Everand Logo

Welcome to Everand!

  • NPR

    50 years ago sex equality seemed destined for the Constitution. What happened?

    The U.S. Senate overwhelmingly voted to approve the Equal Rights Amendment in 1972, paving the way for it to become the 28th amendment to the U.S. Constitution. It was roaring along...until it wasn't.
    by Elizabeth Blair Mar 22, 2022 4 minutes
    A large crowd of women cheers a speaker at the Lincoln Memorial, during a rally for passage of the Equal Rights Amendment.

    Fifty years ago today, the U.S. Senate passed the Equal Rights Amendment, following the lead of the House of Representatives and paving the way for it to become the 28th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.

    Yet the ERA was never added to the Constitution - because Congress also set a deadline. It said 38, or 3/4 of the states, had to ratify the proposed amendment by 1979. It later extended the deadline to 1982. So when in 2020 Virginia became the final state needed to ratify the ERA, it was almost 40 years too late.

    Or was it?

    High school Rosie in the Constitution.

    You’re reading a preview, subscribe to read more.

    More from NPR

    NPR8 min read
    8 Tracks: What Was The Steve Albini Sound? Almost Everything
    If an artist was willing to confront their truths, Albini was ready to take them into the gaping maw. The recording engineer, who died last week, left an indelible mark on how we hear music.
    NPR3 min read
    Resources To Enhance And Strengthen Editorial Operations
    Announcing new structures that will enhance and strengthen editorial operations as a unified Content division.
    NPR5 min readWorld
    How Israel's Military Investigates Itself In Cases Of Possible Wrongdoing
    Since last October, complaints have included Israeli soldiers firing on unarmed Palestinian refugees and the killing of World Central Kitchen aid workers when Israeli drones fired on their convoy.

    Related Books & Audiobooks