Constitution Day, also known as Constitution and Citizenship Day, is a federal observance commemorating the Sept. 17, 1787, signing of the U.S. Constitution. The Lectures Program has hosted a constitution-related event every year since the 1980s, first as part of the National Affairs series of events and in recent years as a Constitution Day event.
Kedrowski’s presentation will discuss the history and debates surrounding the Equal Rights Amendment from the 1920s to the present, including recent efforts to resurrect the federal amendment and to amend the Iowa Constitution.
“The ERA was first introduced into Congress 100 years ago and it has not been added to the Constitution,” Kedrowski said. “Educating people about the ERA’s history and potential impact is necessary since three-quarters of Americans believe, incorrectly, that the Constitution prohibits sex discrimination.”
Last fall, Kedrowski developed “The Equal Right Amendment: 100 Years of History and Current Issues,” a research-based curriculum for Iowa high school students. The curriculum, which is updated regularly as the debate continues, is free for use by any school district and is available on the Catt Center’s website at https://go.iastate.edu/V1L7MT.
The lecture is sponsored by the Catt Center, the Department of Political Science and the Committee on Lectures (funded by Student Government).