AAUW Champaign-Urbana IL

An impending wave of Department of Education dismissals, recently green-lit by the U.S. Supreme Court, harms students and families — period. AAUW condemns these deliberate attacks on education, civil rights and financial security. Together, we must demand accountability and protect educational equity. Read our full statement here: https://www.aauw.org/resources/news/media/press-releases/blackwell-mass-dept-of-ed-layoffs-are-a-betrayal-to-students/ ✊

Old friends, I know you all are weary and had hoped to pass on the baton, but…

The Woman Warrior
Upon the mare of silvered mane, she stands,
A warrior woman, time in her command.
Her armor's shine, though worn and old it seems,
Reflects the strength that still within her gleams.
The years have etched lines upon her face,
But haven't dimmed the fire, the warrior's grace.
She slips on the breastplate, forged in battles past,
A testament to courage, built to last.
Her greaves secured, she mounts the waiting steed,
A bond forged in the dust, a silent need.
The stirrups tested, leather soft and strong,
She grips the reins where she's always belonged.
Though joints may creak, and muscles softly ache,
Her spirit knows the path she's meant to take.
The familiar weight of steel, a comforting friend,
As she prepares to fight, to strive, to the end.
With shield on arm, and lance held high and true,
She rides forth, into the battles she must pursue.
Not for glory, nor for fame, but for the fight,
An old woman's resolve, shining ever so bright.
For in her heart, the warrior spirit lives,
The strength and will that age cannot make passive.
Donning her armor, she climbs back on the horse,
Ready to meet the challenge, and stay the course.
–Brenda Anne Wilson

The House-passed a bill that puts higher education further out of reach for women, students of color, and low-income communities. AAUW joined 40+ partners urging the Senate to reject this harmful plan and protect pathways to college for all.
📢 Learn more: https://www.aauw.org/resources/policy/documents/

Take action.

Celebrate and protect our libraries.

Libraries and the freedom to read have never been more important! April 7 is Right to Read day, celebrating the start of National Library Week. The theme, Drawn to Freedom, seems especially appropriate this year given the threats currently facing libraries in the form of censorship and withdrawal of federal funding.
To celebrate and protect libraries, please contact your member of Congress and ask them to protect federal library funding using this link. https://app.oneclickpolitics.com/campaign-page?cid=9CyapZUB9sorxFLO4J0c&lang=en%20

Tell Congress to Oppose Attacks on Higher Education Urge your members of Congress to stand with students.

Jeannette Rankin of Montana became the first woman to serve in the U.S. Congress when she took her seat in the House of Representatives on this day in 1917. She won a second House term 24 years later in 1940. While serving her first term, Rankin became a driving force for women's suffrage and was one of the founding members of the Committee on Woman Suffrage. In 1918, she opened congressional debate on a Constitutional amendment granting universal suffrage to woman. It passed the House but was defeated in the Senate; the following year, a similar resolution passed both chambers. After it was ratified by three-fourths of the states, it became the 19th Amendment. In discussing her vote for women's suffrage, Rankin famously said, "If I am remembered for no other act, I want to be remembered as the only woman who ever voted to give women the right to vote."

For an inspiring picture book telling her extraordinary story, we recommend "A Take-Charge Girl Blazes a Trail to Congress: The Story of Jeannette Rankin" for ages 5 to 9 at https://www.amightygirl.com/a-take-charge-girl

She is one of several pioneering women in politics featured in the inspiring picture book, "Isabella: Girl In Charge" for ages 5 to 9 at https://www.amightygirl.com/isabella-girl-in-charge

She is also featured in two more children's books about women in politics: "A Woman In The House (And Senate)" for ages 8 and up (https://www.amightygirl.com/a-woman-in-the-house-and-senate) and "Leading the Way: Women In Power" for ages 9 and up (https://www.amightygirl.com/leading-the-way)

For more books for children about trailblazing female political leaders in the U.S. -- both historically and in modern times -- visit our blog post, “Remember the Ladies: 25 Children's Books on Women in Politics” at https://www.amightygirl.com/blog?p=11162

And for our favorite t-shirt honoring women throughout history who were willing to shake up the system, check out the "Well behaved women seldom make history" t-shirt -- available in a variety of styles and colors for all ages -- at https://www.amightygirl.com/well-behaved-women-history-shirt

RATIFIED DEC 23rd - Vote Equality! Join our nationwide mega screening of RATIFIED with a TAKE ACTION panel of filmmakers and advocates designed to inspire action

The ERA meets all constitutional requirements to become an amendment, yet the Archivist of the United States Colleen Shogan refuses to publish it. Here's what you can do: https://bit.ly/4iInbvq

Commenerating Frances Perkins, the first female Cabinet member, who brought Social Security , the minimum wage, and the end of legal child labor to the U.S.

On March 25th, 1911, the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire ignited a passion inside of Frances Perkins.

She would go on to dedicate her life to lifting the lives of working people – becoming the first woman Cabinet Secretary and longest-serving Secretary of Labor in history.

Today, I'm proud to designate the Frances Perkins Homestead in Maine as a national monument.

Urge Biden to act on the ERA publication

AAUW calls for publication of the ERA now! Women have waited too long for equal rights in the U.S. Constitution.

At AAUW, we believe a woman's potential extends far beyond traditional roles. Every woman has the power to define her own path and purpose in life, shattering limits and glass ceilings along the way.