How a political activist adopted the name of a legendary Greek figure

Countries & Cities · Published 3 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: Born Susan Benjamin, this American activist rebranded herself after the Greek mythological character Medea during her first year at university. She was drawn to a feminist interpretation suggesting Medea was unfairly blamed for crimes she never committed, a perspective that mirrors her lifelong career of challenging established power structures.

Medea Benjamin, born in 1952, has spent decades as a prominent political activist, co-founding organizations like Global Exchange and the anti-war group Code Pink. Her path to activism began early; she joined the Students for a Democratic Society and later traveled through Europe and Africa. Her academic background is extensive, including master's degrees in public health and economics, which she utilized while working for international bodies like the World Health Organization and the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization.

Throughout the 1990s and 2000s, Benjamin became a fixture of protest movements. She was a key figure in the 1999 anti-globalization protests in Seattle and led campaigns against corporate practices, including the use of sweatshop labor. Her work often involved direct confrontation; she has been arrested multiple times for disrupting Congressional hearings and protesting against figures ranging from George W. Bush to Barack Obama. In 2013, she famously interrupted an Obama speech on drone warfare, prompting the President to acknowledge her voice even while disagreeing with her stance.

Benjamin’s influence extends into electoral politics and international advocacy. She ran for the U.S. Senate in California as a Green Party candidate in 2000, securing over 326,000 votes. Her international efforts have included monitoring military actions in Iraq, protesting drone strikes in Pakistan, and delivering humanitarian aid to Gaza and Cuba. Despite her long history of activism, she has faced criticism, including internal friction within the Green Party over her strategic alliances and scrutiny regarding her personal foundation's investment holdings in companies targeted by the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement.

Her career remains defined by a willingness to challenge the status quo, whether through organizing mass mobilizations or conducting ambush interviews with politicians. From the anti-sweatshop movement of the 1990s to the 2024 Gaza freedom flotilla, Benjamin has maintained a consistent focus on economic justice, anti-war advocacy, and corporate accountability, often positioning herself at the center of the most contentious political debates of her time.

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