Workers Circle CEO Ann Toback applauds Pres. Biden for affirming the ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment and calls on the Archivist of the United States to fulfill her duty and publish the ERA
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(Photo Credit: Workers Circle)
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 17, 2025
Contact: Lynsey Billet, lynsey@anatgerstein.com, 347-361-8449
(Washington, DC) — President Biden affirmed today that the Equal Rights Amendment “has become part of our Constitution” and added his Presidential power to the expertise of legal scholars who agree the 28th amendment has been ratified.
Ann Toback, CEO of the Workers Circle, released the following statement:
“I applaud President Joe Biden using the power of his office to affirm the legal consensus that the ERA has been ratified. President Biden will forever be known as the leader who finally recognized equality of rights under law for all people in our Constitution. Now, the Archivist of the United States must fulfill her ministerial duty and publish the ERA in the national register as the 28th Amendment to the US Constitution.”
The Workers Circle was proud to stand alongside partners in the Publish the ERA Coalition, helping secure 60,655 signatures of the over 200,000 delivered to President Biden on Tuesday. President Biden’s decision is a reflection of the hard work of these activists and organizations both in the last two months and over the last hundred years since the ERA was first proposed in 1923.
At a time when courts and legislators are actively dismantling hard-won rights for women and LGBTQIA+ Americans, President Biden has given voice to the hundreds of thousands of Americans who have organized in their state capitals over decades to amend the constitution and ensure that equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any state on account of sex.
One hundred and twenty-five years ago, the Workers Circle was founded by Eastern European immigrants fleeing autocracy seeking democratic freedoms. Having experienced the brutal costs of inequality firsthand, they committed themselves to fighting for the rights of all people.
Now, more than 100 years later, we hope that our founders’ vision of equal rights will finally be enshrined in the constitution for generations to come. We call on the Archivist of the United States to fulfill her duty and publish the ERA as President Biden has affirmed today is her administrative responsibility.”
About the Workers Circle
Celebrating its 125th anniversary in 2025, the Workers Circle is a national, Jewish social justice organization founded by Eastern European immigrants who came to the United States fleeing autocracy and persecution, and seeking democratic freedoms and economic opportunities. That history drives the organization’s work for an inclusive democracy and social equality today. The Workers Circle’s activism is rooted in 1,000 years of Yiddish culture and tradition. Through strategic and impactful social justice initiatives, vibrant Yiddish language classes and programs, and interactive educational activities, the Workers Circle powers a multigenerational community of activists that is building “a better and more beautiful world for all.” Learn more at www.circle.org.
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