Juneteenth! And #Dads4ERA

By ERA Coalition

June 19, 2020

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The ERA Coalition works with more than 300 state, federal, and grassroots partners to advance the cause of women’s equality in the United States, primarily through adding the Equal Rights Amendment to the Constitution and supporting states’ ongoing efforts to ratify the ERA.

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Greetings from the ERA Coalition on this day, the celebration of Juneteenth, the day in 1865 that slaves in faraway Texas learned--two years after the fact--that slavery had ended. Today in the Senate there was movement to make this a national holiday: Senators Kamala Harris, Cory Booker, Tina Smith and Ed Markey introduced the bill. Rep Sheila Jackson-Lee has introduced a similar bill in the House. The day certainly gives an opportunity to think seriously about equality...something we do every day here at the Coalition. We know you share our determination to see the ERA as the 28th Amendment to our Constitution.

Thanks to all who participated in--and watched yesterday's Town Hall on Women and Girls of Color and the ERA. Our guest experts-and questioners raised so many good points for urgent work. We will continue this discussion with our partners--current and future. The event can be viewed on our Facebook page, here.

Wishing all the Dads a Happy Father's Day--we've launched a campaign, #Dads4ERA on social media, kicked off by Dan Finnerty of the DanBand--here's the song he wrote and performs for us (click here to watch). We love it! Dan is the husband of our new Advisory Council member, the actor Kathy Najimy.

Kojo Dufu, father of two, has written a very moving essay for us--how fathering has changed in these anxious, sometimes turbulent times. He is the husband of Advisory Council member Tiffany Dufu. I usually see Kojo at Girl Scout pickup--Ekua and my Avery are deep friends.

Luis Miranda--humanitarian activist, organizer, publisher, philanthropist-and manager of a musical empire -- has written for us a beautiful description of his thoughts this Father's Day -- as husband of Dr. Luz Miranda, father and grandfather (I see him all the time at his small grandson's school events!)

An equal partnership is what he cherishes, and makes fatherhood work.

Thanks to our Board member and ERA activist Steve Andersson (he helped bring us Illinois!) for his thoughts--and hard work on equality for many years.

And our thanks to Coalition friend and advisor Lisa Sales for finding these terrific Dads and daughters for us to celebrate. Please take a look at each of these lovely videos on our Youtube channel.