Last week we read about the suffrage movement(s) of the 19th and early 20th centuries. The fight for suffrage continues for many groups in places around the world. Additionally, the right to vote is consistently under siege in our own country. One thing we can learn from the study of history is how fights for justice recur in different forms in our current-day reality.

This week we move on to consider the labor movement. First, there are two videos on the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire. The first reviews the incident itself. The second video not only reviews the incident but makes explicit connections to today’s labor conditions around the world showing this fight for justice is ongoing. While the focus is on labor in general, there is a distinctively gendered story.

Lastly, you will read an article about the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA). When reading about suffrage a number of you mentioned how some states had more progressive laws than others. Likewise, the ERA, while being a federal piece of legislation, played out differently in different states. This article reviews some of that and also discusses recent movements to ratify the ERA after many years. If you watched the Hulu show Mrs. America, which came out in 2020, most of that show is about the movements for and against the ERA.

Due this week:

• Wednesday, March 23: Discussion 8
• Wednesday, March 23: Reading Reflection 7
• Friday, March 25: Responses to Discussion 8 Posts