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| Hey John, Today is Women’s Equality Day, a day that marks when the 19th Amendment was adopted by the federal government in 1920. It enshrined the right to vote for women and prohibited laws created to restrict women from the democratic process. But even the passage of the 19th Amendment didn’t usher in a full wave of equality for women; Black, Latina, Asian, and Indigenous women were boxed out from the ballot box due to poll taxes, literacy tests, and voter suppression efforts. We can -- and should -- still celebrate this day, but let’s not sugar coat it. It wasn’t until the Voting Rights Act passed that millions more were empowered to vote, and even later to end literacy tests. Still, a century later, all women have not achieved full equality under the law. Women and people who can become pregnant are still fighting for full reproductive rights. The Equal Rights Amendment -- which would guarantee the right to equal legal treatment regardless of sex -- remains unratified by a majority of state governments. Women earn less for the same work. Women don’t have paid family and medical leave. Women face harassment, discrimination, and violence at the workplace, on the street, and at home. Knowing all of this, it’s incredibly important for all of us to shape our future into one that is more equal and just. How do we do that? By voting this fall. By fighting to expand access to the ballot box through automatic and same day registration and ending voter roll purges and voter suppression tactics. By encouraging folks who are underrepresented in our government -- working class, LGBTQ+, women, people of color, and more! -- to run for office. And not waiting for someone to open the door for us, we need to run for office ourselves. All this starts with voting, John. This year, the stakes could not be higher. Remember that change happens at the ballot box. Liberty and justice are won at the ballot box. Can you promise us that you'll exercise your right to vote this year? Change can’t come without us, so don’t sit on the sidelines. Thank you, Team Scholten  |
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