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Phyllis Schalfly was a remarkable woman. Regardless of your politics, you have to admire the impact that one person, who was never elected to office, could have on national political conversations. Schlafly was already part of the in-crowd in Washington when she took a stance against the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA). She was an exercise in nuance herself-- a woman who fought for traditional views of women in society, while also earning a law degree and touring the nation on speaking tours. She had a family and held a prominent position in the national zeitgeist, even building on battles fought by Anita Bryant.
But who was Phyllis Schlafly? She was a Catholic woman, which is important because Catholics had long been the victims of prejudice in the United States. She was a mother, a popular speaker, publisher of The Phyllis Schlafly Report newsletter, and author of books like A Choice, Not An Echo, which was a conspiratorial screed about stealing elections. This lady knew how to turn a story. She ran for Congress in 1955 and again in 1970, losing both times.
Then in 1972, she learned about the ERA. The Equal Rights Amendment was first proposed by Alice Paul in 1923. The goal was to have men and women treated equally under the law. That means that women would no longer receive special protections either. So... a double-edged sword, right? Women in the 1960s and 70s still had a ways to go when it came to equality. It brought forth some big questions about how to achieve it.
Schlafly wanted to protect the protections. So she formed STOP ERA (Stop Taking Our Protections, ERA) to rally her followers against the ERA. This was a big twist because state after state had rushed to ratify the amendment. But once Phyllis got going, they applied the brakes and waited.
Schlafly may have single-handedly stopped an Amendment to the Constitution.
In this episode, we're going to learn about this dynamo. A woman who is both loved and hated. An intelligent woman, and someone who traded in falsities.
Our guests for this episode are Marjorie Spruill, author of Divided We Stand and Angie Maxwell, author of The Long Southern Strategy.
Important Sources:
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Divided We Stand by Marjorie Spruill
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The Long Southern Strategy by Angie Maxwell
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Reaganland by Rick Perlstein
- A helpful list of milestones in women's rights
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Video of Esther Peterson
- Video of Phyllis Schlafly talking about A Choice, Not An Echo on C-SPAN
- A copy of Ladies, Have Ya' Heard? as mentioned in the episode
- Illinois State Archives interview with Phyllis
- An article from Time Magazine about the ERA's history
- Britannica article about The Fairness Doctrine
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Smithsonian article about Phyllis Schlafly
Discussion Questions:
- What do you think about legal protections for women? Are you an Esther, an Alice, or a Phyllis?
- The ERA is really short. Do you think it should be more specific to clarify its position?
- How have you seen sexism? How has it impacted your life?
- Have you seen women treated well in the workplace? What made the difference?
- Are stay-at-home mothers respected in our society? If not, what can you and your church do to support them?
- What are your impressions of Phyllis?
- Are you okay with people using conspiracy theories to bolster their followings?
- We've spent a fair bit of time this season talking about parachurch organizations. What are your thoughts on them?
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