“Mrs. America”, a new miniseries from Hulu, stuns the screen with a powerful story based on the movement to ratify the 1972 Equal Rights Amendment and the surprising rebuttal from an anti-ERA female committee.
The Equal Rights Amendment’s main goal is to guarantee equal legal rights for all American citizens regardless of their gender. Its main focus was ending the legal distinctions between women and men on divorce, property, employment and more.
The series stars Cate Blanchett as Phyllis Schlafly, who opposes the ERA. It also features Rose Byrne as the iconic feminist, Gloria Steinem and Uzo Aduba as Shirley Chisholm, the first black woman to run for president.
The first three episodes were released on April 15. There are nine total episodes, each one hour long. Each episode focuses on a specific character.
Episode one, entitled “Phyllis,” focuses on Blanchett’s character, a white, conservative woman who is against feminism and the ERA movement. The second episode focuses on Byrne’s character, the creator of Ms. magazine. Steinem is the main representative of the feminist movement and wants to ratify the ERA. The series dives deep into each character’s personality, home life, experiences, motivations, relationships and more.
This historical drama takes place during the 1970s in the heart of the sexism, homophobia and racism surrounding the Equal Rights Amendment. This show packs in a decade’s worth of information, and these movements are still relevant in today’s political landscape.
Episode three focuses on Shirley Chisholm and depicts Chisholm’s frustration around the inherent racism surrounding her campaign for president. Even with feminists on her side, there are still major flaws with the feminist movement fully acknowledging Chisholm’s campaign.
Creator Dahvi Waller’s main goal was to depict the monumental ERA movement through the eyes of second-wave feminists and the anti-ERA committees.
“Mrs. America” does a spectacular job at bringing the ERA back into conversation. The series focuses on cinematography while flawlessly weaving in historical facts, and it keeps the audience engaged with the heavy topic.
Currently, 38 states have ratified the Equal Rights Amendment. The movement is still happening, as Virginia just approved the ERA on Jan. 27, 2020. After a tumultuous turn of events throughout the show, the season finale is airing on May 27.
