International Journal of Gender & Women's Studies

Barbara B. Smith’s Media Presence: Shaping the LDS Women Identity during the ERA Movement
Prof. Cornelius M. Lambi

Introduction
In March of 1972, the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) was brought to the floor of Congress with the prerogative to establish that “equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of sex.2 With its origins in feminist movements like the Women’s Liberation Movement, the ERA motivated many rallies and caucuses across the nation that were covered by the press to bring attention and support against gender-related discrimination which many women felt; with this, issues that were once considered domestic like family and other typically personal matters were brought into the political arena.3However, this simply worded proposal was not ultimately included into the United States Constitution, events, and reactions from Americans in regards to the ERA, both leading up to its failure to be passed and after, caused a maelstrom of strife and division across the United State as demonstrated in the media.

Full Text: PDF      DOI: 10.15640/ijgws.v4n1a3