[[link removed]] Weekly Digest
Weekly Digest
Letter from an Editor | August 17, 2024
Dear John,
With each passing day, it’s apparent that voters are feeling energized, with the prospect of a woman president. But as election season gets underway in earnest, we can’t forget about the ways government can and should be ensuring women’s equality and representation. Earlier this month at its annual meeting, the American Bar Association declared that the Equal Rights Amendment is fully ratified, and should be implemented by the legal community and all levels of government.
As contributing editor Carrie Baker reports, the resolution directly blows away two arguments ERA opponents have used for years to stymie progress on the Amendment’s implementation: 1. That the ratification is invalid because Congress placed a seven-year time limit for ratification in the preamble to the ERA passed in 1972 (later extended another three years), and 2. That six states that ratified the ERA have validly rescinded their ratifications. (Constitutional law scholars underscore that the Constitution does not provide for recisions—only ratifications.)
“This is BIG news,” said Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, a leading ERA advocate. “The leading association for legal minds just endorsed our position that the Equal Rights Amendment has satisfied every constitutional requirement and called on the entire legal community to support certifying and publishing the ERA as our 28th Amendment.”
The polls have been showing it for the past year: women’s rights issues—and women’s votes—will be decisive in this fall’s elections. With this in mind, we’re going to be on the ground in Chicago next week at the Democratic National Convention—listening in on key speeches, and reporting on the policies and politicians that matter to feminists this election year. If you’re in Chicago, we’d like to invite you to join us! We’ll be featured at several events throughout the DNC:
*
Monday
8/19
@
2pm
CT:
Join
the
Feminist
Majority
and
ERA
Coalition
for
a
Feminist
Equalitea
[[link removed]]
gathering
in
celebration
of
Kamala
Harris
for
smashing
the
highest
of
glass
ceilings,
the
ratification
of
the
Equal
Rights
Amendment
and
the
fight
for
its
recognition,
and
fabulous
feminist
candidates
and
elected
officials
at
Palmer
House
Hilton,
State
Ballroom,
17
East
Monroe
Street
*
Tuesday
8/20
@
Noon
CT:
USC
Annenberg
School
will
host
“Why
Women
Matter”
(a
media
series
with
Ms.,
Politico,
Univision,
and
others)
featuring
Michele
Goodwin,
Jennifer
Weiss-Wolf,
Carol
Jenkins
and
myself
at
Hilton
Chicago,
Astoria
Room
3rd
Floor,
720
South
Michigan
Avenue
*
Wednesday
8/21
@
Noon
CT:
USC
Annenberg
School
will
host
a
conversation
between
myself
and
expert
pollster
Celinda
Lake
at
Hilton
Chicago,
Astoria
Room
3rd
Floor,
720
South
Michigan
Avenue
We hope to see you there! And even if you’re not going to be in Chicago, be sure to check MsMagazine.com or subscribe to our daily newsletters [[link removed]] for ongoing dispatches from the DNC.
Finally, this week we relaunched our Front & Center series in partnership with Springboard to Opportunities. Over the past three years, the series has given a platform for Black mothers receiving guaranteed income to share their experiences. As we head into our fourth year of the series, we are reaffirming our commitment to shining a light on issues faced by Black women living in poverty—but we’re also looking at the bigger picture.
Both Springboard to Opportunities and Ms. understand the vital importance of taking a systemic view when it comes to the issues Black women in America face: “Women, especially Black women, have long been the backbone of our care infrastructure… This disproportionate burden exacerbates economic inequalities, limiting their ability to generate income and build wealth. By focusing on broader systemic issues such as these, our Front & Center series will highlight the urgent need for robust care infrastructure that supports all women, particularly those who are most marginalized,” Aisha Nyandoro, CEO of Springboard, and I wrote in Ms. this week.
I hope you’ll take some time this weekend to explore more essays from the collection—and be sure to check back in on Monday for our first day of dispatches from the DNC.
Onward,
[[link removed]]
Kathy Spillar
Executive Editor
This Week's Must-Reads from Ms.
[link removed] [[link removed]] [link removed] [[link removed]]
Equal Rights Amendment Is Valid and Should Be Implemented, Says American Bar Association [[link removed]] Ms. Magazine @ the DNC [[link removed]]
[link removed] [[link removed]] [link removed] [[link removed]]
Front & Center’s Next Phase: How We Fix Systems Designed to Fail Black Women [[link removed]] How Single Moms in Mississippi Make It Work: ‘There Are Times I Don’t Eat to Make Sure My Kids Do’ [[link removed]]
[link removed] [[link removed]] Tune in for a new episode of Ms. magazine's podcast, On the Issues with Michele Goodwin on
Apple Podcasts [[link removed]] + Spotify [[link removed]] .
In this episode, we’re joined by two co-hosts of the Webby Award-winning #SistersInLaw podcast to discuss where our nation stands as we approach the 2024 elections—from the ongoing trials faced by former president Donald Trump, to Nikki Haley, to the Supreme Court’s recent opinions and so much more.
We hope you'll listen, subscribe, rate and review today!
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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 [[link removed]] . We are grateful for your loyalty and ferocity .
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