By:  Nancy Werner
NFBPWC Advocacy Team ERA Lead

EQUAL RIGHTS AMENDMENT 100^th ANNIVERSARY MARCH

Advocacy – Equal Rights Amendment. “Equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or any State on account of sex” needs to be placed into our Constitution. While most states have laws prohibiting discrimination of any kind based on sex, proponents of the E.R.A. say laws can be reversed or eliminated. Having a Constitutional Amendment would cement those rights.

Wednesday, December 13^th came and went with little news on the media. The ERA- Coalition worked hard for us to remember that is was December 13, 1923 when the ERA was first introduced in Congress. They invited every group who has voiced or has promoted the ERA passage. (For this list, please go to the Pennsylvania section and search for Lilly Gioia’s-January 2024 Legislation/Advocacy Report. She did a remarkable job researching the groups.)

But it was the weekly Ms. Memo: This Week in Women’s Rights had more information shared under-“100 Years, Not one More”: ERA Advocated Rally on Centennial Anniversary. Madelyn Amos, author, provided an excellent description of the day that started in Lafayette Square. The chants of “not one more year” were heard. The activists marched from the White House to the Capitol with the one mission –not one more year should pass without rights being protected by the Constitution on the basis of sex.

Lilly got it right that they made a few stops along the way. They made sure to visit the department of Justice to ask Attorney Merrick General Garland to remove the Trump Administration OLC memo that is blocking the ERA’s path. They then marched to visit the National Archives where U.S. Archivist Colleen Shogan was told that the ERA has met all the requirements according to Article V and to be published as the 28^th Amendment. It was here that Rep. Cori Bush, D-MO, met the group. She shared all the work highlighting the work of women of color to fight for equality. (Sidebar – Denice Robinson and I met her at the Seneca Falls gathering this past summer and she is a passionate dynamo for the ERA passage.)

But you can’t have a march without a press conference. At the House triangle, Rep. Ayanna Pressley (D-MA) was the main speaker but she was joined by many – Rep. Jennifer McClellan (D-VA); Gloria L. Blackwell, CEO of American Association of University Women; Honorable Carolyn Maloney, Board Chair of ERA Coalition and former U.S. representative; Eleanor Smeal, President of Feminist Majority; Shalina Effendi, organizer of Generation Ratify; Kase Solomon, League of Women Voters; and, Margaret Mitchell, CEO of YWCA USA. (The photo above is as Eleanor Smeal speaking.)

One very important task for all of us – Call Colleen Shogan at 202-357-5900 – Here is your message – My name is. I am calling from (name your state). I am asking that you do your duty and publish the Equal Rights Amendment as the 28^th Amendment. The E.R.

A. has fulfilled the requirements set forth in Article Five of the Constitution and we can wait no longer for full constitutional protection.

It is all written out for you. Please try it.

Also, if you haven’t signed the http://www.sign4era.orgto receive notifications, please do so. We are looking for a million signers. Please keep in touch with your Senators using the NFBPWC “One Click.” We have been promised a revisit and we need to be ready. Keep clicking.

I was so hoping that the ERA might be achieved this year, but everyone went home in Washington D.C. - the House and Senate for the Holidays. There are so many issues that need attention. We need to keep working for the passage of the ERA. Just remember-Miracles do happen.