ASTORIA, N.Y. - s4story -- Katrina's Dream celebrates its 21st anniversary today and renews its call to remove the deadline on the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) so it can take its place in the U.S. Constitution.

Founded August 26, 2005—the day Hurricane Katrina struck and the Rev. Katrina Swanson, one of the Philadelphia Eleven, passed into glory—the organization was born from a family promise to fulfill her wish for constitutional equality. When others declared the ERA dead and walked away, Katrina's Dream stayed the course.

Through pilgrimages, lobbying, and advocacy, it helped spark the three-state strategy that brought Nevada, Illinois, and Virginia to ratification—reaching the required 38 states. The second pilgrimage alone covered roughly 7,000 miles from the Golden Gate Bridge.

Today the final hurdle remains: eliminate the 1972 deadline (later extended to 1982). Despite Senator Lisa Murkowski's refusal to advance her own S.J. Res. 38—described by her staffer Kate Williams-Stern as a way to avoid giving credit to President Trump—Katrina's Dream moves forward. As Stern stated, "We don't want Trump to get the credit," implying the measure could pass if Murkowski stood up for women.

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God willing, a fourth pilgrimage will soon call on the nation to finish the work Alice Paul began more than a century ago.

The organization also shares joyful family news: Olof Swanson, Katrina's oldest son, has returned home and will take up ministry to the homeless—a passion shared by his father and brother. Warm congratulations go to Archon Michael J. Kratsios, who will receive the Archon Sophia Award for Excellence on October 17, 2026.

Women still face wage gaps, violence, and uneven legal protection. Equality has no expiration date.

How to Help

Sign the petition: https://www.change.org/p/urge-senator-murkowski-to-champion-the-era

Donate at www.katrinasdream.org.

Happy 21st anniversary. The pilgrimage continues.