Event Comes Before the 100th Year Anniversary of The Introduction Of The Equal Rights Amendment in Congress

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WASHINGTON – Ahead of the 100th anniversary of the introduction of the Equal Rights Amendment in the Senate, Co-Chairs of the Congressional Caucus for the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA), Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (MA-07) and Congresswoman Cori Bush (MO-01) hosted a Centennial Reception Exhibit at the Library of Congress. This reception highlighted the history of Black and brown women and leaders who have been at the forefront of the ERA fight yet seldom recognized.

“At the Library of Congress, we honored the groundwork laid by the women – particularly the Black women and women of color – who came before us in the century-long struggle for constitutional equality,” said Rep. Pressley. “As a Black woman, it was not only a privilege to launch the first ever Congressional Caucus for the Equal Rights Amendment alongside my sister in service Congresswoman Bush, but an honor to continue the legacy of the sheroes who paved the way for us. From past to present, our freedoms and our destinies are tied, and the greatest way to honor these women is to enshrine the ERA in our Constitution and achieve true constitutional gender equality.”

“To mark the 100-year anniversary of the ERA’s introduction in Congress, we are using this time to pay tribute to the Black and brown women and leaders who were on the frontlines of gender equality,” said Rep. Bush. “Congresswoman Pressley and I proudly follow in a long line of Black leaders who have advocated for the ERA, including Mary Church Terrell, Pauli Murray, Barbara Jordan, Shirley Chisholm, and countless others. This is nothing new. This is a return to finish what we started.”

Congresswomen Pressley and Bush launched the Congressional Caucus for the Equal Rights Amendment, the first of its kind, in March of 2023. The Caucus launched 100 years after the ERA was written and introduced in Congress and aims to affirm the ERA as the 28th Constitutional Amendment. With 54 members and 19 vice chairs, the ERA Caucus intends to push the needle forward when it comes to gender equality and to make the ERA a national priority.

Rep. Pressley, along with Senator Ben Cardin (D-MD), is the lead co-sponsor of H.J.Res.25, a joint resolution to affirm the ratification of the ERA and take a critical step toward enshrining gender equality in the United States Constitution.

• In July 2023, Rep. Pressley and Rep. Cori Bush commemorated July 21, 2023 as the 100th anniversary of when the Equal Rights Amendment was first unveiled.
• In July 2023, Rep. Pressley led her colleagues in filing a “discharge petition” that could compel the House to hold a vote on H.J. Res. 25, her joint resolution to affirm the ratification of the ERA and enshrine it as the 28^th Amendment.
• In July 2023, Rep. Pressley joined Rep. Cori Bush (MO-01) and Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) in unveiling a resolution recognizing the Equal Rights Amendment as the 28^th Amendment to the Constitution.
• In June 2023, during Pride Month, a coalition of LGBTQ+ grassroots organizations expressed support for H.J.Res. 25, a bicameral joint resolution to affirm the ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment and enshrine gender equality in the U.S. Constitution.
• In April 2023, Rep. Pressley and the Congressional Caucus on the Equal Rights Amendment rallied behind the Senate’s efforts to bring the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) to a vote. Later that day, Rep. Pressley responded to the failed passage on the House Floor.
• In March 2023, Rep. Pressley and Rep. Cori Bush (MO-01) led their colleagues in launching the first-ever Congressional Caucus for the Equal Rights Amendment.
• In March 2023 ahead of the ERA Caucus launch, Rep. Pressley delivered a powerful House floor speech commemorating the legacy and contributions of Black women at the forefront of the movement to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment.
• In March 2023, on the House floor, Rep. Pressley honored the late Congresswoman Shirley Chisholm and her contributions as a legislator, including her advocacy to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment.
• In February 2023, Rep. Pressley, along with Chairwoman Lois Frankel (FL-21) and the Democratic Women’s Caucus, issued a statement applauding the Senate Judiciary Committee’s hearing on the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA).
• In January 2023, Rep. Pressley and Sen. Cardin led their colleagues in introducing a bicameral, joint resolution to remove the arbitrary deadline for ratification of the ERA and recognize the amendment as a valid part of the Constitution.

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