Shirley Anita St. Hill Chisholm For the Equal Rights Amendment
delivered 10 Aug 1970, Washington, DC. Mr. Speaker, House Joint
Resolution 264, before us today, which provides for equality
under the law for both men and women, represents one of the most
clear-cut opportunities we are likely to have to declare our
faith in the principles that shaped our Constitution. It
provides a legal basis for attack on the most subtle, most
pervasive, and most institutionalized form of prejudice that
exists. Discrimination against women, solely on the basis of
their sex, is so widespread that is seems to many persons
normal, natural and right. Legal expression of prejudice on the
grounds of religious or political belief has become a minor
problem in our society. Prejudice on the basis of race is, at
least, under systematic attack. Their is reason for optimism
that it will start to die with the present, older generation. It
is time we act to assure full equality of opportunity to those
citizens who, although in a majority, s