Statement by NOW President Toni Van Pelt, NOW Combatting Racism Chair Christian Nunes and New York State-NOW President Sonia Osorio: WASHINGTON – For decades, R. Kelly has abused, exploited and endangered young Black girls. The Lifetime documentary series Surviving R. Kelly has provided chilling and appalling detail, and brought into focus a key question—why does the music
Statement by NOW President Toni Van Pelt: WASHINGTON – The Virginia Senate voted today (26-14) to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA). The National Organization for Women (NOW) applauds Virginia lawmakers for taking this first step towards passage of the amendment by the state legislature. NOW leaders and activists across the country are rejoicing that
Statement by National NOW President Toni Van Pelt and New Mexico NOW State President Sharon Hart: WASHINGTON – New Mexico state legislator Rep. Miguel P. Garcia has proposed a state holiday in honor of the late farm worker leader Cesar Chavez of California and the late New Mexico State Senator Dennis Chavez. Garcia is quoted as
Statement by NOW President Toni Van Pelt: Bernice Sandler, who passed away January 5 at her home in Washington, D.C., was widely known as the “Godmother of Title IX.” After earning a doctorate at the University of Maryland in 1969, she applied for one of seven teaching positions in her department but was told that
Statement by NOW President Toni Van Pelt: WASHINGTON – Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam’s decision to grant full clemency to Cyntoia Brown was the right thing to do, but it doesn’t erase the injustice she endured. The criminalization of the trauma she suffered as a victim of sex trafficking and abuse is reprehensible and unacceptable. Cyntoia
Statement by NOW President Toni Van Pelt: WASHINGTON – An alarming rise in “personhood” laws – including a new focus on beyond-the-pale criminal prosecution of pregnant women- is opening up a dangerous new front in the far-right’s attack on reproductive rights. As an editorial series in the New York Times described: “These criminal statutes are results of
Statement by NOW President Toni Van Pelt WASHINGTON – Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos has revoked the “Rethink Discipline” guidelines, issued during the Obama administration, which reminded schools of their responsibility to address racial discrimination in school discipline. Without these guardrails, schools can continue to funnel minority students into the “school to prison pipeline,” which
Statement by NOW President Toni Van Pelt: WASHINGTON – The National Organization for Women (NOW) was proud to be a sponsor of the historic Women’s March that took place following Donald Trump’s inauguration, and of the subsequent March last year. NOW has a long history of support for grassroots actions and street protest. NOW
WASHINGTON — Throughout 2018, women across the country have experienced several highs and lows. NOW and its allies have refused to sit quietly and watch those who attempt to turn back the clock on women’s rights. We have been tested, but we have risen to the challenge and continued to speak truth to power. Though
Statement by NOW President Toni Van Pelt: WASHINGTON – Last week a seven-year-old Guatemalan girl in Border Patrol custody died of dehydration and shock at the U.S. border. 8 hours after being taken into custody, she began suffering seizures and spiked a fever of 105.7 degrees Fahrenheit when she was taken to a hospital, where
