In Chicago, women commemorated Women’s Equality Day by attending an event called “Women Speaking Out for Justice and Power” hosted by the ANSWER Coalition. The room was filled with attendees that heard talks about women in the struggle for Black lives, the history of Women’s Equality Day, women in the labor struggle, women continuing the fight for reproductive justice, and women in the struggle for immigrant rights.
The “Women Speaking Out for Justice and Power” event went over many important struggles that women have been and continue to be leaders of. The program included women calling for action in streets to continue the fight for women’s liberation. Lauren McGowen, student and organizer with WORD (Women Organized to Resist and Defend) reminded us that the history of Women’s Equality Day marked the 50th anniversary of the 19th Amendment, granting women the right to vote. On that anniversary, women came out in mass to demonstrate and fight for equal rights in a nationwide “strike for equality,” the largest expression of women’s struggle in U.S. history.
Labor organizer Hope Asya-Broughton noted, “The Liberation of women is necessary for the liberation of working people.” She also honored historic labor organizers Emma Tenayuca, Clara Lemich, and Lucy Parsons. Ashanti Lumpkin, President of NAACP at Whitney Young High School and organizer of August 6 Black and Brown march for Justice and Power, discussed her involvement and leadership in the movement for Black lives in Chicago. She pointed to the importance of why Black women are taking up the fight because they are the ones losing loved ones to the police. Her talk stressed how empowered young people feel because they can and are active in fighting back against police brutality.
The speeches were followed by a discussion period where the need for building organization and multinational unity was highlighted. Women’s Equality Day continues to reminds us that without the struggle for women’s liberation there can be no liberation at all.
