Community action

Acker involved in community activism in college. After being exposed to radical politics through her peers and professors, she supported labor unions and began demonstrating. In addition, she was active in founding a student chapter of the United Office and Professional Workers Union (this was later destroyed by McCarthy-era anticommunism). The group gathered signatures for Henry Wallace and wrote and performed skits opposing the Taft-Hartley act. In addition, it supported antiracism efforts and community organizers.

Before entering the academic world, Dr. Acker spent one year in Dallas, Texas working on a project for the Dallas County Mental Health and Mental Retardation Center. In addition to being activist work in itself, this also motivated her for the future. During her tenure, a psychiatrist working for the center expressed his belief to Acker that blacks were "constitutionally inferior" to whites. The fact that this comment was made at all-and particularly by a mental health professional-infuriated Dr. Acker and drove future action.

Acker continued her political action into her graduate school years. While studying at the University of Oregon, she was among the faculty and students who organized one of the first teach-ins to oppose the Vietnam War. Her and her husband were also active in the civil rights movement and the War on Poverty. She also got her students involved in the welfare rights movement.that this comment was made at all-and particularly by a mental health professional-infuriated Dr. Acker and drove future action.

Even after entering academics, Acker has managed to intertwine her professional career with community action. For example, she vocalized her displeasure with the number of women on the faculty at the University of Oregon. She also has taken up the issue of affirmative action on campus, holding talks to force the public and the administration to give more attention to the issue.