Dallas — Where the Suffrage Movement Was Born in Texas, and Where the ERA Fight Lives On

As the Golden Flyer II rolled into Dallas, the spirit of grassroots organizing that once defined the city's suffrage movement came alive again on its streets. Driving through downtown, the historic 1914 Saxon roadster drew curious looks, honks, and waves — an unmistakable symbol of a movement that began more than a century ago but is still unfinished today.

Dallas holds a special place in women's rights history. In 1893, it was the birthplace of the Texas Equal Rights Association, one of the earliest suffrage organizations in the state. That legacy of organizing and public engagement echoed as the tour team fanned out across downtown, speaking with residents, sharing the story of the original 1916 suffrage road trip, and gathering signatures for the national Sign4ERA.org petition. Conversations unfolded on sidewalks and street corners, connecting past and present in real time. When asked if she is interested in supporting women's rights in the Constitution, one woman in Klyde Warren Park looked relieved as she exclaimed: "Oh God, yes. Thank you."

A particularly poignant stop was Fair Park, a site that served as a central stage for Texas suffragists for decades. From the first Woman's Congress in 1893 to the vibrant "Suffrage Day" celebrations of the 1910s, Fair Park was where the movement met the public, turning the state's biggest gathering into a powerful platform for equality.

The day culminated with a gathering hosted by the Zonta Club of Dallas, part of Zonta International — founded in 1919 and the first organization to endorse the Equal Rights Amendment. The name "Zonta," derived from a Native American word meaning honest and trustworthy, reflects the organization's enduring commitment to integrity and service in advancing women's rights.

The event, held at the Fretz Park Library, part of the Dallas Public Library system, brought together members, advocates, supporters, and impromptu library visitors for a deeper conversation about equality under the law. Surrounded by neighbors committed to advancing women's rights, the Golden Flyer II stood not just as a historic artifact, but as a call to action.

The two-hour session gave author Jeryl Schriever time to share more stories about the two determined women who turned a cross-country road trip into a rolling revolution.

As Jeryl had done throughout the Tour, she started the story in 1916, when suffragists Alice Snitjer Burke and Nell Richardson set out from New York City in a bright yellow Saxon roadster they named the "Golden Flyer." At a time when women were rarely seen behind the wheel, they launched a 10,700-mile journey across a country of rutted dirt roads, spotty maps, and long stretches of uncertainty. She described:

The women packed strategically for the mission ahead — not just clothes, but a typewriter, sewing machine, and seven carefully prepared speeches, each tailored to a different audience.

They were given a kitten that remained with them throughout the tour — they named him Saxon.

Alice and Nell were sometimes lost or stuck up on high centers. In one instance they reported that they were out of water and stuck in the desert when some men drove by. When they asked for help, the response was: "No, we are in a rush, but there is a well a short distance back." So they packed up the cat, walked six miles, and found the well — only to see a chicken floating in it. All they could say to others as they told the story was "it was the sweetest water we've ever tasted."

The pair suffered breakdowns in streams, blinding snowstorms, sizzling heat, and bullets.

Nell and Alice spoke anywhere they could gather a crowd: town squares, fairs, sidewalks. Sometimes they climbed onto the Golden Flyer itself to deliver their remarks.

After 26 weeks, the two suffragists returned to New York having crossed the country and back, becoming the first women ever to do so by car. They hadn't just logged miles — they had built visibility, sparked conversations, and carried the suffrage movement directly to the American public.

This is what the Driving the Vote for Equality Tour is doing for the Equal Rights Amendment. Jeryl and Kathy Bonk made the connection to the ERA — stalled and in need of more awareness and activation by supporters — by pointing out that both sections of the ERA are needed more than ever:

Section 1: Equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of sex.

Section 2: The Congress shall have the power to enforce, by appropriate legislation, the provisions of this article.

Right now, this Supreme Court could rule that existing laws can be reversed using an argument that Congress, without an ERA, never had full authority to pass legislation such as Title IX of the Education Amendments, Title VII of the Civil Rights Act related to employment, or the Violence Against Women Act.

Indeed, it was Supreme Court Justice Scalia who said: "Certainly the Constitution does not require discrimination on the basis of sex. The only issue is whether it prohibits it. It doesn't."

Mary Ann Gorman, as she did at all of the events, gave people action steps — starting with adding their names to Sign4ERA.org, asking family and friends to sign, taking petitions to meetings and events, and recruiting ERA Champions who will continue to work with us between now and the November elections.

As with all of the stops, whether they already knew the details of the ERA or were new to its meaning, people thanked us over and over for doing the Tour — with many making a commitment to continue the fight for a country where all people are created equal.