More Than A Magazine, A Movement
On May 3, attorneys general from Virginia, Illinois and Nevada filed an appeal with a D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals seeking a declaration that the Equal Rights Amendment is now part of the U.S. Constitution.
“How much longer should the women in this country wait to be afforded equal protection under this country’s founding documents?”
My great-grandmother Sophie Gooding Rose Meredith and others like her marched and spoke out and went to jail because of their commitment to securing full equal rights under the Constitution. Today we carry the banners of the women who came before us. We have an opportunity now to help fulfill their legacy—our legacy—for future generations of women.
For nearly 50 years, generations of feminists in the U.S. have marched, lobbied and advocated for the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA)—a simple but crucial amendment that would enshrine gender equality in the Constitution. Trailblazing feminists—including Alfre Woodard, Dolores Huerta and Kate Walsh—want to make sure the message is heard: There is no time limit on equality.
Ninety-nine years ago, ERA author Alice Paul opined in the local Washington newspaper that women’s equality would easily be won by 2023. It’s painful that her prediction is so wrong—but last month’s vote in the House of Representatives to remove the deadline for passage of the Equal Rights Amendment means American women are closer to constitutional equality than ever before.
“In Women’s History Month 2021, we celebrated extraordinary legislative victories for women’s rights—and, at the same time, suffered a profound tragedy. … Our message is simple: We will not give up our dream to live in a world without violence and with full equality under the law.”
(This letter from the editors originally appears in the Spring 2021 issue of Ms.)
The Equal Rights Amendment is now one floor vote in the Senate away from finally becoming the 28th Amendment to the US Constitution.
Julie Suk’s recent book, “We the Women: The Unstoppable Mothers of the Equal Rights Amendment,” charts the legal, historical and political significance of the ERA’s current resurgence, enabled by generations of women who have fought for the ERA.
A public mural of Kamala Harris reveals her portrait created in vibrant yarn. The project was spearheaded by the L.A.-based, international “yarn bomber” and street artist London Kaye, and brought to life by over 150 crocheters.
Feminist journalist and filmmaker Civia Tamarkin is calling out the anti-abortion opposition’s game.
“We only have a very reactive and defensive movement that runs around plugging up the holes in the dike, filing injunctions against all these laws that are passed and fighting in court—but not strategizing enough to have the impact we need.”
Gina Lucrezi, founder of Trail Sisters, is taking sexism in the trail running world head on and empowering women in sports.
“When I started Trail Sisters it was because I was frustrated women weren’t represented in this area I am passionate about.”
It’s been an extraordinary week of legislative victories for women’s equality—but also one of profound tragedy.
This week, the U.S. House of Representatives advanced two critical measures, the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) and Equal Rights Amendment (ERA). The votes came the day after a murderous rampage in Atlanta that left eight people dead, six of them Asian American women.
