Remembering women of the movement’s past stokes the power to continue the fight for freedom, equity, and opportunity. We learn from their stories, honor their legacies, and find fortitude in their ability to build community despite the odds.
The following women took it upon themselves to show up and stand up for their rights. In their own unique ways, they took action, empowered others, and made meaningful contributions toward the freedom of Black women and their communities:
Our history is replete with people with disabilities who paved the way for a stronger, more representative democracy — like Judy Heumann, Sojourner Truth, Senator Tammy Duckworth, Claudia Gordan, Harriet Tubman, Joyce Ardell Jackson, and Vilissa Thompson, to name a few.
Yet we also know that anti-voter laws and regulations disproportionately impact people with disabilities, and the fight to make the vote more accessible is ongoing.
In this blog, we’ll highlight some of our favorite voting rights activists who were also women with disabilities. Then, we’ll examine how ability and voting rights intersect today.
While the contributions of men in the Civil Rights Movement have been widely documented, women’s contributions are often overlooked. Figures like Fannie Lou Hamer, Ella Baker, Diane Nash, and Gloria Richardson were just as vital as men like Martin Luther King Jr. And John R. Lewis in securing voting access. Their stories remain deeply relevant today, as many of the barriers they fought against have persisted or resurfaced in new forms, reminding us that vigilance in protecting voting rights is as critical as ever.
It’s 2024. 101 years have passed since the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) was proposed, and women’s equal rights are still not enshrined in the US Constitution.
WASHINGTON — The League of Women Voters of the United States issued the following statement on the passing of former First Lady Rosalynn Carter:
In June 2022, the US Supreme Court ruled in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, ending the federal constitutional right to abortion. This ruling eliminated a fundamental right that women and people who may become pregnant held for nearly fifty years and left the right to abortion up to federal and state legislation.
One year after Dobbs, 20 states are enforcing more limited abortion bans than before the ruling, including 14 states that have banned abortion at conception. Additionally, many have implemented other restrictions that make abortion less accessible.
How much do you know about our democracy’s Founding Mothers from the eighteenth century to today?
Dolores Huerta is a civil rights activist and labor leader who has dedicated her life to fighting for democracy in the United States, both in the government and the workplace. Growing up, she witnessed the struggles of farm workers and saw firsthand the injustices they faced. Her experience motivated her to become an activist and work towards creating a more democratic society.
For those who experience pregnancy, our basic freedoms hinge on our ability to make choices about our reproductive health. Our physical and psychological health, ability to gain and maintain employment, financial resources, and even what we can and cannot eat are all dependent on our reproductive choices.
The League of Women Voters of the United States sent a letter to Senate Majority Leader Schumer urging him to schedule a vote on a joint resolution to eliminate the timeline for ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA).