1 00:00:05,400 --> 00:00:08,399 Speaker 1: Hey, this is Emily and and you're listening to stuff 2 00:00:08,480 --> 00:00:22,239 Speaker 1: mom never told you today. I am super excited to 3 00:00:22,320 --> 00:00:25,680 Speaker 1: talk through what I think is quite an untold story 4 00:00:26,200 --> 00:00:30,040 Speaker 1: behind the holiday celebrated on August here in the United 5 00:00:30,080 --> 00:00:35,479 Speaker 1: States known as Women's Equality Day. Women's Equality Day to me, 6 00:00:35,560 --> 00:00:37,400 Speaker 1: used to come up on the calendar, on that list 7 00:00:37,440 --> 00:00:40,720 Speaker 1: of sort of holidays that you might google if you 8 00:00:41,200 --> 00:00:43,320 Speaker 1: are in social media and need to come up with 9 00:00:43,360 --> 00:00:45,720 Speaker 1: graphics for holidays, just to get some content out there, 10 00:00:45,920 --> 00:00:47,839 Speaker 1: all right, just to like whatever we need. And then 11 00:00:48,479 --> 00:00:50,400 Speaker 1: I'm I'm as big a feminist as they come, and 12 00:00:50,440 --> 00:00:54,160 Speaker 1: I really didn't think August was the best way to 13 00:00:54,200 --> 00:00:56,040 Speaker 1: honor women. I was thinking, this is kind of a 14 00:00:56,080 --> 00:00:59,080 Speaker 1: lousy time in the calendar. Everyone's on vacation. What a 15 00:00:59,280 --> 00:01:02,680 Speaker 1: random arbor preary day that I think also coin signs 16 00:01:02,720 --> 00:01:05,400 Speaker 1: with Free Cone Day and Ben and Jerry's That's one 17 00:01:05,400 --> 00:01:07,200 Speaker 1: of my favorite holidays, which to me is like a 18 00:01:07,240 --> 00:01:09,360 Speaker 1: win for all and win for women, but are also 19 00:01:09,440 --> 00:01:13,040 Speaker 1: kind of upstages Women's Equality Days sometimes. Yeah, I definitely 20 00:01:13,040 --> 00:01:15,520 Speaker 1: have commemorated. This makes me sound like a bad feminist. 21 00:01:15,560 --> 00:01:18,240 Speaker 1: I've definitely commemorated Code Day more than I have uh 22 00:01:18,520 --> 00:01:22,280 Speaker 1: commemorated Women's Quality Day exactly Roxane Gay would be proud of. 23 00:01:22,280 --> 00:01:26,000 Speaker 1: It's a hashtag bad feminist. But as it turns out, 24 00:01:26,720 --> 00:01:31,480 Speaker 1: there is a huge, fascinating, amazing story behind this holiday, 25 00:01:31,560 --> 00:01:36,160 Speaker 1: which was established in nineteen seventy one thanks to a 26 00:01:36,560 --> 00:01:39,080 Speaker 1: quite a character who we're going to talk more about today, 27 00:01:39,240 --> 00:01:43,720 Speaker 1: Representative Bella Abzug of New York, to commemorate the passage 28 00:01:43,920 --> 00:01:46,880 Speaker 1: of the Nineteenth Amendment, which granted women the right to 29 00:01:46,959 --> 00:01:51,280 Speaker 1: vote way back in nineteen twenty. So this is a 30 00:01:51,280 --> 00:01:54,760 Speaker 1: holiday that allows us every year to celebrate the Nineteenth Amendment, 31 00:01:54,800 --> 00:01:57,800 Speaker 1: to celebrate the fact that our constitution says women as 32 00:01:57,840 --> 00:02:00,400 Speaker 1: well as men should have the right to vote. But 33 00:02:00,480 --> 00:02:04,200 Speaker 1: at the same time, it's also a reminder of the 34 00:02:04,280 --> 00:02:08,760 Speaker 1: amendment that never passed or never became ratified by the 35 00:02:08,840 --> 00:02:11,600 Speaker 1: United States of America, which is known as the e 36 00:02:11,840 --> 00:02:15,240 Speaker 1: r A or the Equal Rights Amendment. So some of 37 00:02:15,240 --> 00:02:21,560 Speaker 1: the unfinished business of constitutional equality tends to be sort 38 00:02:21,560 --> 00:02:24,880 Speaker 1: of churned up when we start to celebrate the Nineteenth Amendment. Today, 39 00:02:24,919 --> 00:02:28,639 Speaker 1: we want to talk about the story behind women's suffrage, 40 00:02:28,680 --> 00:02:31,040 Speaker 1: how we won the right to vote, which is really 41 00:02:31,040 --> 00:02:34,160 Speaker 1: what August twenty six Women's Equality Days all about get 42 00:02:34,240 --> 00:02:38,560 Speaker 1: to know the fascinating character that is representative Bella Abzug 43 00:02:38,800 --> 00:02:40,280 Speaker 1: and talk a little bit more about the work we 44 00:02:40,320 --> 00:02:43,480 Speaker 1: have yet to finish, our unfinished business when it comes 45 00:02:43,520 --> 00:02:46,600 Speaker 1: to constitutional equality. So let's take it back a little 46 00:02:46,600 --> 00:02:49,359 Speaker 1: bit and talk about how we got to the nineteenth Amendment. 47 00:02:49,680 --> 00:02:53,000 Speaker 1: So the nineth Amendment really was a culmination of a massive, 48 00:02:53,000 --> 00:02:56,560 Speaker 1: peaceful civil rights movement led by women, but notably mostly 49 00:02:56,600 --> 00:02:59,000 Speaker 1: white women. The Asthenical Falls in New York we're talking about, 50 00:02:59,280 --> 00:03:02,040 Speaker 1: And really this had its formal beginnings in eighteen forty 51 00:03:02,080 --> 00:03:04,800 Speaker 1: eight at the world's first women's rights convention in Seneca Falls, 52 00:03:04,840 --> 00:03:06,600 Speaker 1: New York. So, like a lot of good things in 53 00:03:06,639 --> 00:03:08,520 Speaker 1: the world, it came from New York, just like our 54 00:03:08,720 --> 00:03:15,200 Speaker 1: beloved Bella. Indeed, and even after the hard fought battle 55 00:03:15,360 --> 00:03:18,680 Speaker 1: for women's suffrage was over in the United States when 56 00:03:18,680 --> 00:03:22,920 Speaker 1: women won the right to vote in the nineteen ratification 57 00:03:22,919 --> 00:03:26,880 Speaker 1: of the nineteenth Amendment. Uh, you know, this went without 58 00:03:26,880 --> 00:03:29,720 Speaker 1: a holiday, This one without a holiday for fifty one years. 59 00:03:29,960 --> 00:03:34,359 Speaker 1: But on the fiftieth anniversary, which was in nineteen seventy 60 00:03:34,400 --> 00:03:39,680 Speaker 1: on August seventy, fifty thousand women marched down New York 61 00:03:39,720 --> 00:03:43,760 Speaker 1: City's Fifth Avenue in a display of super strength of 62 00:03:43,840 --> 00:03:47,880 Speaker 1: second wave feminism. This is like nineteen seventies second wave 63 00:03:47,920 --> 00:03:52,160 Speaker 1: feminisms shining moment, and I mean there were many shining moments, 64 00:03:52,160 --> 00:03:55,680 Speaker 1: because was there like force of strength on display and 65 00:03:55,920 --> 00:03:57,400 Speaker 1: this sort of does that remind you of anything that 66 00:03:57,440 --> 00:04:00,960 Speaker 1: happened pretty recently? It's sure? What is that the march 67 00:04:01,200 --> 00:04:03,480 Speaker 1: of what do we call it, technically the women March, 68 00:04:04,720 --> 00:04:08,080 Speaker 1: the Women's March on Washington. Yeah, absolutely, And so I 69 00:04:08,120 --> 00:04:11,640 Speaker 1: think the numbers in that round were global and in 70 00:04:11,680 --> 00:04:15,400 Speaker 1: the millions, right, what was the eight millions? I've heard 71 00:04:15,440 --> 00:04:18,680 Speaker 1: it's the largest march of women or I think it 72 00:04:18,720 --> 00:04:20,720 Speaker 1: was the largest march on of all times. That the 73 00:04:20,880 --> 00:04:24,159 Speaker 1: record it um Then again, they didn't have Twitter, they 74 00:04:24,640 --> 00:04:28,600 Speaker 1: enough the Internet. So fifty women marching down Fifth Avenue 75 00:04:28,640 --> 00:04:31,040 Speaker 1: is still amazing. And what they were doing is they 76 00:04:31,040 --> 00:04:35,960 Speaker 1: were celebrating the fiftieth anniversary of the nineteenth Amendment, and simultaneously, 77 00:04:36,040 --> 00:04:40,159 Speaker 1: as is so necessary unfortunately in the women's rights movement 78 00:04:40,200 --> 00:04:45,200 Speaker 1: and in feminism in general, they were protesting vocally the 79 00:04:45,360 --> 00:04:50,359 Speaker 1: limits and expectations still placed on American womanhood, demanding changes 80 00:04:50,400 --> 00:04:55,039 Speaker 1: to child care and abortion policies, education and employment opportunities, 81 00:04:55,320 --> 00:04:58,880 Speaker 1: and many of these women abandoned their usual domestic duties 82 00:04:58,920 --> 00:05:02,480 Speaker 1: for the day to join forces with sisters from across 83 00:05:02,520 --> 00:05:06,440 Speaker 1: the country, staging sit ins and takeovers of all male 84 00:05:06,720 --> 00:05:09,840 Speaker 1: spaces like bars that were still all male. And it 85 00:05:09,880 --> 00:05:14,240 Speaker 1: was really, um a fiftieth anniversary opportunity for women to 86 00:05:14,279 --> 00:05:18,000 Speaker 1: flex their political might and show the world that, you know, 87 00:05:18,080 --> 00:05:20,440 Speaker 1: we're here, We've got the right to vote. There's still 88 00:05:20,480 --> 00:05:22,520 Speaker 1: a lot more than we need. So what's so great 89 00:05:22,520 --> 00:05:24,760 Speaker 1: about that to me is one is that that that 90 00:05:24,960 --> 00:05:27,080 Speaker 1: today we did that same tactic. I don't know if 91 00:05:27,360 --> 00:05:31,280 Speaker 1: you all participated, but UM, on March eight seventeen, we 92 00:05:31,320 --> 00:05:33,440 Speaker 1: had a Day without a Woman, where the idea was 93 00:05:33,480 --> 00:05:36,960 Speaker 1: that women should whatever duties that they have, they should 94 00:05:37,880 --> 00:05:40,440 Speaker 1: not do them so that to sort of flex our 95 00:05:40,560 --> 00:05:43,320 Speaker 1: muscles as folks who identify as women. So I just 96 00:05:43,400 --> 00:05:45,640 Speaker 1: love that that's something that's been a tactic for a while. 97 00:05:45,800 --> 00:05:49,240 Speaker 1: I also just think it's really notable that the things 98 00:05:49,279 --> 00:05:52,440 Speaker 1: that you just listed that these women were marching against, 99 00:05:52,560 --> 00:05:55,359 Speaker 1: we have not won those battles. We are still fighting 100 00:05:55,400 --> 00:05:58,359 Speaker 1: for abortion rights in this country today in twenties seventeen, 101 00:05:58,560 --> 00:06:02,200 Speaker 1: we are still fighting for you know, employment opportunities and 102 00:06:02,279 --> 00:06:06,160 Speaker 1: education opportunities, and child and better childcare, affordable childcare. These 103 00:06:06,160 --> 00:06:09,680 Speaker 1: are it's it's maddening to think how long we have 104 00:06:09,800 --> 00:06:12,760 Speaker 1: been fighting these battles and that these conversations are still happening. 105 00:06:12,960 --> 00:06:16,320 Speaker 1: Our fore mothers would be probably disappointed that we are 106 00:06:16,360 --> 00:06:19,479 Speaker 1: still fighting these battles so many years later than we 107 00:06:19,520 --> 00:06:21,800 Speaker 1: have not won them yet. And even the ones that 108 00:06:21,839 --> 00:06:26,279 Speaker 1: we seemingly have one like access to abortion being technically legal, 109 00:06:27,440 --> 00:06:30,680 Speaker 1: we're on the defensive because technically legal isn't the same 110 00:06:31,040 --> 00:06:35,440 Speaker 1: as accessible and accessible to all people. So I think 111 00:06:35,440 --> 00:06:37,520 Speaker 1: that's such a great point and it's also a reminder 112 00:06:37,600 --> 00:06:40,240 Speaker 1: that we have to be vigilant. We have to be vigilant, 113 00:06:40,279 --> 00:06:42,440 Speaker 1: and that women have been busting their butts to win 114 00:06:42,480 --> 00:06:46,080 Speaker 1: these rights over for us for decades and it almost 115 00:06:46,279 --> 00:06:49,760 Speaker 1: as long as our country has existed and beyond. So 116 00:06:50,240 --> 00:06:55,280 Speaker 1: when this march to commemorate the Nineteenth Amendment occurred one 117 00:06:55,400 --> 00:06:58,760 Speaker 1: year later, to put it in stone and really commemorate 118 00:06:58,839 --> 00:07:03,200 Speaker 1: this as an annual date celebration, Congresswoman Bella Abzug, a 119 00:07:03,240 --> 00:07:06,400 Speaker 1: Democrat from New York, introduced a bill that would formally 120 00:07:06,560 --> 00:07:10,400 Speaker 1: establish National Equality Day or Women's Equality as a day 121 00:07:10,440 --> 00:07:14,080 Speaker 1: of recognition. But really we have to take a second, 122 00:07:14,080 --> 00:07:18,679 Speaker 1: bridget to talk about Congresswoman Bella Abzug, for whom Women's 123 00:07:18,680 --> 00:07:21,520 Speaker 1: Equality Day was actually one of the more symbolic pieces 124 00:07:21,560 --> 00:07:27,040 Speaker 1: of legislation that she's passed. This woman is a force 125 00:07:27,160 --> 00:07:32,520 Speaker 1: to be reckoned with. Was an absolute character and memorable 126 00:07:33,000 --> 00:07:36,760 Speaker 1: like history maker that I feel has not gotten her 127 00:07:36,800 --> 00:07:40,600 Speaker 1: fair share of of of space in our history books. 128 00:07:40,640 --> 00:07:43,960 Speaker 1: To be completely honest, totally so, I sadly had never 129 00:07:44,000 --> 00:07:45,680 Speaker 1: heard of her, But I have to just give a 130 00:07:45,760 --> 00:07:49,400 Speaker 1: quick plug if you like, stop this podcast and google 131 00:07:49,440 --> 00:07:51,640 Speaker 1: immature because you need to see what she looks like, 132 00:07:51,680 --> 00:07:55,480 Speaker 1: and also maybe quickly YouTube her. You have to hear 133 00:07:55,560 --> 00:07:57,480 Speaker 1: her the way that I could listen to her speak 134 00:07:57,560 --> 00:08:01,760 Speaker 1: all day. She did own. You just meet someone who 135 00:08:02,040 --> 00:08:04,200 Speaker 1: has a way of putting things and has a way 136 00:08:04,240 --> 00:08:06,800 Speaker 1: of speaking that you're just like. I could listen to 137 00:08:06,880 --> 00:08:09,720 Speaker 1: you talk about this issue all day. She's that person. Like, 138 00:08:09,760 --> 00:08:12,840 Speaker 1: google her immature and then start a petition for Kathy 139 00:08:12,880 --> 00:08:15,080 Speaker 1: Bates to play her in a movie. Please, I want 140 00:08:15,120 --> 00:08:18,000 Speaker 1: to watch this. Bella had a reputation for always wearing 141 00:08:18,040 --> 00:08:21,840 Speaker 1: big hats, just like one of my favorite lawmakers and 142 00:08:21,960 --> 00:08:24,720 Speaker 1: Florida always was a hat. And Bella was an attorney, 143 00:08:24,880 --> 00:08:27,120 Speaker 1: and she used to say that she wore big hats 144 00:08:27,120 --> 00:08:29,480 Speaker 1: so that she would be taken more seriously. After being 145 00:08:29,560 --> 00:08:33,680 Speaker 1: completely mistaken for secretary in her office time and time 146 00:08:33,679 --> 00:08:36,440 Speaker 1: and time again, she said, working women wear hats, that's 147 00:08:36,480 --> 00:08:38,840 Speaker 1: what they do. But to take it back even further. 148 00:08:38,920 --> 00:08:44,600 Speaker 1: Bella was born Bella Savinsky on July in New York City. 149 00:08:44,600 --> 00:08:47,040 Speaker 1: She comes from the Bronx, so she was actually born 150 00:08:47,320 --> 00:08:52,000 Speaker 1: one month prior to the Nineteenth Amendment being ratified. She 151 00:08:52,160 --> 00:08:55,719 Speaker 1: was destined for greatness exactly so she's she was the 152 00:08:55,800 --> 00:08:59,840 Speaker 1: child of Russian immigrants. She was a Jewish woman, and 153 00:09:00,360 --> 00:09:04,880 Speaker 1: she was really a bold and outspoken leading liberal activist 154 00:09:04,920 --> 00:09:08,960 Speaker 1: and politician who came to the forefront of progressive politics 155 00:09:08,960 --> 00:09:11,920 Speaker 1: in the sixties and seventies, especially known for her work 156 00:09:11,960 --> 00:09:15,200 Speaker 1: on women's rights, but also on behalf of the efforts 157 00:09:15,200 --> 00:09:20,320 Speaker 1: around civil rights, gay rights, and anti war efforts around Vietnam. 158 00:09:20,360 --> 00:09:24,280 Speaker 1: She started off her career knowing from an early age 159 00:09:24,280 --> 00:09:26,760 Speaker 1: that she wanted to be a lawyer. At Hunter College, 160 00:09:26,760 --> 00:09:29,920 Speaker 1: she demonstrated her natural leadership abilities as the president of 161 00:09:29,920 --> 00:09:32,200 Speaker 1: the student council there. She went on to earn her 162 00:09:32,280 --> 00:09:37,319 Speaker 1: law degree from Columbia University after being rejected from Harvard 163 00:09:37,400 --> 00:09:44,920 Speaker 1: Law School because of her gender. Harvard a terrible Harvard. UM. 164 00:09:44,960 --> 00:09:48,520 Speaker 1: I just love this quote about her, uh in Time magazine. 165 00:09:49,240 --> 00:09:52,679 Speaker 1: No one friend or enemy denies that Bella Abzug has 166 00:09:52,720 --> 00:09:55,839 Speaker 1: a certain presence. I just see her as from day one, 167 00:09:56,520 --> 00:09:59,160 Speaker 1: you know, whether it's like getting rejected from Harvard and 168 00:09:59,280 --> 00:10:01,560 Speaker 1: being like, screw your I'm going on to clumb there. 169 00:10:01,960 --> 00:10:04,520 Speaker 1: I had to see her taking charge since day one, 170 00:10:04,559 --> 00:10:07,040 Speaker 1: and I love it good because she her work was 171 00:10:07,120 --> 00:10:10,640 Speaker 1: needed and she knew that she was you know, she 172 00:10:10,800 --> 00:10:13,599 Speaker 1: needed that kind of force to be reckoned with attitude 173 00:10:13,640 --> 00:10:15,520 Speaker 1: to take on the kinds of fights she took on. 174 00:10:15,880 --> 00:10:19,120 Speaker 1: So she started in labor law, moved on to tackling 175 00:10:19,120 --> 00:10:21,680 Speaker 1: civil rights cases working for the a c. L U. 176 00:10:21,840 --> 00:10:24,920 Speaker 1: She took on the Willie McGee case. McGee was an 177 00:10:24,920 --> 00:10:28,600 Speaker 1: African American man convicted of raping a white woman in Mississippi, 178 00:10:29,080 --> 00:10:32,600 Speaker 1: thought by many at the time to be completely innocent. 179 00:10:32,920 --> 00:10:36,560 Speaker 1: Abzug faced death threats from many white supremacists for her 180 00:10:36,600 --> 00:10:41,360 Speaker 1: involvement in the case, and Uh she was while unsuccessful 181 00:10:41,600 --> 00:10:45,959 Speaker 1: tragically at getting him acquitted, she did managed to get 182 00:10:45,960 --> 00:10:48,840 Speaker 1: his death sentence delayed through appealing his conviction time and 183 00:10:48,840 --> 00:10:51,800 Speaker 1: time again. All of her efforts early on failed in 184 00:10:51,840 --> 00:10:56,319 Speaker 1: her career, giving her this huge blow um when sadly 185 00:10:56,360 --> 00:11:03,160 Speaker 1: and tragically McGhee was executed in nine many historians believe wrongfully. 186 00:11:03,200 --> 00:11:06,560 Speaker 1: So yeah, and I just think that it's so important 187 00:11:06,600 --> 00:11:09,120 Speaker 1: to note the ways that she has been this fighter 188 00:11:09,200 --> 00:11:11,400 Speaker 1: on these issues for so long, at the forefront of 189 00:11:11,440 --> 00:11:14,840 Speaker 1: so many different intersecting causes. She defended many people who 190 00:11:14,840 --> 00:11:18,080 Speaker 1: had been accused of communist activities by Joseph McCarthy, and 191 00:11:18,120 --> 00:11:20,200 Speaker 1: then later in the sixties she became involved in the 192 00:11:20,240 --> 00:11:23,439 Speaker 1: anti nuclear and peace and anti war movements. Again, these 193 00:11:23,480 --> 00:11:26,920 Speaker 1: were these great intersecting movements all around, sort of social 194 00:11:26,960 --> 00:11:29,480 Speaker 1: justice and social change. And it's kind of criminal that 195 00:11:29,520 --> 00:11:32,160 Speaker 1: we don't hear more about her, considering she was at 196 00:11:32,160 --> 00:11:34,640 Speaker 1: the forefront of so many of these movements that we 197 00:11:34,760 --> 00:11:38,320 Speaker 1: think of as formative, right, And she's this colorful, outspoken 198 00:11:39,000 --> 00:11:42,200 Speaker 1: some might even call her brash Jewish woman from the 199 00:11:42,200 --> 00:11:45,000 Speaker 1: bronx wearing giant hats. I mean, she is a character, 200 00:11:45,559 --> 00:11:47,840 Speaker 1: and she was good at what she did, and especially 201 00:11:47,840 --> 00:11:50,400 Speaker 1: in her six years in Congress, and just to sort 202 00:11:50,400 --> 00:11:53,120 Speaker 1: of paint a picture here of the woman that is 203 00:11:53,360 --> 00:11:57,520 Speaker 1: Congresswoman Bella Abzug. On her first day in her six 204 00:11:57,600 --> 00:12:00,520 Speaker 1: year tenure in Congress, she decided to make a pretty 205 00:12:00,559 --> 00:12:04,000 Speaker 1: bold move with putting forth a bill to remove all 206 00:12:04,240 --> 00:12:08,760 Speaker 1: US troops from Vietnam boom, like the first day, that's 207 00:12:08,760 --> 00:12:11,319 Speaker 1: sort of what she put out there. Now when the 208 00:12:11,320 --> 00:12:14,680 Speaker 1: measure didn't pass, it was the first of many efforts 209 00:12:14,679 --> 00:12:19,480 Speaker 1: of hers. Uh that didn't always lead to a successful outcome, 210 00:12:19,559 --> 00:12:22,400 Speaker 1: but nevertheless is part of Bella Abzug spirit, which is 211 00:12:22,440 --> 00:12:25,240 Speaker 1: to always fight for the causes that you believe in. 212 00:12:25,480 --> 00:12:28,920 Speaker 1: Didn't She really early on in her career formally dropped 213 00:12:28,960 --> 00:12:31,880 Speaker 1: legislation to have the president impeached. Yeah, she was one 214 00:12:31,920 --> 00:12:35,160 Speaker 1: of the first people to publicly call for the resignation, no, 215 00:12:35,320 --> 00:12:40,080 Speaker 1: the impeachment of President Richard Nixon. That is some Maxine 216 00:12:40,120 --> 00:12:44,720 Speaker 1: Waters level of of getting down to business. Like Bella 217 00:12:44,800 --> 00:12:47,000 Speaker 1: Abzug is not here to play around with you. She 218 00:12:47,120 --> 00:12:50,960 Speaker 1: came and she means business absolutely. After leaving the House 219 00:12:50,960 --> 00:12:53,800 Speaker 1: of Representatives in n she made a bid for New 220 00:12:53,880 --> 00:12:57,040 Speaker 1: York City mayor but lost to Ed Cotch in the primaries. 221 00:12:57,640 --> 00:13:00,520 Speaker 1: She was appointed by President Jimmy Carr Order to co 222 00:13:00,640 --> 00:13:03,800 Speaker 1: chair the National Advisory Committee for Women in nineteen seventy eight, 223 00:13:03,920 --> 00:13:10,000 Speaker 1: but the next year Carter dismissed the outspoken abzug Um, 224 00:13:10,040 --> 00:13:12,240 Speaker 1: which is kind of a sad mark on the history here. 225 00:13:12,280 --> 00:13:14,680 Speaker 1: But it wasn't the end of her fighting for the 226 00:13:14,760 --> 00:13:17,520 Speaker 1: causes that she believed in. She tried again for public 227 00:13:17,520 --> 00:13:22,400 Speaker 1: office in nineteen six UM but was unsuccessful then UH 228 00:13:22,440 --> 00:13:26,120 Speaker 1: And even while public office later eluded her, she continued 229 00:13:26,160 --> 00:13:28,800 Speaker 1: to work on many of the causes UH that she 230 00:13:28,840 --> 00:13:34,400 Speaker 1: cared about, specifically around establishing the Women's Environmental Development Organization. 231 00:13:34,800 --> 00:13:36,959 Speaker 1: I love this so much because it really puts her 232 00:13:37,000 --> 00:13:39,160 Speaker 1: on the level of a lot of my idols, like 233 00:13:39,520 --> 00:13:41,840 Speaker 1: because she worked with folks like Shirley Chisholm. She worked 234 00:13:41,840 --> 00:13:44,079 Speaker 1: with Gloria stein Um, these women that you think of 235 00:13:44,200 --> 00:13:47,960 Speaker 1: that's so foundational to our history, right our our four mothers. 236 00:13:48,000 --> 00:13:50,760 Speaker 1: She was right alongside with them working for social change 237 00:13:50,800 --> 00:13:53,880 Speaker 1: her whole life. I think it's important because she belongs 238 00:13:53,920 --> 00:13:56,640 Speaker 1: to be up there right with the Gloria Steinem's, with 239 00:13:58,240 --> 00:14:01,400 Speaker 1: Shirley Chisholms of the world, and she is in many 240 00:14:01,440 --> 00:14:05,040 Speaker 1: ways representing this category of women who we don't see 241 00:14:05,120 --> 00:14:09,240 Speaker 1: very often our history books, which is badass American, immigrant, 242 00:14:09,400 --> 00:14:13,559 Speaker 1: Jewish political women, our foremothers. Totally. I just love fella Abs. 243 00:14:13,559 --> 00:14:15,400 Speaker 1: Like now, I'm dying to see Kathy Bates player and 244 00:14:17,559 --> 00:14:19,760 Speaker 1: google image her and tell me Kathy Bates should not 245 00:14:19,760 --> 00:14:23,000 Speaker 1: play her in a movie. I'm telling you it's true, 246 00:14:23,040 --> 00:14:25,640 Speaker 1: It's absolutely true. And she's known for her outspokenness. Yeah, 247 00:14:25,680 --> 00:14:27,600 Speaker 1: and you've got to hear her accent. It's like from 248 00:14:27,640 --> 00:14:29,640 Speaker 1: the Bronx. She does not mess around. I would not 249 00:14:29,640 --> 00:14:32,800 Speaker 1: mess around with Congresswoman Bella Abs. Can you imagine if 250 00:14:32,800 --> 00:14:36,360 Speaker 1: she actually had been mayor would have been amazing? Amazing, amazing. 251 00:14:36,760 --> 00:14:38,960 Speaker 1: All right, So we're going to take a quick break, 252 00:14:39,080 --> 00:14:41,760 Speaker 1: but when we come back, I want to talk through 253 00:14:41,800 --> 00:14:47,880 Speaker 1: even further why remembering and celebrating the nineteen Amendments passage 254 00:14:47,920 --> 00:14:50,000 Speaker 1: is so important because we might think of it as 255 00:14:50,040 --> 00:14:53,920 Speaker 1: a done deal now, but back in it was far 256 00:14:54,120 --> 00:14:56,200 Speaker 1: from certain. We'll be right back after a word from 257 00:14:56,200 --> 00:15:06,400 Speaker 1: our sponsors, and we're back, and we've been talking through 258 00:15:06,440 --> 00:15:10,800 Speaker 1: the fascinating history behind Women's Equality Day, and where we 259 00:15:10,840 --> 00:15:13,320 Speaker 1: want to go next is just to highlight the fact 260 00:15:13,360 --> 00:15:18,360 Speaker 1: that we should very much be celebrating the Nineteenth Amendment 261 00:15:18,440 --> 00:15:21,800 Speaker 1: and the right for women to vote, because this was 262 00:15:21,920 --> 00:15:27,120 Speaker 1: far from an easy battle back in when the Nineteenth 263 00:15:27,120 --> 00:15:30,120 Speaker 1: Amendment was finally ratified. And what's funny here is that 264 00:15:30,160 --> 00:15:32,240 Speaker 1: it's important to note that some of the states were 265 00:15:32,360 --> 00:15:35,040 Speaker 1: way ahead of the game, states like where it wasn't 266 00:15:35,080 --> 00:15:36,880 Speaker 1: even a state at the time, but the Territory of 267 00:15:36,880 --> 00:15:40,560 Speaker 1: Wyoming became the first part of our country to grant 268 00:15:40,560 --> 00:15:43,720 Speaker 1: women the right to vote back in eighteen sixty nine, 269 00:15:43,960 --> 00:15:46,320 Speaker 1: which that surprises me. I wouldn't think it'd be a 270 00:15:46,400 --> 00:15:48,400 Speaker 1: state out west, but who you know who knew? What? 271 00:15:48,440 --> 00:15:53,240 Speaker 1: They call it the wild, wild wild women voting where 272 00:15:53,280 --> 00:15:57,480 Speaker 1: anything could happen, including something as radical and scandalous as 273 00:15:57,520 --> 00:16:03,360 Speaker 1: a lady vote. Women voting called called shariff. And then 274 00:16:03,440 --> 00:16:07,160 Speaker 1: came the Territory of Utah, the Territory of Washington, the 275 00:16:07,320 --> 00:16:11,040 Speaker 1: Territory of Montana, all in eighteen seventy eight three, and 276 00:16:11,080 --> 00:16:15,400 Speaker 1: eighteen eighties seven, respectively. Utah and Idaho came next, followed 277 00:16:15,400 --> 00:16:20,080 Speaker 1: shortly thereafter by uh Washington, d c, Oregon, Kansas, Arizona. 278 00:16:20,440 --> 00:16:22,360 Speaker 1: And it really took us all the way to nineteen 279 00:16:22,440 --> 00:16:25,200 Speaker 1: twenty to say, or really to nineteen nineteen, I should say, 280 00:16:25,240 --> 00:16:27,040 Speaker 1: for the US Congress to say, Okay, this is a 281 00:16:27,080 --> 00:16:29,920 Speaker 1: federal issue, thanks to Suffer dots really totally and so 282 00:16:30,080 --> 00:16:32,720 Speaker 1: you know, shout out to the badass organizing that these 283 00:16:32,720 --> 00:16:34,640 Speaker 1: that these women did. So at this point it really 284 00:16:34,640 --> 00:16:37,040 Speaker 1: comes down to Tennessee. It's really dragging its feet and 285 00:16:37,160 --> 00:16:39,520 Speaker 1: needs to get on board, so much so that in 286 00:16:39,560 --> 00:16:43,080 Speaker 1: August President Woodrow Wilson set things in motion by asking 287 00:16:43,080 --> 00:16:46,080 Speaker 1: Governor Roberts to call a special session of the Tennessee 288 00:16:46,080 --> 00:16:49,120 Speaker 1: Assembly just to deal with this. So at this point 289 00:16:49,120 --> 00:16:52,320 Speaker 1: it's like, get it together, you know, Tennessee needs to 290 00:16:52,400 --> 00:16:55,280 Speaker 1: stop dragon its feet and get some forward momentum on 291 00:16:55,360 --> 00:16:58,720 Speaker 1: this issue. And of course, just like anyone would when 292 00:16:58,760 --> 00:17:02,320 Speaker 1: a national issue, all hinges on one state house, what happens. 293 00:17:02,360 --> 00:17:05,600 Speaker 1: All the lobbyists, all of the energy, all the suffragettes 294 00:17:05,720 --> 00:17:08,960 Speaker 1: who have been fighting this good fight for a long time, 295 00:17:09,560 --> 00:17:13,040 Speaker 1: of course descend on Tennessee. It's I mean, I can 296 00:17:13,119 --> 00:17:15,720 Speaker 1: I would watch a movie of this. It's amazing. So 297 00:17:15,960 --> 00:17:20,080 Speaker 1: the Suffragette supporters were yellow roses, the antis were red roses. 298 00:17:20,280 --> 00:17:23,000 Speaker 1: The Senate went yellow, but the House wasn't evenly divided. 299 00:17:23,080 --> 00:17:25,680 Speaker 1: This is like the stuff that you know they write 300 00:17:25,760 --> 00:17:27,840 Speaker 1: that they write movies about. This is the kind of 301 00:17:28,480 --> 00:17:31,720 Speaker 1: palpable tension and drama that sometimes comes to politics, which 302 00:17:31,760 --> 00:17:36,000 Speaker 1: I love totally. I would watch this movie. In fact, Bridget, 303 00:17:36,040 --> 00:17:39,480 Speaker 1: there is a movie called One Woman, One Vote that 304 00:17:39,480 --> 00:17:42,879 Speaker 1: came out. Y'all should check out if you want to 305 00:17:42,920 --> 00:17:44,560 Speaker 1: see it. But I think this is ready for the 306 00:17:44,560 --> 00:17:47,240 Speaker 1: modern day screen. I would I want to see Hulu 307 00:17:47,280 --> 00:17:52,480 Speaker 1: produced the next Bella ab Cavy Bates. What more do 308 00:17:52,560 --> 00:17:55,560 Speaker 1: you need? A hot issue going to the wee hours 309 00:17:55,600 --> 00:17:58,960 Speaker 1: of the night in the Tennessee legislature. Yeah, And the 310 00:17:59,040 --> 00:18:02,080 Speaker 1: drama didn't end there. So when the Speaker of the 311 00:18:02,119 --> 00:18:05,439 Speaker 1: House seth Walker wearing a red rose, meaning he was 312 00:18:05,520 --> 00:18:08,800 Speaker 1: anti giving the vote to women, he entered a motion 313 00:18:08,840 --> 00:18:12,399 Speaker 1: to table the resolution, which we know in political speak 314 00:18:12,440 --> 00:18:15,000 Speaker 1: means let's never deal with this again. Let's just put 315 00:18:15,040 --> 00:18:17,280 Speaker 1: it in the dustbin of history and never see it 316 00:18:17,320 --> 00:18:19,520 Speaker 1: will never see the light of day exactly. So what 317 00:18:19,560 --> 00:18:22,760 Speaker 1: did that result? In? A tie? They called another vote 318 00:18:22,800 --> 00:18:26,679 Speaker 1: after the whips did their best whipping another tie, and 319 00:18:26,760 --> 00:18:30,399 Speaker 1: when the clerk began the third roll call vote, this 320 00:18:30,560 --> 00:18:33,200 Speaker 1: time about the resolution itself, not about whether to table 321 00:18:33,240 --> 00:18:35,320 Speaker 1: it or not, but a straight up and down vote 322 00:18:35,720 --> 00:18:38,320 Speaker 1: about whether or not to ratify the Nineteenth Amendment and 323 00:18:38,359 --> 00:18:41,919 Speaker 1: grant women the right to vote. One man who had 324 00:18:41,960 --> 00:18:45,720 Speaker 1: been wearing a red rose changed his colors. So the 325 00:18:45,760 --> 00:18:49,320 Speaker 1: famous story is that Harry Burne, year old from East Tennessee, 326 00:18:49,480 --> 00:18:51,720 Speaker 1: who had received had received a letter from his mother, 327 00:18:51,800 --> 00:18:54,960 Speaker 1: Phoebe e burn telling him to quote put the rat 328 00:18:55,040 --> 00:18:59,239 Speaker 1: in ratification. Um, I'm not exactly sure like what that 329 00:18:59,280 --> 00:19:03,000 Speaker 1: means if it's an expression, but basically maybe if you're 330 00:19:03,040 --> 00:19:05,040 Speaker 1: from Tennessee, please write it and let us know if 331 00:19:05,040 --> 00:19:08,080 Speaker 1: that's the thing that y'all say. But essentially she just meant, 332 00:19:08,280 --> 00:19:11,520 Speaker 1: you know, get this done and get it done. He did. 333 00:19:11,880 --> 00:19:15,320 Speaker 1: I love this that A young man, a twenty four 334 00:19:15,400 --> 00:19:19,439 Speaker 1: year old Representative, Harry Burne cast the deciding vote. So 335 00:19:19,600 --> 00:19:22,399 Speaker 1: the vote is over. They just voted to ratify the 336 00:19:22,520 --> 00:19:26,720 Speaker 1: Nineteenth Amendment, finally getting it through the final chamber of 337 00:19:26,760 --> 00:19:30,920 Speaker 1: the final Legislature. But the drama wasn't over yet because 338 00:19:31,119 --> 00:19:34,400 Speaker 1: still the Antis had the Speaker of the House in 339 00:19:34,440 --> 00:19:36,800 Speaker 1: their pocket. Right, so the Speaker of the House was Anti. 340 00:19:36,880 --> 00:19:39,760 Speaker 1: He was a red rose wearer, and he was starting 341 00:19:39,800 --> 00:19:44,440 Speaker 1: to get a vote called to try to reconsider the issue. 342 00:19:44,880 --> 00:19:47,600 Speaker 1: So he was trying to basically say, let's have a 343 00:19:47,680 --> 00:19:51,800 Speaker 1: do over, mulligans. Yeah, we just gave ladies the right 344 00:19:51,840 --> 00:19:55,960 Speaker 1: to vote. Let's let's give that another reconpere that. So 345 00:19:56,400 --> 00:19:58,480 Speaker 1: what happened was they thought they could build some more 346 00:19:58,520 --> 00:20:02,800 Speaker 1: support for the red row is wearing anti UH ratifiers. 347 00:20:03,359 --> 00:20:09,280 Speaker 1: But in anticipation of a reconsideration vote, thirty eight legislators, 348 00:20:09,280 --> 00:20:12,000 Speaker 1: thirty eight state legislators who had just voted for women's 349 00:20:12,160 --> 00:20:15,440 Speaker 1: right to vote left the state. They fled the state, 350 00:20:15,520 --> 00:20:18,119 Speaker 1: crossing the border into Alabama in order to prevent the 351 00:20:18,160 --> 00:20:21,479 Speaker 1: Assembly from having a quorum or having enough people present 352 00:20:21,560 --> 00:20:23,639 Speaker 1: to justify having a vote, which is part of the 353 00:20:23,680 --> 00:20:27,200 Speaker 1: wonky wonky rules of state legislatures um to prevent any 354 00:20:27,240 --> 00:20:30,359 Speaker 1: future voting from happening. So boom, it's done. I'm running away. 355 00:20:30,400 --> 00:20:36,879 Speaker 1: We can't redo this, and so you know, both sides, 356 00:20:36,920 --> 00:20:40,159 Speaker 1: of course, took legal action, tried to get lawyers to 357 00:20:40,240 --> 00:20:43,080 Speaker 1: say that it was a moot vote, and even after 358 00:20:43,119 --> 00:20:48,400 Speaker 1: a judge issued a temporary injunction restraining the governor from 359 00:20:48,640 --> 00:20:51,320 Speaker 1: giving the certificate of ratification to the Secretary of State, 360 00:20:51,680 --> 00:20:54,879 Speaker 1: and in doing so he said no women will vote 361 00:20:54,880 --> 00:20:56,760 Speaker 1: for a year and a half at least as some 362 00:20:56,880 --> 00:21:00,639 Speaker 1: reassurance to the anti ratifiers. But even then, the governor 363 00:21:00,680 --> 00:21:02,800 Speaker 1: said he would use the power of his office to 364 00:21:02,920 --> 00:21:05,960 Speaker 1: sign the certification, which is what he did. On August. 365 00:21:07,359 --> 00:21:10,879 Speaker 1: It was sent to Washington in uh pre internet times. 366 00:21:10,920 --> 00:21:13,520 Speaker 1: That meant this didn't happen until the next day. It 367 00:21:13,640 --> 00:21:17,359 Speaker 1: was sent to Washington, arriving just before four a m. 368 00:21:17,359 --> 00:21:21,760 Speaker 1: And on August the Nineteenth Amendment became part of the U. 369 00:21:21,840 --> 00:21:28,080 Speaker 1: S Constitution. Who happy ending? Um, I mean, I have 370 00:21:28,119 --> 00:21:30,280 Speaker 1: to I should probably add if I'm seeing a little 371 00:21:30,320 --> 00:21:33,040 Speaker 1: loopy on today's episode, it's because just last night I 372 00:21:33,119 --> 00:21:37,480 Speaker 1: was up all night watching the Senate floor debate on Obamacare, 373 00:21:37,840 --> 00:21:41,280 Speaker 1: and it's just reminding me how we think of politics 374 00:21:41,280 --> 00:21:43,760 Speaker 1: as this thing that happens with old white guys and 375 00:21:43,840 --> 00:21:46,399 Speaker 1: suits in Congress and blah blah blah. And that's certainly 376 00:21:46,440 --> 00:21:50,280 Speaker 1: part of it, but so much is late night drama, 377 00:21:51,000 --> 00:21:54,959 Speaker 1: you know, activists and organizers descending on one location and 378 00:21:55,000 --> 00:21:57,600 Speaker 1: waiting through the night on what's going to happen. And 379 00:21:57,960 --> 00:22:00,119 Speaker 1: this reading this story is taking me back to to 380 00:22:00,200 --> 00:22:03,440 Speaker 1: night where I'm up. It's three am. Your heart is pounding, 381 00:22:03,440 --> 00:22:05,800 Speaker 1: you don't know what's going to happen, and before your 382 00:22:05,880 --> 00:22:10,399 Speaker 1: very eyes, history gets made and it's it's it's amazing. 383 00:22:10,520 --> 00:22:14,480 Speaker 1: The country we live in is truly amazing, absolutely well said. 384 00:22:15,160 --> 00:22:18,399 Speaker 1: And it's those moments in politics that I think we 385 00:22:18,520 --> 00:22:22,560 Speaker 1: live for, and especially as activists who are fighting a 386 00:22:22,680 --> 00:22:26,600 Speaker 1: long fight for issues like this, that we are still fighting. 387 00:22:27,280 --> 00:22:30,359 Speaker 1: So with that, let's take a moment to take a 388 00:22:30,440 --> 00:22:33,680 Speaker 1: quick break, and when we come back, we're going to 389 00:22:33,800 --> 00:22:38,119 Speaker 1: talk about how epic of victory the Nineteenth Amendment was, 390 00:22:38,240 --> 00:22:40,320 Speaker 1: but how much it reminds us of the work that 391 00:22:40,359 --> 00:22:51,320 Speaker 1: has yet to be completed. We'll be right back, and 392 00:22:51,560 --> 00:22:54,720 Speaker 1: we're back, and we're doing a little happy dance after 393 00:22:55,200 --> 00:22:59,359 Speaker 1: celebrating the victory of ratification of the nineteenth Amendment. Is 394 00:22:59,359 --> 00:23:02,680 Speaker 1: a good thing to celebrate this August. So get get 395 00:23:02,720 --> 00:23:05,200 Speaker 1: your gal paths together and get your guide pals together, 396 00:23:05,240 --> 00:23:11,440 Speaker 1: and everybody celebrated. Quality. Equality is for everyone. Yeah. Um, However, 397 00:23:11,720 --> 00:23:18,200 Speaker 1: speaking of equality, Women's Equality Day doesn't quite do that 398 00:23:18,320 --> 00:23:23,160 Speaker 1: Legislative Victory Justice because actually the legislative Victory Justice doesn't 399 00:23:23,160 --> 00:23:28,560 Speaker 1: do that holiday right because just three years after the 400 00:23:28,640 --> 00:23:32,800 Speaker 1: ratification of the nineteenth Amendment. UH, the next move for 401 00:23:32,840 --> 00:23:38,520 Speaker 1: feminists in the nineteen twenties was seemingly obvious next step, 402 00:23:38,560 --> 00:23:43,760 Speaker 1: which was to introduce a constitutional amendment for the overall 403 00:23:43,880 --> 00:23:47,439 Speaker 1: equality of women, for women to be legally stated in 404 00:23:47,440 --> 00:23:51,000 Speaker 1: the Constitution as equal in rights on all fronts, not 405 00:23:51,040 --> 00:23:54,960 Speaker 1: just voting to male counterparts or to other people in general. 406 00:23:55,280 --> 00:23:58,280 Speaker 1: And so this piece of legislation, the Equal Rights Amendment, 407 00:23:58,359 --> 00:24:00,800 Speaker 1: known as the e R A, was end by Alice 408 00:24:01,000 --> 00:24:06,280 Speaker 1: Ross and introduced to Congress in nine and yet nineteen 409 00:24:06,320 --> 00:24:09,040 Speaker 1: twenty three, just three years after the ratification of the 410 00:24:09,119 --> 00:24:12,920 Speaker 1: nineteenth Amendment. It was super not popular, and it wasn't 411 00:24:12,960 --> 00:24:18,680 Speaker 1: even passed by Congress for another forty nine consecutive sessions. 412 00:24:19,280 --> 00:24:21,159 Speaker 1: So something to note is that this was kind of 413 00:24:21,160 --> 00:24:25,040 Speaker 1: a polarizing piece of legislation. UM. Even Eleanor Roosevelt was 414 00:24:25,040 --> 00:24:26,919 Speaker 1: opposed to it for many many years, and one of 415 00:24:26,920 --> 00:24:29,760 Speaker 1: her major objections but she questioned how the e R 416 00:24:29,800 --> 00:24:33,280 Speaker 1: A would impact protective labor legislation for rules that guarded 417 00:24:33,280 --> 00:24:36,359 Speaker 1: for issues around for hours or dangerous work conditions for 418 00:24:36,359 --> 00:24:39,560 Speaker 1: women specifically. And so this wasn't like a you know, 419 00:24:39,800 --> 00:24:42,480 Speaker 1: something that everyone was on board with quiet. The opposite 420 00:24:42,520 --> 00:24:44,800 Speaker 1: was a little bit polarizing. And so it's interesting that 421 00:24:44,920 --> 00:24:47,480 Speaker 1: here we are, so many years later and it's still 422 00:24:48,320 --> 00:24:52,160 Speaker 1: you know, yeah, and the Equal Rights Amendment just says 423 00:24:52,240 --> 00:24:54,560 Speaker 1: that women are equal to men. It says that women 424 00:24:54,600 --> 00:24:58,119 Speaker 1: should be protected as equal citizens and treated as equal citizens. 425 00:24:58,400 --> 00:25:00,000 Speaker 1: But I can't help but think back to our episod 426 00:25:00,000 --> 00:25:03,879 Speaker 1: out on benevolent sexism, right, b because this idea of 427 00:25:03,920 --> 00:25:06,840 Speaker 1: women at the time, Eleanor Roosevelt at the time saying no, 428 00:25:06,840 --> 00:25:09,760 Speaker 1: no, no no, we can't legally treat women as equal, we 429 00:25:09,800 --> 00:25:12,720 Speaker 1: have to treat them as special. Right, it is so benevolent. 430 00:25:12,840 --> 00:25:15,879 Speaker 1: I was thinking back to our episode around nipples, where 431 00:25:16,520 --> 00:25:18,280 Speaker 1: you know, that's just one of those issues where men 432 00:25:18,280 --> 00:25:20,360 Speaker 1: and women are not equal in the eyes of the law. 433 00:25:20,400 --> 00:25:23,119 Speaker 1: And so clearly you might think that we've come a 434 00:25:23,119 --> 00:25:25,280 Speaker 1: long way, and certainly we have, but we still have 435 00:25:25,400 --> 00:25:28,320 Speaker 1: these these battles to fight. And so finally Congress does 436 00:25:28,480 --> 00:25:32,159 Speaker 1: pass the Equal Rights Amendment, but only after years and 437 00:25:32,280 --> 00:25:36,960 Speaker 1: decades of reintroduction. It finally passes it on March nine, 438 00:25:37,760 --> 00:25:41,040 Speaker 1: two two years after women are marching the streets of 439 00:25:41,040 --> 00:25:45,120 Speaker 1: New York City celebrating the nineteenth Amendment passage and ratification, 440 00:25:45,480 --> 00:25:49,000 Speaker 1: and one year after Bella Abzug makes August twenty six 441 00:25:49,080 --> 00:25:52,600 Speaker 1: Women's Equality Day. A year later, we're still fighting for 442 00:25:52,640 --> 00:25:55,840 Speaker 1: the equal rights of women. And so here we go again, 443 00:25:56,040 --> 00:25:59,800 Speaker 1: another round of how to actually make a constitutional amendment. 444 00:26:00,200 --> 00:26:02,159 Speaker 1: So back in back in the first case on the 445 00:26:02,240 --> 00:26:04,520 Speaker 1: nineteenth Amendment, of course it all came down to Tennessee, 446 00:26:04,880 --> 00:26:07,840 Speaker 1: but this time Tennessee wasn't even on the list of 447 00:26:08,000 --> 00:26:11,280 Speaker 1: of of states that held it up. Unfortunately, the list 448 00:26:11,320 --> 00:26:13,720 Speaker 1: was a long one. Yeah, Tennessee, definitely. I think they 449 00:26:13,840 --> 00:26:16,000 Speaker 1: learned their lesson this time. They didn't want any of 450 00:26:16,000 --> 00:26:19,480 Speaker 1: this drama. So by nineteen seventy seven, the legislatures of 451 00:26:19,520 --> 00:26:23,000 Speaker 1: thirty five states had approved the amendment. In nineteen seventy eight, 452 00:26:23,040 --> 00:26:26,040 Speaker 1: Congress voted to extend the original March nineteen seventy nine 453 00:26:26,080 --> 00:26:29,359 Speaker 1: deadline to June thirtieth nine and eighty two. However, no 454 00:26:29,440 --> 00:26:32,119 Speaker 1: additional states voted yes before that date, and the e 455 00:26:32,280 --> 00:26:35,600 Speaker 1: r A fell three just three states short of ratification. 456 00:26:36,119 --> 00:26:38,440 Speaker 1: These fifteen states that did not ratify the e r 457 00:26:38,520 --> 00:26:47,360 Speaker 1: A before the nineteen eight two deadline were Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Nevada, 458 00:26:47,560 --> 00:26:52,560 Speaker 1: North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Utah, and Virginia. So basically, 459 00:26:53,080 --> 00:26:59,080 Speaker 1: they took the most passive aggressive policy stance possible, which 460 00:26:59,160 --> 00:27:05,040 Speaker 1: is to get from Congress a congressionally past constitutional amendment 461 00:27:05,240 --> 00:27:07,720 Speaker 1: that just needs your two bodies of the state legislature, 462 00:27:07,800 --> 00:27:09,920 Speaker 1: the state Senate in the state House to sign off 463 00:27:10,000 --> 00:27:12,639 Speaker 1: on for this thing to actually become the law of 464 00:27:12,680 --> 00:27:16,560 Speaker 1: the land. And fifteen states drag their feet. We've got 465 00:27:16,640 --> 00:27:20,560 Speaker 1: between nineteen seventy two and the original deadline ninety nine. 466 00:27:20,640 --> 00:27:23,840 Speaker 1: That's what that's like, seven years to get it together. 467 00:27:24,040 --> 00:27:26,080 Speaker 1: Seven years that go by them saying, you know what's 468 00:27:26,119 --> 00:27:29,080 Speaker 1: not a priority this year, let's just not hold a vote, 469 00:27:29,240 --> 00:27:31,280 Speaker 1: or let's hold a vote and vote no on the 470 00:27:31,280 --> 00:27:33,560 Speaker 1: e r A. And also the fact that we're talking 471 00:27:33,600 --> 00:27:36,160 Speaker 1: about just a law that says that men and women 472 00:27:36,200 --> 00:27:38,119 Speaker 1: are equal in the eyes of the law. That's it's 473 00:27:38,200 --> 00:27:40,960 Speaker 1: not a groundbreaking thing. It's not it shouldn't be an 474 00:27:41,000 --> 00:27:43,560 Speaker 1: earth shattering thing. The fact that we couldn't just all 475 00:27:43,560 --> 00:27:46,359 Speaker 1: get on board with that, it's pretty wild. It's pretty telling, 476 00:27:46,400 --> 00:27:48,280 Speaker 1: I think for all the worker country still has to 477 00:27:48,320 --> 00:27:52,240 Speaker 1: do so. Even upon extending the deadline to two they 478 00:27:52,280 --> 00:27:55,840 Speaker 1: still don't pass it, which is the great unfinished business 479 00:27:55,880 --> 00:27:59,040 Speaker 1: of Women's Equality Day. How can we really celebrate Women's 480 00:27:59,040 --> 00:28:02,120 Speaker 1: Equality Day, you know, celebrating the ratification of the nineteenth 481 00:28:02,119 --> 00:28:05,960 Speaker 1: Amendment without acknowledging that there was another amendment that the 482 00:28:06,040 --> 00:28:09,119 Speaker 1: states had the same obligation to pass, to vote on 483 00:28:09,200 --> 00:28:12,520 Speaker 1: that we just have not gotten it together for so really, 484 00:28:12,560 --> 00:28:15,920 Speaker 1: what this demonstrates, I think, is how far we've come, 485 00:28:16,040 --> 00:28:18,600 Speaker 1: but how much more we have to go. The fact 486 00:28:18,600 --> 00:28:20,920 Speaker 1: that we still don't have this thing passed. It's still 487 00:28:20,960 --> 00:28:22,920 Speaker 1: not the law of the land. All the stuff they 488 00:28:22,960 --> 00:28:26,160 Speaker 1: fought for, all the hard earned rights that they were 489 00:28:26,200 --> 00:28:29,080 Speaker 1: in the streets marching for and making noise about and 490 00:28:29,119 --> 00:28:32,359 Speaker 1: clawing for. Here we are, twenties seventeen, still doing the 491 00:28:32,400 --> 00:28:35,480 Speaker 1: same thing. Yeah, and I'm not I'm unclear as to 492 00:28:35,520 --> 00:28:38,360 Speaker 1: whether or not, you know, legally we can just pass 493 00:28:38,400 --> 00:28:40,080 Speaker 1: it in these states now and make it a thing, 494 00:28:40,160 --> 00:28:42,640 Speaker 1: because I think because the deadline already passed, Congress has 495 00:28:42,680 --> 00:28:45,600 Speaker 1: to retake the issue. So I'm not exactly optimistic of 496 00:28:45,680 --> 00:28:49,000 Speaker 1: Donald Trump's Republican controlled I can't even call it his 497 00:28:49,040 --> 00:28:50,880 Speaker 1: Congress because I don't think they like him very much 498 00:28:50,960 --> 00:28:53,760 Speaker 1: right now either. But in seventeen I don't think this 499 00:28:53,920 --> 00:28:56,479 Speaker 1: Congress is going to prioritize the r A. But we 500 00:28:56,560 --> 00:28:59,000 Speaker 1: need our members of Congress to make this an issue, 501 00:28:59,280 --> 00:29:01,080 Speaker 1: to pass it once again, to send it back on 502 00:29:01,120 --> 00:29:04,560 Speaker 1: to the states for ratification. But you know, in the meantime, 503 00:29:04,600 --> 00:29:09,280 Speaker 1: we've seen some symbolic gestures, like in this past March, 504 00:29:09,760 --> 00:29:12,600 Speaker 1: forty five years to the day that the Congress first 505 00:29:12,640 --> 00:29:15,360 Speaker 1: passed the e r A, Nevada became the thirty sixth 506 00:29:15,520 --> 00:29:18,040 Speaker 1: state to ratify it. But I really I don't even 507 00:29:18,080 --> 00:29:20,480 Speaker 1: think that makes a difference. At this point, the deadline 508 00:29:20,520 --> 00:29:23,640 Speaker 1: has passed. So I would like to see our politicians 509 00:29:23,680 --> 00:29:26,880 Speaker 1: are political leaders, stop giving the Equal Its Amendment lip 510 00:29:26,960 --> 00:29:30,240 Speaker 1: service and start actually making it a priority because until then, 511 00:29:30,400 --> 00:29:33,680 Speaker 1: technically we do not have equal rights under the law. Totally, 512 00:29:33,720 --> 00:29:36,600 Speaker 1: I completely agree, and I think you hit the nail 513 00:29:36,600 --> 00:29:38,440 Speaker 1: on the head in terms of symbolic things like we 514 00:29:38,520 --> 00:29:41,480 Speaker 1: have all of these monuments that are meant to symbolically 515 00:29:42,520 --> 00:29:44,840 Speaker 1: pay tribute to the e r A under these women 516 00:29:44,880 --> 00:29:47,239 Speaker 1: into equality, but that doesn't really do anything for us. 517 00:29:47,280 --> 00:29:50,320 Speaker 1: We need actual legislation, not monuments. And so I'm thinking 518 00:29:50,320 --> 00:29:55,320 Speaker 1: of President Barack Obama's administration, who formerly made the seawall, 519 00:29:55,440 --> 00:29:58,720 Speaker 1: Belmont House, and a museum a part of a national 520 00:29:58,720 --> 00:30:01,280 Speaker 1: monument to celebrate women's his three at National Park sites. 521 00:30:01,680 --> 00:30:06,040 Speaker 1: And that's obviously great, but that's not legislation. And as 522 00:30:06,160 --> 00:30:08,360 Speaker 1: nice as that is, as much as I love Barack Obama, 523 00:30:08,720 --> 00:30:10,719 Speaker 1: that perhaps does not help women as much as pat 524 00:30:10,880 --> 00:30:14,719 Speaker 1: getting this stuff passed. Right. So this August, let us 525 00:30:14,720 --> 00:30:20,360 Speaker 1: do two things. One, let's commemorate and accelebrate the tremendous 526 00:30:20,400 --> 00:30:23,880 Speaker 1: passage of the nineteenth Amendment, which we know now more 527 00:30:23,920 --> 00:30:26,240 Speaker 1: than ever hopefully was a big deal and not a 528 00:30:26,440 --> 00:30:28,720 Speaker 1: not a sure thing at any point in time. Let's 529 00:30:28,720 --> 00:30:30,840 Speaker 1: celebrate our right to vote. Let's make sure that we're 530 00:30:30,840 --> 00:30:34,240 Speaker 1: all registered to vote. Let's get your friends registered to vote. 531 00:30:34,280 --> 00:30:36,200 Speaker 1: Let's make sure all the women in our lives are 532 00:30:36,200 --> 00:30:40,440 Speaker 1: exercising that hard thought right that we have. But let's 533 00:30:40,440 --> 00:30:41,880 Speaker 1: also not lose sight of the fact that we have 534 00:30:41,920 --> 00:30:44,880 Speaker 1: some serious unfinished business in terms of the Equal Rights Amendment. 535 00:30:45,120 --> 00:30:48,160 Speaker 1: Here here, Emily, I cannot agree more. And one of 536 00:30:48,200 --> 00:30:51,400 Speaker 1: the other things I wanted to highlight was y'all our 537 00:30:51,520 --> 00:30:53,520 Speaker 1: four mothers. I know I keep saying this, but this 538 00:30:53,640 --> 00:30:57,200 Speaker 1: was a hard earned right. Are we using our ninth 539 00:30:57,320 --> 00:30:59,760 Speaker 1: Amendment to the best of your ability? You might be thinking, 540 00:31:00,200 --> 00:31:02,680 Speaker 1: but Bridget I voted in the presidential election and that 541 00:31:02,920 --> 00:31:05,560 Speaker 1: is awesome. But are you voting in your local elections? 542 00:31:05,560 --> 00:31:07,400 Speaker 1: Are you voting for your school board election? Do you 543 00:31:07,440 --> 00:31:09,640 Speaker 1: know who your sheriff is? Do you know all of 544 00:31:09,680 --> 00:31:13,280 Speaker 1: these things? So, honestly, let's let's use these rights that 545 00:31:13,440 --> 00:31:16,280 Speaker 1: our four mothers bought for it. Let's use them loudly 546 00:31:16,360 --> 00:31:18,280 Speaker 1: and proudly and make sure that we're living up to 547 00:31:18,320 --> 00:31:20,360 Speaker 1: what they've given us to the best of our ability. 548 00:31:21,280 --> 00:31:23,920 Speaker 1: I cannot have said it better. Bridget Todd, the one 549 00:31:23,920 --> 00:31:26,920 Speaker 1: and only. I love it Alright, sminthy listeners, we want 550 00:31:26,920 --> 00:31:29,360 Speaker 1: to hear from you. What do you think about the 551 00:31:29,360 --> 00:31:31,920 Speaker 1: hard fought battle for the nineteenth Amendment and for the 552 00:31:32,000 --> 00:31:36,280 Speaker 1: unfinished business that should be our next constitutional amendment, the 553 00:31:36,320 --> 00:31:39,720 Speaker 1: Equal Rights Amendment. Send us a tweet at mom Stuff Podcast, 554 00:31:40,120 --> 00:31:42,520 Speaker 1: leave your comments on our Instagram at stuff Mom Never 555 00:31:42,600 --> 00:31:45,440 Speaker 1: Told You, And as always, we love getting your listener 556 00:31:45,480 --> 00:31:59,280 Speaker 1: mail at mom Stuff at how stuff works dot com.