"Pauli Murray, Shirley Chisholm, Flo Kennedy and Barbara Jordan are a few of the prominent Black women who have advocated for the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA). In the 1970s, many Black organizations endorsed the ERA, including the National Black Feminist Organization, the NAACP and the Coalition of Black Trade Unionists. A 1970s Gallup opinion poll showed that 60 percent of Black women supported the ERA"--Professor Carrie N. Baker

In our first segment, Professor Carrie N. Baker will be our guest. She has written an article entitled "Black Women in Support of the Equal Rights Amendment: 'A Victory Over Right-Wing Racist Sexism", subtitled: "When the 28th Amendment is finally recognized as part of the U.S. Constitution, "Black women will deserve significant credit for the ERA" 

We'll discuss with Professor Baker the not-well-enough known  history of the Black women who have worked for and supported the Equal Rights Amendment for generations. The ERA is now tantalizingly close to finally, after 98 years, becoming part of the U.S. Constitution--but still has significant obstacles to overcome before it can be made a part of the U.S. constitution. 

We will also present both actual audio of--and read quotes by--some of great Black women activists who have spoken and continue to speak in support of the ERA--including Dr. Pauli Murray, Flo Kennedy, Dr. Mary Phillips and Shirley Chisholm.

Our second segment will update us on the struggle presently going on to actually bring the inclusion of the ERA in our constitution, into reality, and to overcome both the Republican right wing and the Democratic resistance to this goal.

Guests will be: Kamala Lopez, Founder an Director of Equal Means Equal, a frontline group in the fight for ERA--and activist lawyer Wendy Murphy, who recently sued the Biden Administration over its failure to instruct the U.S. Archivist to publish the ERA, thus making into law. These two activists will also update us on the Sentinel Project, in which women are currentlyconducting a vigil outside of the Justice Department, holding banners urging the U.S. Attorney General, Merrick Garland, to instruct the U.S. Arhivist to publish the ERA.

The program will include our Feminist News Roundup and topical music.

BIO: CARRIE N. BAKER

Carrie N. Baker, J.D., Ph.D., is the Sylvia Dlugasch Bauman Chair of American Studies and a professor in the program for the study of women and gender at Smith College. She is a contributing editor at Ms. magazine. Her 2007 book The Women's Movement Against Sexual Harassment won the National Women’s Studies Association Sara A. Whaley Book Prize. Her second book, Fighting the U.S. Youth Sex Trade: Gender, Race, and Politics, tells the story of activism against youth involvement in the sex trade in the United States between 1970 and 2015. You can contact Dr. Baker at cbaker@msmagazine.com.