Vintage film shows marchers chanting, “Hey, hey, what do you say? Ratify the ERA!”
How simple it would have been had the Founding Fathers written a Constitution that made all men and women equal. But they didn’t. So for over 200 years, equal rights for women has been unfinished business for the Constitution.
First proposed in 1923 by Alice Paul, the Equal Rights Amendment was pretty simple: “Equality of Rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by the U.S. or by any state on account of sex.” In January 2020, Virginia became the 38th and final state needed to ratify the ERA, representing a culmination of a century-long battle for women’s equality.
But by then, five states had rescinded their ratification, so the amendment was no closer to becoming law.
“Artists4ERA,” a short term exhibition at the Virginia Museum of History and Culture, is part of ongoing efforts to ensure that the ERA becomes the 28th Amendment to the Constitution. Participating local artists and artists from across the country have created original works to raise awareness about the ERA and to promote gender equality. The exhibition is small: 28 original works, colorful and eye-grabbing – but the fundamental message is the focus.
Chuck Sperry uses extravagant flowers, patterns and color in his “Equal Rights: Flower of Democracy” poster, which evokes the 1970s (“Pass the Equal Rights Amendment Now!”) while being squarely planted in the 21st century. Beyond the verbiage, the eyes of the woman whose head is adorned in brilliant flowers seem to plead for passage.
Very different stylistically is Roshi K.’s 2023 poster, “A New ERA,” which uses Art Deco-like embellishments of gold to surround a female figure. A Black woman with a luxurious pink Afro, cut-offs and roller skates is framed by the words “A New ERA” behind and in front of her body.
The faces of the ERA may look different now than they did in Paul’s time, or even in the ‘70s, when members of the National Organization for Women picketed the Senate and disrupted hearings on lowering the voting age to demand a hearing on the Equal Rights Amendment. But the goal remains the same.
Familiar artists
Looking at the art works in the exhibition, viewers will notice some familiar Richmond names. Noah Scalin created “GenERAtions 2023,” which depicts a woman’s head and shoulders in front of the iconic green “ERA NOW!” logo of the ‘70s. Upon closer inspection of the woman’s face, the viewer sees that it’s made up of a collage of colors and supportive words such as “Super job,” “You rock,” “Smart” and “Brave.” Scalin reminds us that being smart, brave and doing a super job are no guarantee of equality.
The collection of work in “Artists4ERA” is powerful, representing the hopes, goals and history of both male and female artists committed to passage of the amendment. Muralist Hamilton Glass is represented with a piece titled “On Their Shoulders.” The imagery appears vintage, with the right side depicting Black protesters holding up signs with slogans such as “Voting Rights Now,” perhaps from Martin Luther King Jr.’s Selma campaign, and the left side filled with early 20th century suffragettes in period dress holding signs saying, “Votes for Women.” It’s a history lesson in a frame.
Pulling from World War II imagery, Tracie Ching’s 2021 piece riffs on Lady Liberty as she might look today. A monumental Black woman, draped in white with the American flag behind her, holds a ballot in one hand and a saber in the other. Beside her feet sits a ballot box and the text of the Equal Rights Amendment. The band encircling her reads, “In Pursuit of Equal Rights for All Americans,” making it clear that women fall into the “all Americans” category.
Taking in the two walls of the exhibit, certain words and potent reminders jump out. Fight the good fights. Women’s rights are human rights. Do what’s right. Despite the founding ideal of the U.S. being that “all men were created equal,” that’s not been the reality for people of color, the LGBTQ+ community, and citizens with disabilities, all of whom have had to fight for equal rights. Women, the largest of all those groups, are still fighting.
“Artists4ERA” is only on view until the end of March, neatly coinciding with Women’s History Month. But don’t go see it out of a sense of obligation. Rather, take it in as a reminder that we’re 100 years on and women in the U.S. don’t yet have a constitution that guarantees equality for all. The powerful works of art in “Artists4ERA” are on display to remind us of this fact.
Perhaps the words that have been emblazoning signs and T-shirts for decades sum up the situation best: “I can’t believe I still have to protest this shit.”
“Artists4ERA” runs through March 31 at the Virginia Museum of History and Culture, 428 N. Arthur Ashe Blvd. For more information, visit virginiahistory.org.
