Singer-songwriter Alicia Keys has called for an update on women's equal rights as the United States approaches its 250th anniversary. In a video posted on July 4, Keys highlighted the need for an explicit guarantee of equal rights for women under the U.S. Constitution, noting that it has been 100 years since the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) was introduced.
The ERA, first proposed in 1923, aimed to prohibit discrimination based on sex, but it has not been added to the Constitution despite passing in 1973 with bipartisan support. The amendment fell short of ratification by three states by the 1982 deadline, and although it reached the necessary threshold of 38 states in 2020, it was not adopted due to the expired time limit.
Keys emphasized that women are not seeking special rights but equal rights, urging people to engage in discussions about what rights women should have in America. She encouraged individuals to share their thoughts through the People’s Bill of Rights 250 campaign, which invites legislative ideas on various issues, particularly women's rights.