MORE THAN A MAGAZINE, A MOVEMENT

On July 4, we celebrate the Declaration of Independence and the founding of a country based on the idea that "all men are created equal." Later would come the Constitution, in 1789 that would form the framework of the federal government, its powers and responsibilities and the rights and responsibilities of the state governments.

But as Congresswoman Shirley Chisholm would observe during the debate on the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) on the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives in 1970: 

“The Constitution they wrote was designed to protect the rights of white, male citizens. As there were no Black Founding Fathers, there were no founding mothers – a great pity, on both counts. It is not too late to complete the work they left undone. Today, here, we should start to do so.” 

As we pause for the national holiday, we at Ms. will be thinking about the importance of our collective struggle to right this wrong, to not only add the ERA to the Constitution, but to ensure voting rights and secure ALL of our rights to “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness,” and yes, that means full reproductive autonomy. And to equal representation at all levels of government so that governments derive their powers from the “consent of the governed.” 

We are featuring in today’s newsletter two critical collections of prior reporting on the importance of the ERA and abortion rights to securing democracy for all. Enjoy!

The Ms. Team 

Tune in for a new episode of Ms. magazine's podcast, On the Issues with Michele Goodwin on

Apple Podcasts + Spotify.

In this episode, we continue our series: Fifteen Minutes of Feminism—The Trump Indictments: Found Guilty! (with Moira Donegan). On May 30, 2024, Donald Trump was found guilty on all 34 counts by a New York jury. In this episode, we unpack the criminal charges that Donald Trump engaged in illegal business, electoral and campaign activities. This week, we’re rejoined by Moira Donegan to discuss why the New York trial was about more than about “hush money” and how the case marks the first time a former president has stood trial for criminal prosecution and been convicted .

We hope you'll listen, subscribe, rate and review today!

U.S. democracy is at a dangerous inflection point—from the demise of abortion rights, to a lack of pay equity and parental leave, to skyrocketing maternal mortality, and attacks on trans health. Left unchecked, these crises will lead to wider gaps in political participation and representation. For 50 years, Ms. has been forging feminist journalism—reporting, rebelling and truth-telling from the front-lines, championing the Equal Rights Amendment, and centering the stories of those most impacted. With all that’s at stake for equality, we are redoubling our commitment for the next 50 years. In turn, we need your help, Support Ms. today with a donation—any amount that is meaningful to you. We are grateful for your loyalty and ferocity.

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