Sydney Kamlager-Dove: “I thank my brother and friend, Congressman Jackson from the great State of Illinois, for managing this Congressional…”

“I thank my brother and friend, Congressman Jackson from the great State of Illinois, for managing this Congressional Black Caucus Special Order hour and standing with his sisters. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to celebrate the work that my CBC colleagues are doing as we continue fighting to enshrine the equal rights amendment into our Constitution. The ERA was sent to the States for ratification in 1972. As we reflect on the 100 years since the ERA was first proposed in 1923, attempts to ratify the amendment each year have faded. What is old has become new again, but the state of gender equality in our country has sadly remained unchanged. Why all the controversy and why such difficulty in giving women the protection of the Constitution that should have been given to us long ago? It is 2023. There is no reason that an arbitrary deadline should prevent women from having basic fundamental rights under the Constitution. Around the country, women, especially women of color, continue to face discrimination in healthcare, in the workforce, in the boardroom, in the schools, and in everyday life. Enough States have finally ratified the ERA, but it is past time that it becomes an official part of our Constitution and gives every woman in America full protection under the law. If you support women, you should support the ERA. If you don't support women, stand up and say why you don't think your mother, daughter, sister, aunt, or grandmother deserves equal rights.…”