Texas Equal Rights Amendment.

This collection showcases how official state documents, Constitutional Amendment number 7, women’s organizations, including grassroots groups, and direct interviews with women whose lives are impacted by the change. These all help and reflect the struggle of women who want equality in society and in their daily lives.

This letter highlights the structural injustices women experienced and the years of advocacy required to achieve constitutional equality.

-Injustices: Women encountered unfair treatment embedded in laws and everyday practices.

-Advocacy: Progress was slow, requiring years of persistence and activism.

-Goal of Equality: The main objective was to attain constitutional rights, ensuring equal treatment for women.

This was the official public notice for Proposal Amendment Number Seven, announcing Texas's inclusion of Constitutional Amendment Number 7 in the 1972 General Election.

• Inequality: Women in Texas faced laws and practices that treated them unequally compared to men.

• Advocacy: Achieving constitutional equality required years of continued effort from women’s rights advocates.

• Legal Reform: Notices and letters highlight how official channels and grassroots activism worked together to push for changes in state law.

The image shows a grassroots organization’s meeting schedule for a workshop. The program includes the agenda, workshop list, campus map, and keynote speaker C. DeLores Tucker.

-Grassroots Agenda – The programs and schedules show how women’s organizations across Texas came together to organize and take action.

-Issues Addressed – Workshops focused on real-life challenges like employment discrimination, women’s health, political participation, and childcare.

-Leadership – The inclusion of keynote speaker C. DeLores Tucker, then Secretary of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, highlights the national importance and visibility of the movement.

The 1977 Texas Women’s Meeting interviews share women’s experiences and opinions about society and the Equal Rights Amendment. From homemakers, such as stay at home moms, to professionals seeking equal pay, the voices reveal both personal struggles and the larger fight for equality.

Perspectives – Women expressed very different goals, with some seeking to preserve traditional family roles, while others advocated for expanded career opportunities and legal protections.

Workplace Issues – Several women shared personal stories of discrimination, including being denied promotions, facing unequal pay, and even being fired for speaking up.

Social Norms – Participants reflected on how society often encourages them to prioritize men’s success over their own.

Resource:
Texas State Library & Archives Commission. (1977). Floor interviews conducted at the Texas Women’s Meeting, June 24–26, 1977 [Audio recording]. Retrieved from https://www.tsl.texas.gov/lobbyexhibits/womensvote/audiorecordingstranscripts#meeting

Texas Secretary of State Elections Division. (1972). Public notice for proposed Constitutional Amendment Number 7 on the ballot (SJR 16), General Election, November 7, 1972 [Election materials, Box 1989/092-50].

Texas State Library & Archives Commission. (n.d.). Mobilize for women’s rights [Web page]. Retrieved September 30, 2025, from https://www.tsl.texas.gov/lobbyexhibits/womensvote/mobilize

Texas State Library & Archives Commission. (n.d.). Equal and civil rights [Web page]. In Women’s suffrage in Texas: Equal and civil rights. Retrieved September 30, 2025, from https://www.tsl.texas.gov/lobbyexhibits/womensvote/equalandcivilrights

Texas State Library & Archives Commission. (1977). Floor interviews conducted at the Texas Women’s Meeting, June 24–26, 1977 [Audio recording]. Retrieved from https://www.tsl.texas.gov/lobbyexhibits/womensvote/audiorecordingstranscripts#meeting