Even in the #MeToo era, many people don’t know that the Equal Rights Amendment never passed…because of one woman. Her name is Phyllis Schlafly.

In partnership with Fork Films

She Derailed the Fight for Equal Rights for Women

Director: Kathleen Hughes
Editor: Kristen Huntley

Phyllis Schlafly honed her political skills in the conservative movement of the 1950s and 1960s, then put them to work to stop the ERA. She traveled the country decrying the proposed amendment, which sought to ensure equal rights for women under law, as “anti-family” and un-American.

In the process, she built a coalition of evangelical Christians and political conservatives that influenced the modern conservative movement.

Schlafly helped send the ERA down in defeat in 1982, but the battle for equal rights continued. Since then, many of the goals the ERA aimed for have been achieved by other means. And the predictions Schlafly made about what would happen if the amendment succeeded – from women serving in the military to gay rights – have also come to pass.​

Related:
Phyllis Schlafly’s Lasting Legacy in Defeating the E.R.A. by Clyde Haberman

Transcript Lesson Plan

More on the Story

Thirty-five years past a deadline set by Congress, Nevada ratifies the Equal Rights Amendment The Los Angeles Times
The Fall of the Equal Rights Amendment and The Rise of the Religious Right The Takeaway
Related Coverage
Phyllis Schlafly’s Lasting Legacy in Defeating the E.R.A. The New York Times
Phyllis Schlafly Helped Create The Republican Party As We Know It The Bustle