gross revenue after adjustments made by Fortune to exclude the impact of excise taxes companies collect. The list includes publicly and...
CEO's.
Johnson characterized Burk's approach as a "offensive and coercive", and despite efforts to conflate
Conflation
Conflation occurs when the identities of two or more individuals, concepts, or places, sharing some characteristics of one another, become confused until there seems to be only a single identity — the differences appear to become lost...
the issue with sexism and civil rights, Johnson maintained the issue had to do with the rights of any private club.
For her part, Burk — whose childhood nickname was also Hootie — was "called a man hater, anti-family, lesbian, all the usual things." For his part, Johnson was portrayed as a Senator Claghorn
Senator Claghorn
Senator Beauregard Claghorn of Charleston, South Carolina, was a popular radio character on the "Allen's Alley" segment of The Fred Allen Show beginning in 1945...
type — that is, a blustery defender of all things Southern — despite his very real, progressive social record.
Following the discord, two club members resigned, Thomas H. Wyman, a former CEO of CBS, and John Snow
John Snow
John Snow or Jon Snow may refer to:* Jon Snow, British newscaster* John Snow , founder of epidemiology and a major contributor to the development of anaesthesia* John W. Snow, 73rd United States Secretary of the Treasury...
, when President George W. Bush nominated him to serve as Secretary of the Treasury. Pressure on corporate sponsors led the club to broadcast the 2003 and 2004 tournaments without commercials.
By 2011, no woman had been admitted to Augusta National. The controversy was discussed by the International Olympic Committee
International Olympic Committee
The International Olympic Committee is an international corporation based in Lausanne, Switzerland, created by Pierre de Coubertin on 23 June 1894 with Demetrios Vikelas as its first president...
when re-examining whether golf meets Olympic criteria of a "sport practiced without discrimination with a spirit of friendship, solidarity and fair play."
Career and personal
Burk currently runs the Corporate Accountability Project for the National Council of Women's Organizations, which started the Women on Wall Street project to investigate sex discrimination at companies associated with Augusta National. She is a syndicated columnist, and serves as Money Editor for Ms. MagazineMs. magazine
Ms. is an American feminist magazine co-founded by American feminist and activist Gloria Steinem and founding editor Letty Cottin Pogrebin together with founding editors Patricia Carbine, Joanne Edgar, Nina Finkelstein, and Mary Peacock, that first appeared in 1971 as an insert in New York magazine...
.
She authored Cult of Power: Sex Discrimination in Corporate America and What Can Be Done About It, published Scribner in 2005, and more recently Your Money and Your Life: The High Stakes for Women Voters in '08 and Beyond (2008).
Burk served as Senior Policy Advisor for Women's Issues to New Mexico
New Mexico
New Mexico is a state located in the southwest and western regions of the United States. New Mexico is also usually considered one of the Mountain States. With a population density of 16 per square mile, New Mexico is the sixth-most sparsely inhabited U.S...
Governor Bill Richardson from 2007-2010, when he left office due to term limitations.
Her husband is Ralph Estes, an academic whose research focuses on corporate accountability.