Written by author of the Equal Rights Amendment and relentless suffragist Alice Paul in 1923, these five simple words are the essence of today’s Charlotte Women’s March. They remind us that this concept should have been embraced 96 years ago. Instead these five words have either been ignored or met with fear, myriad forms of resistance, and discrimination since America began.
Believe it or not, one of the two issues front and center in North Carolina is gerrymandering, which goes back 207 years to 1812. The second is the ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment. That’s right, you read correctly, though introduced in 1923, it still needs one more state to ratify it – and NC could cast the winning vote. Both issues relate to racial and gender rights and are the reasons why CWM is raising awareness about them.
Raising awareness of inequality and taking action through collaboration to achieve equality are the cornerstones of today’s Charlotte Women’s March. Our Co-Presidents’ Letter below lays out our position.
Following their letter are articles designed to inform and provide ways for you to take action now.
EVENTS: Plan to attend the two YWCA Stand Against Racism events beginning with a forum featuring CWM Co-President Gina Navarrete on Apr. 25 and a CWM booth on Apr. 26; Reel Out Charlotte’s free opening reception on Apr. 28; a transformational CWM/Habitat for Humanity/Crisis Assistance Spring Workshop on May 9; and our first-ever Habitat Women Build Day on May 18.
ISSUES: Get up to date on ERA ratification and on-going gerrymandering efforts in NC. Our final articles relate to the needs of our growing organization:
NEEDS: CWM volunteer communication opportunities and our CWM Brand Perception Survey.
As Buddhist nun Pema Chodron says, “The future is the result of what we do now.” There’s lots of good to be done, as you’ll see below