From Pauli Murray to Barbara Jordan to Shirley Chisholm, Black women have been an essential part of the fight for the Equal Rights Amendment.

“The adoption of the Equal Rights Amendment, and its ratification by several states, could well usher in an unprecedented golden age of human relations in our national life, and help our country to become an example of the practical ideal that the sole purpose of government is to create the conditions under which the uniqueness of each individual is cherished and is encouraged to fulfill his or her creative potential,” said Pauli Murray.