Wednesday Wisdom: 101 Years Later
September 11, 2024
| Wednesday Wisdom, Wednesday Morning, Inspiration, Motivation for Women |
| 1923 was also 3 years after women won the right to vote and the ERA – Equal Rights Amendment – was introduced in Congress by two Republicans. It was authored by Alice Paul, head of the National Women’s Party, who led the suffrage campaign. It would take almost fifty years later on March 22, 1972, for ERA to be approved by the full Senate without changes and set with an arbitrary time limit of seven years for ratification. 101 years as of today, it has not been fully voted on or approved making women less than equal to men in our nation’s constitution. |
| I had the privilege of accompanying the organizers of the ERA Bus tour including Carolyn Maloney, a 23-year fighter for the ERA’s ratification and past Congresswoman, along with the immediate past president of NOW (National Organization of Women), local NOW members, and others, visiting Republican Representative Brandon Williams to ask him to be one of 4 signatures left to bring the ERA to the floor for a vote. We ended up meeting his Chief-of-Staff instead who couldn’t promise Rep. Williams would sign it. |
| Visiting local politicians, and meeting with media or national figures is not intimidating, but rather empowering, knowing you are trying to change the world by meeting with people with some power to help make things happen. I’ve sat in other places fighting for wigs to be covered by insurance for alopecia and cancer patients, championing pay equality in front of a panel of NYS representatives, and asking Governor Kathy Hochul to speak at my Women TIES Retreat. |
| Monday, a week from meeting the ERA Bus tour organizers, I found myself in Rochester for an appointment and the thought of visiting Susan B. Anthony’s grave popped into my head. The grave was located 5 minutes from where I was indicated a sign to visit it and be even more inspired to help with the ERA passage. There I met two women eager to find her grave too. We talked about the ERA issue, the upcoming election, women supporting women in politics, and democratic values, and we ended up hugging before we went our separate ways. I am sure Susan B. Anthony was looking down proud of this impromptu meeting and conversation. |
| Today’s Wednesday Wisdom has a specific request along with a general wisdom.First, remember when like-minded women meet and have an agenda, anything good can happen. Sometimes we find those women by happenstance and other times when we accept an invitation to support them. Don’t forget to look for other women on your journeys this week. |
| Second, I ask that you sign the ERA petition we are presenting to get the ERA on the floor for a vote and send it to friends. All you need to do is follow this link and sign your name. Nothing more, nothing less. It is much easier than what Susan B. Anthony and our foremothers have done to try to give women a chance for an equal world to live and prosper in. Thank you. |
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