Sally Mack raised her children with a belief in nonviolent activism, and they in turn led her to join their protest of nuclear weapons. In 1986, Mack’s youngest son brought his parents and siblings to a protest in Mercury, Nevada, where they were arrested for trespassing on a nuclear test site. Mack and her husband used the Nuremberg Defense, which forgives crimes committed to prevent greater crimes against humanity, but they lost their appeal. Rather than pay the fine, Mack spent five days in jail. The experience empowered Mack to assume leadership roles in other social justice movements, and she helped found a group called Families in Action in the Nuclear Age. Mack’s social activism also impacted her work as a perinatal social worker, helping newborns: she became a leader in the social work community and was involved in fighting for legislation to allow parents to stay home with sick children.

Sally Mack was honored at the 2000 Women Who Dared event in Boston.