Shirley Chisholm and Building a Civil Society through the lens of her speech "For the Equal Rights Amendment"

King and Queen of ELA

This text is a speech by Shirley Chisholm advocating for the Equal Rights Amendment in 1970. Chisholm argues the amendment is necessary to legally address pervasive sex discrimination, clarifying ambiguities in existing laws and promoting equal opportunity. She refutes counterarguments, emphasizing that the amendment wouldn't cause widespread legal chaos and would ultimately benefit both men and women. Chisholm highlights the amendment's positive economic and social impacts, countering concerns about protective labor laws while stressing the importance of eliminating outdated societal prejudices. The speech concludes by asserting that achieving true equality requires constitutional change.

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