She attended Central High School and George Washington University.
[1] In the 1940s, she and her husband were members of the Communist party; as a result, according to their son, Carl Bernstein, they were persecuted by the government.
[1] When asked by congressional panels about her party involvement, Bernstein invoked her Fifth Amendment rights against self-incrimination.
[1] She helped to desegregate District eateries, the Glen Echo amusement park and public swimming pools and playgrounds.
[1] She also campaigned on behalf of Julius and Ethel Rosenberg, who were executed in 1953 for espionage.