Elaine Harris Spearman Commentary: Women are making a difference in Alabama

We don’t have to wait for Women’s History Month to talk about women in Alabama who have made and are making a difference.

USA TODAY published a special section in its September 10 recognizing quite a few women as “Women of the Year.” Some of the names were very familiar to all of us, some were not. Each state had an honoree. The honoree for Alabama was Meta Ellis.

Ms. Ellis is the director of Montgomery Pride United. She has spent “decades protesting laws that target LGBTQ+ youth and women, while providing support to these groups.”

In explaining the results of the special section, it was stated that USA Today readers submitted their nominations for national and state Women of the Year honorees.

The project honors local and national heroines who make a positive impact in their communities everyday but unfortunately go unrecognized for their work.

There are many women who have chosen career and public service paths that may have taken time and energy from their family responsibilities, but being the women that they are, they are able to manage their lives with grace and aplomb.

USA TODAY’s section on women put it this way: “There is something special that sets apart those who, in the words of the French philosopher Simone Weil, “give an order” to themselves to be a hero or heroine.”

Throughout my career, there have been many instances of meeting certain people that remain uppermost in my mind and heart.

Since moving back to Alabama, I have continued the journey of allowing myself to meet remarkable people, some of whom may be “unsung.” That is, not given the attention and praise they deserve for doing good things.

The former mayor of St. Louis used to lament to me of the lack of women involved in politics and government to any degree of significance. His favorite saying was, “There is a place in the struggle for everybody.”

I often think of those days as I look around in Alabama. Women are an extremely important part of electing those who govern us, whether on the local, state or national levels.

There are still those who believe that a woman’s place is beside her spouse, at all times doing all things. They are entitled to that viewpoint, but the world is changing. We are grateful for those who are willing to step up to the table, bringing more than an appetite.

One such person that I have met is Dr. Sabrina Morgan-Graves. She will become the board president of United Way of Etowah County in January. She will preside over the six-member executive board and the 25 board members. (There is, of course, a five-member staff.)

This is a heady undertaking. Board leadership is tough. Fundraising is an integral part of charitable organizations. Dr. Morgan-Graves states that her involvement with service began with 4-H and continued with Brownies and Girl Scouts.

She states that she has “always sought to give back, not based on color, but helping people who need help.” She was particularly able to see this in her large medical practice in Gadsden.

As to the United Way, the organization, “helps a variety of people in a variety of situations.” I was rather surprised that she had initially considered becoming a lawyer, particularly since I had considered becoming a physician but chose lawyering. (My physician consideration was for the wrong reason!)

Her spouse, Coach James Wesley Graves Jr., has been the head basketball coach at Etowah High School for 25 years. It is to be noted that he is extremely supportive of her community service.

At a recent luncheon in Anniston, I had the great fortune to not only be seated a second time with former Sen. Doug Jones in as many months, but I was also seated next to Lilly Ledbetter. I had no thought that I would ever meet the Ledbetter of Ledbetter v. Goodyear Tire and Rubber. It is not often that you meet the plaintiff in a U.S. Supreme Court case.

Ms. Ledbetter was the company’s only female area manager, and started out equally but was left behind monetarily after 19 years. She found by the end of 1997 that she was the lowest-paid area manager.

Ms. Ledbetter found that she was the lowest paid area manager by the end of 1997. She was the only woman area manager and started out equally but was left behind monetarily as time wore on, 19 years to be exact.

On Jan. 29, 2009, the first bill that was signed into law by President Barack Obama amended Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 with the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of 2009. The amendment restored protection against pay discrimination that had been removed by the Supreme Court in 2007 in Ledbetter v. Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co., when it held that employees couldn’t sue over race or gender pay discrimination if the allegations were based on decisions made 180 or more days previously by employers.

Ms. Ledbetter of course is from Jacksonville, our very close neighbor. She still resides there, but states that COVID-19 slowed down her travel and speaking engagements throughout the world.

Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg wrote a dissenting opinion, and Ms. Ledbetter noted that she had a framed copy of the bill on the wall of her office.

Justice Ginsburg became an important influence upon her life. Ms. Ledbetter has been inducted into the National Women’s Hall of Fame.

There is a lot about Alabama that pains us, but these two women, among many others, cause us to hold our heads high.

Elaine Harris Spearman, Esq.. a Gadsden native, is an attorney and is the retired legal advisor to the comptroller of the City of St. Louis. The views expressed are her own.

This article originally appeared on The Gadsden Times: Elaine Harris Spearman looks at women who've made a difference