One of my heroines is Dr Ada Hayden, the first woman to get a Ph.D. at Iowa State University (1918). After joining the faculty, she encountered misogyny in many forms, including remaining an assistant professor throughout her career and being paid a paltry salary. Fortunately, Iowa State has made great forward strides since then, including that the ISU President is a woman.
I guess I’m one of those ancestors myself, having organized the KY ERA march, spoken at the Indiana and Illinois ones, and was one the organizers for the local contingent to the 1978 Women’s March on Washington. The ERA was my life during those years, and what a disappointment it was to have not passed back then, when it should have. My grandmothers were married with children before they had the right to vote and my mother didn’t have access to birth control pills. I look to them for my inspiration. By the way, I wasn’t allowed to wear pants to school or work until my third grown-up job and couldn’t have credit in my own name until after my children were born. Thank you for this, Carrie.
Thank you for all you’ve done and continue to do! I love that you organized the KY ERA march and part of the 1978 Washington march. We need your stories!
My mother, Mary Johnston, was one of a group of women who lobbied the ERA through Congress in the early 70s. They were called “Flora Crater’s Raiders”. Then for the next twenty years she lobbied the Virginia legislature every year, dressed as Susan B. Anthony! She did not live to see it ratified, but she never listened faith that it would be.
Shout out to the Rev. Nancy Sehested, the 1st woman I ever heard fill a pulpit & preach (I think 1984). I remember her sermon vividly. She told the story of the 2 Hebrew midwives, Shiphrah and Puah, in the book of Exodus who ignored the Pharoah's directive to insure that all Hebrew baby boys died. They "let Pharoah go" (Nancy's powerful repeated phrase in the sermon) & did as God directed instead. So, shout out to them as well. Also, for a number of years in tough times my mantra has been "Susan B. Anthony never got to vote." Soul crushing defeat after soul crushing defeat, & she got up the next morning & continued the fight for women's suffrage. Where would we be if she'd quit? The mantra matters even more to me in these days.
Wow, “Susan b Anthony never got to vote.” I continue to be grateful and find courage in how bravely and faithfully the ancestors worked for change, particularly our sisters of color. We may or may not see the fruit from the trees we plant…but how deeply important we plant and nurture those trees.
You are inspiring me, Carrie. By doing what you're doing. Sharing your thoughts and your heart with others. Such compassion! There hasn't been a question in my mind on the contrary. Thank you!
Petition signed and President Biden emailed! Let’s get this done! I was raised by strong, badass women who instilled kindness and an eye for doing what’s right…not just for one’s own self interest but for all. This is one of those times and I plan to continue fighting the long fight ahead. Thank you, Carrie.
This post brought back vivid memories of me (with my 6 month old daughter) at an ERA rally in 1981 in my college town in Indiana. My mother-in-law was president of Planned Parenthood and I attended with her "tribe" and so many other women of so many ages. We made a tiny t-shirt with ERA letters on it for my daughter. I have had that photo of me holding her on my desk all these years. I kept that tiny t-shirt, too. This fight is not over. Just mind boggling.
Oh I love that you still have the photo and t-shirt. Such amazing women and stories, the work may not be done, but we keep planting seeds and nurturing trees for when they bear fruit.
I got sent home several times for too short skirts, one day I came back in a "midi skirt" remember those? And was promptly sent home again for being defiant.
I love your spirit my friend. The folklore story that was told in my school was the city wide rule changed with a young woman in high school wore a “pants suit” to school. It was basically a tunic dress over pants. The vice principal saw her walk into the school and told her she had to leave. This young woman sipped off her pants. The tunic dress barely covered, but he had on hose and shoes and the dress was a dress. So she attended classes all day in an outfit that barely covered what the good lord gave her. The legend is that the next day they changed the policy….the ridiculousness of it made more than obvious by this brave defiant young woman. I don’t know if it’s true…but I bless her name as one of the ancestors! You to my friend.
One of my heroines is Dr Ada Hayden, the first woman to get a Ph.D. at Iowa State University (1918). After joining the faculty, she encountered misogyny in many forms, including remaining an assistant professor throughout her career and being paid a paltry salary. Fortunately, Iowa State has made great forward strides since then, including that the ISU President is a woman.
I give a shout out to Ann Richards, former governor of Texas. Spunky and genuine!
Here’s the most recent update from the Archivist of the United States: https://www.archives.gov/press/press-releases/2025/nr25-004
It seems that congress will need to act and change the date.
💀 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗢𝗕𝗜𝗧𝗨𝗔𝗥𝗬 𝗢𝗙 𝗗𝗢𝗡𝗔𝗟𝗗 𝗝. 𝗧𝗥𝗨𝗠𝗣
𝗜𝗻 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗿𝗸 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘀𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗝𝗶𝗺𝗺𝘆 𝗖𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗲𝗿, 𝗮 𝗟𝗶𝗳𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗖𝗼𝗿𝗿𝘂𝗽𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻, 𝗖𝗿𝘂𝗲𝗹𝘁𝘆, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗼𝘀
"𝘋𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘭𝘥 𝘑𝘰𝘩𝘯 𝘛𝘳𝘶𝘮𝘱, 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘸𝘪𝘤𝘦-𝘪𝘮𝘱𝘦𝘢𝘤𝘩𝘦𝘥, 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘪𝘤𝘦-𝘪𝘯𝘥𝘪𝘤𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝟦𝟧𝘵𝘩 𝘗𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘜𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘚𝘵𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘴, 𝘥𝘪𝘦𝘥 𝘰𝘯 𝘋𝘦𝘤𝘦𝘮𝘣𝘦𝘳 𝟤𝟫, 𝟤𝟢𝟤𝟦, 𝘮𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘸𝘦𝘦𝘬𝘴 𝘣𝘦𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘴𝘦𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘦 𝘴𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘯 𝘪𝘯 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘢 𝘤𝘢𝘵𝘢𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘰𝘱𝘩𝘪𝘤 𝘴𝘦𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘮. 𝘏𝘪𝘴 𝘥𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘩, 𝘸𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘦 𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘨𝘪𝘤 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘴𝘦 𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦𝘥 𝘣𝘺 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘤𝘶𝘭𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘺, 𝘰𝘧𝘧𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘢 𝘮𝘶𝘤𝘩-𝘯𝘦𝘦𝘥𝘦𝘥 𝘳𝘦𝘱𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘷𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘢 𝘯𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘭𝘥 𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘳𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘻𝘦𝘥 𝘣𝘺 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘦𝘹𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦. 𝘏𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝟩𝟪." READ MORE
https://open.substack.com/pub/patricemersault/p/the-obituary-of-donald-j-trump?r=4d7sow&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=false
Carrie, this lifted my spirits! I will send to others and follow through!
Thank you Carrie. I didn’t realize this. I’m on it. Sending to my peeps
Just signed on for Biden to do this. Sure hope he does.
I guess I’m one of those ancestors myself, having organized the KY ERA march, spoken at the Indiana and Illinois ones, and was one the organizers for the local contingent to the 1978 Women’s March on Washington. The ERA was my life during those years, and what a disappointment it was to have not passed back then, when it should have. My grandmothers were married with children before they had the right to vote and my mother didn’t have access to birth control pills. I look to them for my inspiration. By the way, I wasn’t allowed to wear pants to school or work until my third grown-up job and couldn’t have credit in my own name until after my children were born. Thank you for this, Carrie.
Thank you for all you’ve done and continue to do! I love that you organized the KY ERA march and part of the 1978 Washington march. We need your stories!
My mother, Mary Johnston, was one of a group of women who lobbied the ERA through Congress in the early 70s. They were called “Flora Crater’s Raiders”. Then for the next twenty years she lobbied the Virginia legislature every year, dressed as Susan B. Anthony! She did not live to see it ratified, but she never listened faith that it would be.
Oops, I meant “she never lost faith”!
Shout out to Ruth, my wife!
Shout out to the Rev. Nancy Sehested, the 1st woman I ever heard fill a pulpit & preach (I think 1984). I remember her sermon vividly. She told the story of the 2 Hebrew midwives, Shiphrah and Puah, in the book of Exodus who ignored the Pharoah's directive to insure that all Hebrew baby boys died. They "let Pharoah go" (Nancy's powerful repeated phrase in the sermon) & did as God directed instead. So, shout out to them as well. Also, for a number of years in tough times my mantra has been "Susan B. Anthony never got to vote." Soul crushing defeat after soul crushing defeat, & she got up the next morning & continued the fight for women's suffrage. Where would we be if she'd quit? The mantra matters even more to me in these days.
Wow, “Susan b Anthony never got to vote.” I continue to be grateful and find courage in how bravely and faithfully the ancestors worked for change, particularly our sisters of color. We may or may not see the fruit from the trees we plant…but how deeply important we plant and nurture those trees.
You are inspiring me, Carrie. By doing what you're doing. Sharing your thoughts and your heart with others. Such compassion! There hasn't been a question in my mind on the contrary. Thank you!
Thank you Daniel. A deep bow
Petition signed and President Biden emailed! Let’s get this done! I was raised by strong, badass women who instilled kindness and an eye for doing what’s right…not just for one’s own self interest but for all. This is one of those times and I plan to continue fighting the long fight ahead. Thank you, Carrie.
This post brought back vivid memories of me (with my 6 month old daughter) at an ERA rally in 1981 in my college town in Indiana. My mother-in-law was president of Planned Parenthood and I attended with her "tribe" and so many other women of so many ages. We made a tiny t-shirt with ERA letters on it for my daughter. I have had that photo of me holding her on my desk all these years. I kept that tiny t-shirt, too. This fight is not over. Just mind boggling.
Oh I love that you still have the photo and t-shirt. Such amazing women and stories, the work may not be done, but we keep planting seeds and nurturing trees for when they bear fruit.
Thanks for the post, Carrie. I’ve written to him several times about this and have written again today. I’ve shared the FB post you created
I didn’t do a facebook post on this…but maybe someone else did. But its a great idea!
I got sent home several times for too short skirts, one day I came back in a "midi skirt" remember those? And was promptly sent home again for being defiant.
I love your spirit my friend. The folklore story that was told in my school was the city wide rule changed with a young woman in high school wore a “pants suit” to school. It was basically a tunic dress over pants. The vice principal saw her walk into the school and told her she had to leave. This young woman sipped off her pants. The tunic dress barely covered, but he had on hose and shoes and the dress was a dress. So she attended classes all day in an outfit that barely covered what the good lord gave her. The legend is that the next day they changed the policy….the ridiculousness of it made more than obvious by this brave defiant young woman. I don’t know if it’s true…but I bless her name as one of the ancestors! You to my friend.