▁was ▁an ▁American ▁civil ▁rights ▁activ ist , ▁educ ator ▁and ▁labor ▁leader ▁who ▁served ▁as ▁president ▁of ▁the ▁American ▁Federation ▁of ▁Te ach ers ▁( AF T ) ▁from ▁ 1 9 9 7 ▁to ▁ 2 0 0 4 . ▁ ▁Early ▁life ▁Born ▁Sand ra ▁Abr am ow itz ▁in ▁C oney ▁Island ▁in ▁Brook lyn , ▁New ▁York ▁in ▁October ▁ 1 9 3 9 , ▁her ▁father ▁was ▁a ▁milk man ▁who ▁played ▁viol in ▁until ▁work ▁made ▁his ▁fingers ▁too ▁thick ▁and ▁call oused ▁to ▁play ▁music . ▁Her ▁mother ▁worked ▁part - time ▁in ▁a ▁b ak ery , ▁but ▁was ▁often ▁ill . ▁The ▁Abr am ow itz ▁family ▁was ▁extremely ▁poor ; ▁at ▁first , ▁Sand ra ▁and ▁her ▁two ▁sib lings ▁grew ▁up ▁in ▁a ▁ten ement , ▁although ▁the ▁family ▁eventually ▁moved ▁into ▁public ▁housing ▁as ▁their ▁fin ances ▁w ors ened . ▁ ▁Feld man ▁attended ▁James ▁Mad ison ▁High ▁School ▁in ▁the ▁New ▁York ▁City ▁public ▁school ▁system . ▁ ▁She ▁entered ▁Brook lyn ▁College ▁( which ▁at ▁the ▁time ▁offered ▁free ▁tu ition ), ▁where ▁she ▁studied ▁English ▁literature . ▁ ▁She ▁became ▁active ▁in ▁social ist ▁politics ▁and ▁the ▁Civil ▁Rights ▁Mov ement . ▁When ▁she ▁was ▁ 1 7 ▁years ▁old , ▁she ▁met ▁civil ▁rights ▁activ ist ▁Bay ard ▁R ust in , ▁who ▁became ▁her ▁ment or ▁and ▁close ▁friend . ▁During ▁her ▁early ▁years ▁in ▁the ▁Civil ▁Rights ▁Mov ement , ▁Feld man ▁worked