▁I ▁was ▁ 1 8 ▁and ▁I ▁wanted ▁to ▁be ▁unique , ▁but ▁I ▁didn ' t ▁want ▁to ▁change ▁my ▁name ▁because ▁that ▁was ▁too ▁false . ▁You ▁know , ▁people ▁were ▁saying ▁you ▁could ▁be ▁Jo anie ▁S ands , ▁or ▁something ▁like ▁that . ▁( My ▁middle ▁name ▁is ▁Joan .) ▁And ▁I ▁said , ▁' No , ▁let ' s ▁see , ▁if ▁I ▁take ▁out ▁the ▁' a ,' ▁it ' s ▁still ▁' Bar bara ,' ▁but ▁it ' s ▁unique ." ▁A ▁ 1 9 6 7 ▁bi ography ▁with ▁a ▁concert ▁program ▁said , ▁" the ▁sp elling ▁of ▁her ▁first ▁name ▁is ▁an ▁instance ▁of ▁partial ▁re bell ion : ▁she ▁was ▁ad vised ▁to ▁change ▁her ▁last ▁name ▁and ▁ret ali ated ▁by ▁dro pping ▁an ▁" a " ▁from ▁the ▁first ▁instead ." ▁ ▁Polit ics ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁early ▁years ▁of ▁her ▁career , ▁Stre is and ' s ▁interest ▁in ▁politics ▁was ▁limited , ▁with ▁the ▁exception ▁of ▁her ▁participation ▁in ▁activities ▁of ▁the ▁anti - n uc lear ▁group ▁Women ▁St rike ▁for ▁Peace ▁in ▁ 1 9 6 1 ▁and ▁ 1 9 6 2 . ▁In ▁July ▁ 1 9 6 8 , ▁with ▁Harry ▁Bel af onte ▁and ▁others , ▁she ▁performed ▁at ▁the ▁Hollywood ▁Bowl ▁in ▁a ▁fund ra ising ▁concert ▁spons ored ▁by ▁the ▁Southern ▁Christian ▁Le ad ership ▁Conference . ▁ ▁Stre is and ▁has ▁long ▁been ▁an ▁active ▁supp orter ▁of ▁the