Statement by NOW President Toni Van Pelt

WASHINGTON – January 21 is Martin Luther King Jr. Day, a national observance to honor the memory of the civil rights advocate.  But we should also remember that Martin Luther King Jr. was an early and dedicated supporter of women’s rights.

As a preacher at Dexter Avenue Baptist Church in Montgomery, Alabama during the 1950s, Dr. King took a bold and forthright position in favor of contraception, a stance that was far from common among Southern preachers of the day.  He supported the work of Planned Parenthood and agreed to serve on the sponsoring committee of a Planned Parenthood study on contraception. He wrote of his hopes that “the federal and state governments will begin to appropriate large sums to educate people to the need for such (contraceptive) devices.”

It was The Committee for Equal Justice for Mrs. Recy Taylor, a black women’s organization formed to stop white men from raping black women, that trained Rosa Parks and others as activists.  Dr. King acknowledged the education he got from women, including black welfare mothers who opposed the Vietnam War and influenced his historic Poor People’s Campaign.

Martin Luther King Jr. marched with women who were underpaid and overworked.  He spoke out for women who were denied equality. He organized for women who were victims of oppression. He knew that women’s rights are civil rights, and helped shape many of the movements in which we participate today. NOW honors the memory and the legacy of Dr. King on this holiday.

Contact

NOW Press, press@now.org, 202-628-8669

Statement by NOW President Toni Van Pelt, NOW Combatting Racism Chair Christian Nunes and New York State-NOW President Sonia Osorio:

WASHINGTON – For decades, R. Kelly has abused, exploited and endangered young Black girls.  The Lifetime documentary series Surviving R. Kelly has provided chilling and appalling detail, and brought into focus a key question—why does the music industry enable a man who does monstrous things to women?  Executives should ask themselves how they’d feel if the young girls R. Kelly has abused were their own daughters. Would they continue to protect him at the expense of his victims?

Through our, Enough Is Enough campaign, NOW is working to change the culture of sexual harassment and sexual assault.  There is no room in our society for artists like R. Kelly who use their success and celebrity to exploit and abuse women and young girls of color.  And our society must no longer allow this culture of abuse to continue happening in plain sight, with men like R. Kelly allowed to provide “entertainment” despite their own vile and even criminal personal conduct. We cannot make excuses and we cannot look the other way.

Artists have a powerful platform they can use to promote justice, equality, fairness, and human decency.  When they abuse that platform, society should reject, condemn and prosecute them.

NOW demands that RCA Records and their parent company, Sony, drop R. Kelly immediately.  By keeping R. Kelly on their label, RCA is telling the public that the safety and protection of young Black girls is secondary to financial gain.  We must ensure that Black girls and women are empowered and protected from the abuse of celebrity and power. This is why we are calling on RCA Records to act now.

Contact

NOW Press, press@now.org, 202-628-8669

Statement by NOW President Toni Van Pelt:

WASHINGTON – The Virginia Senate voted today (26-14) to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA). The National Organization for Women (NOW) applauds Virginia lawmakers for taking this first step towards passage of the amendment by the state legislature. NOW leaders and activists across the country are rejoicing that Virginia could become the 38th and final state needed for the amendment to become part of the U.S. Constitution.

Virginia NOW activists are currently working hard to convince the state’s House Republican leaders to bring the resolution out of committee.  It will be an uphill battle, but NOW and our allies are mounting a valiant effort. NOW will not rest until women achieve full equality, first with the constitutional protection of the ERA, and then across society in every sphere: social, economic, and judicial.

NOW calls on the Virginia House of Delegates to move swiftly to vote to ratify the ERA, so we can all celebrate as equal rights become the 28th amendment to the U.S. Constitution.

Contact

NOW Press, press@now.org, 202-628-8669

Statement by National NOW President Toni Van Pelt and New Mexico NOW State President Sharon Hart:

WASHINGTON – New Mexico state legislator Rep. Miguel P. Garcia has proposed a state holiday in honor of the late farm worker leader Cesar Chavez of California and the late New Mexico State Senator Dennis Chavez.  Garcia is quoted as saying, “There are no other kinds of individuals connected to New Mexico quite like these gentlemen who regularly preached civil rights and social justice.”  

Wrong!

Dolores Huerta is a native New Mexican, who preceded Cesar Chavez in the fight for farm workers’ rights. It was Huerta who created the organization that evolved into the United Farm Workers, more than three years before she and Chavez co-founded the UFW together. It was Huerta who was overshadowed due to her gender as a nationally recognized “face” of the farm workers, and it was Huerta whose contributions to their struggle took second place to no man.

Today, Dolores Huerta remains a tireless advocate for workers and women. She richly deserves to be honored. This must start with recognition in the new bill in New Mexico that renames the proposed holiday, “The Dolores Huerta, Cesar Chavez and Dennis Chavez Day.”  

NOW calls on New Mexico legislators to fix this sexist oversight. Dolores Huerta is one of the state’s most illustrious, accomplished, and historically significant women.

Contact

NOW Press, press@now.org, 202-628-8669

Statement by NOW President Toni Van Pelt:

Bernice Sandler, who passed away January 5 at her home in Washington, D.C., was widely known as the “Godmother of Title IX.”  After earning a doctorate at the University of Maryland in 1969, she applied for one of seven teaching positions in her department but was told that she wouldn’t be considered for any of them.

“Let’s face it,” a male colleague told her.  “You come on too strong for a woman.” When she applied for another position, the researcher in charge of hiring said he didn’t hire women because they stayed home too often to care for sick children. Later, an employment agency dismissed her as “just a housewife who went back to school.”

Bernice Sandler then embarked on a lifelong mission to change the culture of sex discrimination on college campuses. She spent decades documenting, investigating and working to change the arbitrary limits and sexist standards that held women back academically and professionally. Her work led to the passage in 1972 of Title IX, the landmark legislation that banned sex discrimination in federally funded educational institutions.

Bernice Sandler was inducted into the National Women’s Hall of Fame in 2013 when she was lauded for her efforts that led to the first federal investigation of sex discrimination on campuses.

Bernice Sandler was an inspiration to countless women who were inspired by her example and empowered by her accomplishments.  She will be missed but never forgotten.

Contact

NOW Press, press@now.org, 202-628-8669