Archived Radio Show

December 16, 2024

Original Radio Show  ID:
WSA241216

Listen to the Show on the Mp3 Player below

Duration 57 minutes

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Featuring

Click the Name to access the Segment below

1. Commentary by Elaine B. Holtz,  Host of Women's Spaces 

2a. Guest Zakiya Thomas, CEO, ERA Coalition

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1. Commentary by Elaine B. Holtz:  I have a special guest for this show, joining me on the phone from Washington DC will be Zakiya Thomas, President and CEO of the ERA Coalition and ERA Coalition Forward.
Ihe ERA Coalition and Fund for Women’s Equality (ERA Coalition Forward); a movement of movements, which convenes a diverse coalition of nearly 300 partner organizations across the country, representing 80 million people.
From gender, racial, economic and reproductive justice to labor and LGBTQ+ rights, partners represent interconnected, intergenerational, and intersectional organizations all united under one banner: to advance equality and build a foundation for equal treatment under the law.

2. Our Guest Zakiya Thomas, President of the ERA Coalition, underscores the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) as a vital civil rights issue for achieving gender equality, reproductive justice, and LGBTQ+ rights. Rooted in a legacy of activism inspired by her grandmother’s civil rights work, Thomas leads a coalition of over 300 organizations advocating for the ERA's inclusion in the U.S. Constitution. First introduced over a century ago and passed by Congress in 1972, the ERA prohibits discrimination based on sex. However, its ratification stalled due to resistance rooted in economic interests and fear-based opposition on social issues like LGBTQ+ rights.

Thomas stressed the urgency of the current campaign, "The Legacy We Deserve," which calls on President Joe Biden to direct the archivist to publish the ERA, completing its constitutional journey. While the ERA won’t resolve all gender-based inequalities immediately, it would provide a legal foundation for addressing discrimination and safeguarding advancements like Title IX and Title VII. She warned that without it, hard-won rights could be reversed.
The campaign has strong Congressional support, with leaders like Representatives Cori Bush and Ayanna Pressley and Senator Kirsten Gillibrand championing the cause. Thomas called for collective action to counter well-funded anti-equality efforts, urging individuals to sign the petition at https://www.sign4era.org/ , contact President Biden, and back local gender equality initiatives. Despite challenges, she remains optimistic, emphasizing the ERA’s potential to protect future generations and fulfill America’s promise of equality.

About our Guest:  Zakiya Thomas, President and CEO of the ERA Coalition and ERA Coalition Forward, is a dedicated advocate for justice and equality. With a rich background in political strategy and nonprofit management, she leads a coalition of over 300 organizations representing 80 million people.

Her work spans gender, racial, and reproductive justice, LGBTQ+ rights, and more, emphasizing the interconnectedness of these issues to foster collaboration.

An Adjunct Professor at Georgetown Law, Zakiya teaches aspiring leaders how to run for political office and serves on several nonprofit boards, championing causes from reproductive rights to financial empowerment. Daily, Zakiya and her team strive to build support for the Equal Rights Amendment in Congress and across the nation.

We are the ERA Coalition and Fund for Women’s Equality (ERA Coalition Forward); a movement of movements. We convene a diverse coalition of nearly 300 partner organizations across the country, representing 80 million people. 

Guest Links:

Email Zakiya Thomas and the ERA Coalition: info@eracoalition.com

ERA Coalition website: https://www.eracoalition.org/ 

Donate to the Fund for Women's Equality https://fundforwomensequality.org/donate/

Biden Legacy Campaign: https://eracoalition.org/the-legacy-we-deserve-call-on-biden-to-put-the-equal-rights-amendment-in-the-constitution/

ERA Coalition Instagram: @eracoalition

Sign the ERA Petition: https://www.sign4era.org/?ERA-Coalition

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Our History Is Our Strength

Check out important dates to remember in Herstory at the National Women's History Alliance, where the date descriptions were sourced unless otherwise indicated.

Special thank you to the National Women’s History Alliance for making women’s history alive. Shout out to Co-Founder and Retiring Executive Director, Molly McGregor who will be on the show when we celebrate Women’s History Month in March for making the fabulous list of Women in History where I get most of the info I present in this Herstory segment.

Herstory Birthdays:

December 16, 1901 (1978) – Margaret Mead, renowned cultural anthropologist, author, lecture. She said, Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever has."

December 19, 1919 (2007) – Sally Ann Lilienthal, founder of Ploughshares Fund in 1981 which gave fifty million dollars in grants to promote peace, reduce and ultimately eliminate nuclear weapons. "Our mission is to reduce and eventually eliminate the threat of nuclear weapons. We do critical work to drive collaborative action within the nuclear field and provide funding to experts and organizations focused on mitigating the threat." https://ploughshares.org/about/mission-vision-promise/

December 22, 1912 (2007) – Claudia “Lady Bird” Taylor Johnson, First Lady (1963-69), advocate for civil rights, National Chair of Head Start, led “Beautification” efforts across the country involving environmentalism, conservation, and anti-pollution.

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Announcements 

Monday, December 23, 2024 11 AM # repeats 11 PM PT, the show will feature a repeat of our show recorded on 12/16/2024 with our guest Zakiya Thomas, CEO of the ERA Coalition, advocating for the passage of the Equal Rights Amendment, Radio KBBF 89.1 FM, North SF Bay or live streaming at https://kbbf.org/live

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Wednesday, December 25, 2024 Peace and Justice Center issues new weekly list of events and links to community non-profit organizations. It includes ongoing peace protests: PJC website www.pjcsoco.org

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Wednesday, December 25 , 2024, 10 AM PT (new time), the show will feature a repeat of our show recorded on 12/16/2024 with our guest Zakiya Thomas, CEO of the ERA Coalition, advocating for the passage of the Equal Rights Amendment,,  Radio KPCA 103.3 FM, Petaluma, CA. https://petalumacommunityaccess.org/kpca    Women's Spaces will be broadcast over Radio KPCA on the same day as before but at a new time on Wednesdays at 10:00 AM.

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Music Selections

The Opening and Closing Theme song The Woman in Your Life is You is done with permission of the Composer and Singer Alix Dobkin ((August 16, 1940 – May 19, 2021) Alix Dobkin death was just announced - Thank you for all you did for Lesbians to be recognized and Women to be honored. May you rest in peace. See our Interview with Alix Dobkin on 12/1/2014 and our Memorial to Alix Dobkin on 5/24/2021

The Woman in Your Life is You by Alix Dobkin from the album Living with Lavender Jane (2010 Women's Wax Works) - www.alixdobkin.com