ERA portion of Gina Collias’ speech for the May 12th Commencement Speech for the UNC Chapel Hill Political Science Department.
“Similar to how we can change and make laws in our communities, we have more work to do on a national level. MLK believed in equality, but women cannot have true equality without autonomy over themselves. In the documentary “RBG,” Ruth Bader Ginsburg quoted Charleston native Sarah Grimke, an abolitionist and early feminist, who said in 1837… “I ask no favors for my sex… All I ask of our brethren, is that they will take their feet from off our necks.”
Next year will be the 100th anniversary of the women’s right to vote, but we still do not have equal rights under the Constitution. Many young people have a false sense of security that the courts will give the proper scrutiny to issues involving women. Currently, the courts do not. The Equal Rights Amendment would guarantee that laws cannot discriminate based on gender and would require judges to use strict scrutiny in case review. North Carolina has the opportunity to be the last state needed to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment. You can make a difference by calling or emailing your representatives. We need the ERA, so that gender discrimination issues are given the same level of strict scrutiny, that racial discrimination receives under the law. We must continue this fight for all women.”https://www.ginacolliasforcongress.com/media-blog/uncpoliticalsciencecommencement
