How important is the name you give your child? There have been countless studies, many claiming a name only matters if it is specific to a particular group or culture, while other studies say a child’s name plays an important role in their societal place and personality. Regardless of studies and norms, some names carry so much weight with them they guide a child’s life forever. I was given one of those names. My name is E.R.A. (Equal Rights Amendment) McCarthey and I want to share a little of how that name has shaped me.
My mother, Judy Tallwing McCarthey, was an avid equal rights activist. She believed that all people deserve the same opportunities, regardless of ethnicity, culture, orientation or gender. Equality was still a hard-to-reach goal for her as a woman and a Native American. She was attending Arizona State University pursuing a degree in criminal justice and working with numerous others lobbying for the National Plan of Action and Equal Rights Amendment when she became pregnant with me in 1977. My mother didn’t let that stop her, in fact she decided that I deserved to have every opportunity and the name E.R.A. would remind both myself and the world of her dreams for me.
My mother and I received a great deal of attention at the First National Women’s Conference held in Houston in 1978. My mother was quoted in the book ‘The Spirit of Houston: The First National Women’s Conference’ as saying “There are two reasons I named my baby girl Era. One is for our amendment since the ERA is the most important issue in our fight for true equality for all, and the second is because of the concept which arose out of the Houston Conference, the concept that it heralded the beginning of a new era for women. I am very aware of what it means to be an ethnic minority, a divorced mother, a mature college student, and on a limited income. But I know, as we all do, that there can be a fuller life for all of us and our families. That is why I support the National Plan of Action and the Equal Rights Amendment.”
My first few months I enjoyed the company of leaders and visionaries such as President Carter and his lovely wife Rosalynn, Gloria Steinem, Bella Abzug and thousands of others. I have a baby picture signed by many of them. My mother and I were featured in Redbook, The Washington Post and other notable periodicals. My baby shoes went to the Smithsonian. Then the unthinkable happened. The National Plan of Action and the Equal Rights Amendment did not receive enough ratifications before the final deadline. My fifteen minutes of fame were over.
I was a baby at the time so I’m not sure exactly what followed. I know my parents divorced and my five siblings and I were raised by our father. I only have a few clear memories of my mother until I was about thirteen years old. I saw her, but it wasn’t often. My father always told me how smart, talented and strong she was. That I would be just like her someday. He would say “You’re going to be a famous artist like your mother or maybe a politician, since you’re so good at talking.”
I was raised in downtown Phoenix, Arizona next to a freeway, a hospital and a few blocks from project housing. It was considered a very impoverished and high crime area. My father was disabled so I often had to care for myself. When I was very young, I’m not sure but I had to be around 2 or 3, someone shot at me while I was playing in the front yard. My sister pushed me aside and saved my life. A bullet went through her leg at the same height as my head. No one is sure if it was over my name, my complexion, or one of the neighborhood gangs causing trouble. I wasn’t allowed to play outside after that.
I remember in the first grade I was in trouble because I refused to write my name correctly “Era” and kept insisting it was “E.R.A.” and the teacher was wrong. My mother went to the school and showed the teacher my birth certificate. A few years later I was sent to the principal’s office because a group of boys were hitting me. When he asked me why they were so angry I told him it was because I shared the story of my name and they said I was a liar. The principal told me I should be ashamed for lying to him and the boys. My mother flew into Phoenix, Arizona from Portland, Oregon and took news articles to the school. Needless to say, the school didn’t continue my punishment.
I only relate these events so you understand how my name and the knowledge of everyone who once believed in me helped shape me. No matter how difficult things were or what life handed me I knew in my heart that someday I would do something special; that I had value. It didn’t matter how I started life. I read books, created art, wrote stories and songs, studied hard at school because I knew I had to be the very best person I could and take advantage of all the opportunities the women who came before me created.
I began college at sixteen and worked part time in a law office to pay for school. I went into the honors program, received scholarships and graduated from Arizona State University Summa Cum Laude with a BFA in Education, a minor in Art History and several teaching certifications. I continued my education and added to my certifications. I taught for twelve years in Central Phoenix. I did my best to help students feel valued and special that were starting life in the same stark environment I did. Not one moment in my life did I ever believe I was worth less than a man or that I had a specific gender role. I knew some people thought that way but I assumed they just didn’t know any better. I still assume that.
I am currently focusing on my novels and sharing them with the world. I believe it is my purpose, and so does my life and business partner, Jay. He is amazing and values me as much as himself. We have three lovely children and enjoy life together as we can during these hard times. I thank my mother, Gloria Steinem, Bella Abzug, President Carter, Rosalynn Carter, Diana Mara Henry and everyone who fought so I would have the chance to build a better life for myself. I am excited to pay the blessings forward.
