Berry concludes that ERA approval was problematic at best and defeat predictable. Supporters did too little of what is required for ratification of a substantive proposal too late. Furthermore, the large number of state ratifications gained was deceptive. Support was eroding instead of increasing in the final stages of the campaign.

Ripples of Hope spans the colonial period to the present, and is filled with the speech of leaders - famous and obscure - who led the charge for equal opportunity. With voices as diverse as Cesar Chavez, Harvey Milk, and Betty Friedan, the anthology constitutes a unique chronicle of the nation's civil rights movements, and the critical issues they've tackled, from slavery and suffrage to immigration and affirmative action.

In this collection, we relive the courage of abolitionists like Frederick Douglass and John Brown, who fought the tides of racism, and experience the conviction of those like Susan B. Anthony and Sojourner Truth, who championed the right to vote. Their words open a treasured window into the struggle for civil rights: a captivating picture of the movements, their history, and the difficulties and triumphs minorities from all backgrounds have faced. The voices of these freedom fighters are heard, loud and clear, in page after page of this book.

Featuring a foreword by former President Bill Clinton and an afterword by Mary Frances Berry, this anthology is an indispensable compilation of the words-the ripples of hope-that, collectively, have changed American history.