Historic Suffrage Car Stops In NYC As UES Leaders Push Equal Rights Amendment

UPPER EAST SIDE, NY — A historic automobile tied to the women's suffrage movement made its final stop in New York City this Thursday, where Upper East Side political figures Carolyn Maloney and Virginia Maloney joined advocates in calling for congressional recognition of the Equal Rights Amendment.

The rally at City Hall marked the conclusion of the nationwide "Driving the Vote for Equality" tour, a 10,700-mile journey across 25 states aimed at building support for the Equal Rights Amendment and the national Sign4ERA petition campaign.

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The event was hosted by Upper East Side Councilmember Virginia Maloney and ERA NOW, a nonprofit founded by former longtime Upper East Side congresswoman Carolyn Maloney.

The event welcomed back the "Golden Flyer II," a 1914 Saxon automobile modeled after the car used by suffragists Alice Burke and Nell Richardson during a cross-country campaign for women's voting rights in 1916.

More than a century later, organizers retraced that historic route to draw attention to the Equal Rights Amendment, which supporters say has met all constitutional requirements for ratification but still awaits formal recognition as the 28th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.

"Across the country, we are seeing fundamental rights and protections challenged in ways that would have felt unimaginable only a few years ago," Virginia Maloney said during the rally. "Congress must now recognize the ERA as the 28th Amendment to ensure equality under the law is clear, permanent, and protected for future generations."

The amendment, first introduced in Congress in 1923 and approved by lawmakers in 1972, would guarantee that equality under the law cannot be denied on the basis of sex. Supporters note that 38 states have ratified the amendment and are urging Congress to pass legislation affirming its status as a constitutional amendment.

Carolyn Maloney, who represented much of Manhattan's East Side in Congress for three decades, said the issue remains urgent.

"We cannot afford to wait for equality," Carolyn Maloney said. "Equality delayed is equality denied."

For questions, email Miranda.Levingston@Patch.com.