By: Nancy Werner
NFBPWC Advocacy Team ERA Lead (2022-2026) 

EQUAL RIGHTS AMENDMENT – Alice Paul’s Home – Paulsdale, 128 

Hooton Street, Mt. Laurel, New Jersey – “Trip of a Lifetime” 

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.  

Let me start with the NFBPWC Biennial Conference of July 18 to 21, 2024 at the 

Sheraton Hotel in King of Prussia, PA. When President Megan asked for a volunteer to chair this event, I knew this would be an opportunity to share the Alice Paul House with the NFBPWC members. Our theme said it all - “Equality Has No Deadline.” Only 45 minutes away in Mt. Laurel, New Jersey, we had 40 plus members join us on 2 small buses. It was a gorgeous day of sunny skies and light breezes. 

We were greeted by the Alice Paul Institute staff. We needed to divide our group into two, as one group received the presentation of Alice Paul’s life. Allie, our presenter, shared Alice’s life from the beginning to her final days through photographs that were gathered. Alice’s life was compelling as we learned of her Quaker life, education, travels to England and returning to the United States. Her national suffrage work was widely known. 

President Woodrow Wilson was not too kind to the Sentinels who stood outside his White House fence 24/7. He finally had them all arrested and placed in jail for months. Their hunger strikes created the force feedings. We heard that these women endured lasting effects of this treatment and Alice did, too. But with an upcoming election for Wilson, he released these women as his public image was not the best. 

But Alice’s work carried on as she wrote the Equal Rights Amendment and delivered it on July 19, 1923, at the Presbyterian Church in Seneca Falls, New York. She worked to have her document be received by the US Congress and be heard across the country. Alice dedicated her life to this amendment. 

We saw quotations of Alice throughout the lower level of the house. Alice Paul-Feminist Suffragist, Political Strategist. She was the architect of some of the most outstanding political achievements on behalf of women in the 20^th Century. She dedicated her life to the single cause of securing equal rights for all women. 

We stood next to her wall mural and took photos. We read excerpts in her journals. We saw pictures of her youth to adulthood. Alice was there in her Victorian House with the most beautiful wrap around porch with chairs. 

If you are wondering about the second group, we were greeted by Quincy Wansel, Youth Program Coordinator. She had the porch filled with tables and chairs of educational fun. Ready for us were worksheets 

- Who is Missing in History?, word searches, coloring activities, writing postcards to our US representatives 

and making buttons with “ERA.” She had a machine on the table. It was amazing what you can accomplish in an hour on a wraparound porch with a beautiful breeze.  

But just walking through the few rooms that shared Alice’s life was inspiring. Thinking what she did for women was an awesome journey. If you ever wish to have a program all about Alice Paul, visit their web page and download the worksheets that are already prepared for you. They have answer keys too! 

We had a professional photographer named Thomas Josh Silva, from Convention Photography, join us. He drove from eastern Tennessee. He took a group photo of all of us who visited the Alice Paul House that Friday, July 19. He found a ladder as high as he could, and he climbed to get the best shot. But for those who purchased this photo, we will always have a memory of our day with Alice Paul. 

Although Director Rachael Glashan Rupisan was on vacation, Olivia Errico, did the honors of receiving us and sharing goodbyes. Again, we wish to thank the Ironton Telephone/ Global for paying for our admissions. (That’s my family business and we were honored to provide this gift.) 

SIGN4ERA– May I encourage you AGAIN to take the time RIGHT NOW to sign onto this link: http://www.sign4ERA.org.  When you visit this site, there is much information given to you. History of the current work and why it is so important. We now have 100,000 supporters who have signed the petition. The number is still climbing. 

Please keep in touch with your Senators using the NFBPWC “One Click.”