Arizona is one of a dozen states that has yet to codify the Equal Rights Amendment into its state constitution. The amendment is also lacking federal recognition, despite being ratified by the 38 states required.
Now, proponents are continuing a half century-long fight to recognize the legislation by driving nearly 11,000 miles across the country to reignite support.
In order to do this, advocates Jeryl Schriever and Susan Nourse are driving an exact replica of the original Saxon roadster used by suffragists Alice Burke and Nell Richardson in 1916.
The original was dubbed the Golden Flyer by the two original women rights activists. Now, the Golden Flyer II has been on the road since the beginning of March and will travel to at least 25 states by Memorial Day.
A replicate of the 1916 Saxon Roadster used by ERA advocates during the Drive the Vote campaign.
Both Nourse and Schriever said the current day movement is emblematic of a more than century-long fight for women’s suffrage.
“When I’m driving it I’m thinking about the women in 1916. They didn’t have roads like we do now, they didn’t have gas stations everywhere and places to stop for food. But they made their way,” Nourse said.
The two women, alongside thousands of other advocates across the country, are trying to secure over 1 million petition signatures by the end of the journey.
“We’re not asking you to really do 10,700 in an old car with a cat,” Schriever said. “Whatever you can do to promote the Equal Rights Amendment, if Alice and Nell can do it, we can do it too.”
Dianne Post, co-chair of the ERA Task Force, says the fight to codify the amendment in Arizona will continue on regardless of pushback from the opposition.
“It’s been introduced every year, it will be introduced every year until we ratify it,” Post said.
The movement made pit stops in Phoenix, Tucson and Yuma last week and the group is set to make at least 29 more by Memorial Day.