89 years ago one man, Harry T. Burn, listened to his mother and voted for women's suffrage. This marked the first victory in winning women the right to vote in the USA. Women of color still had to fight for the 1965 Voting Rights Act for full suffrage despite the 15th amendment's passage many years before the 19th amendment.

One yes vote for the 1965 Voting Rights Act was the late Senator Ted Kennedy.

Yes, he was a flawed man. But let's get the laundry list of things he championed during his illustrative Senate career...Luckily the Feminist Majority provides us a list:

• The Equal Rights Amendment Extension Act of 1978, which provided more time to pass the ERA.


• Minimum wage laws that impacted women.


• The Pregnancy Discrimination Act, which prohibited discrimination against pregnant women and revered the Supreme Court decision that permitted discrimination against women in the workforce.


• The Civil Rights Restoration Act, which restored the scope of Title IX and reversed the Grove City Supreme Court case that had gutted Title IX.


• The Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act (FACE), which protected reproductive health care providers.


• The Family Medical Leave Act, which provided 12 weeks unpaid job-protected leave to workers for newborn care, adoption or faster care, or illness of the worker or her/his spouse, child, or parent.


• The Civil Rights Act of 1991, which provided to women workers the right to collect damages in sex discrimination cases.


• The Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, which reversed the Roberts Supreme Court decision that gutted the ability of women workers to sue for wage discrimination.

Some of these wins were partial wins, first steps in a larger movement. The victory for more time to work on the ERA ultimately fell flat due to the ERA failed to be ratified.

But he was more then just the laws he championed and the candidates he supported. Senator Kennedy was able to connect to people, especially children:

He met us where we were and made us feel safe as long as he was there defending our rights and fighting for equality. He understood that it takes all kinds of people to make up this country, and he never made you feel like you were less of a person. He was the quintessential politician who remembered your story and carried it with him ... always.

It's been said many times that some rise above their humble beginnings. Lincoln did it. Obama has done it. I like to think that Senator Kennedy rose above his privileged beginnings to work on average American issues like pay equity and fairness in education. He could have coasted through life. So despite his flaws, he continued to work hard for us. And for that, I am grateful.

Image: Wikipedia