LANSING – In pledging her commitment to fight for legislation that helps our working families and moves Michigan forward, State Representative Barb Byrum (D-Onondaga) today announced she is joining women across the state and country in commemorating Women's Equality Day 2007.
"Michigan has a long tradition of strong women," Byrum said. "Our state was the second to ratify the 19th Amendment that gave women the right to vote. We have come a long way since then, but there is so much more to do. That is why I am proud to commemorate Women's Equality Day."
In April, Byrum supported a plan to hold employers accountable when they do not provide equal pay for equal work by setting down penalties for wage discrimination and creating legal avenues to pursue those who deprive workers of their right to equal pay for equal work. The plan is just one of a host of proposals Byrum and other female legislators in Michigan have unveiled this legislative session to make Michigan a great place to live, work and raise a family.
Designated by Congress in 1971, Women's Equality Day commemorates the 1920 passage of the 19th Amendment to the Constitution that granted women the right to vote in the United States. The observance is held August 26th every year.
Byrum paid homage to the legacy of some of the state's most groundbreaking women, starting with Cora R. Anderson, for whom the Anderson House Building is named. In 1925, Anderson achieved several firsts: She became the first woman elected to the Michigan House, and historians believe she is the only Native American woman elected to the state Legislature. She is also the only female legislator from the Upper Peninsula.
The long list of Michigan women with remarkable achievements includes:
- Cora Mae Brown, who in 1952 became the state's first African-American female Senator – and who, a year later, was elected to Senate President.
- Erma Henderson, a social worker who in 1972 became the first African-American woman to serve on Detroit's City Council.
- Alice Chaney, who in 1900 became the first female ship captain on the Great Lakes.
- Anna Sutherland Bissell, who by the 1890s had pushed the Bissell carpet sweeper into the international marketplace, leaving her mark as a successful businesswoman in the male-dominated manufacturing industry.
"Michigan women are leaders in medicine, law, health care, education and a host of other occupations," Byrum said. "Women's Equality Day is about standing shoulder-to-shoulder with other Michigan women and paving the way for our sisters, nieces and daughters to succeed."