August 22 Was Black Women’s Equal Pay Day
August 22 was Black Women’s Equal Pay Day and celebrities spoke out on the issue on Twitter.
August 22 marks the approximate day that Black women must work into the new year to earn what white, non-Hispanic men made at the end of the previous year. According to the American Community Survey (ACS) census data, the 2019 wage gap for Black women and men is $.61.
Today is Black Women’s Equal Pay Day, marking the date that Black women have to work into the new year to FINALLY catch up to what white, non-Hispanic men earned last year. pic.twitter.com/XQczjL2r0A
— ACLU (@ACLU) August 22, 2019
According to equalpaytoday.org, 84.4% of Black women are the sole or primary breadwinners for their households, which highlights how serious this problem is for Black women and their families. Many celebrities including Serena Williams, Ava DuVernay, and Kerry Washington are using Twitter to speak out on the issue.
It’s time to take action towards building better spaces for Black women. Join me in standing with Black women to fight for equality in the workplace today–and always. Check out @LeanInOrg‘s recommendations for companies: https://t.co/WkaoUduwFx #BlackWomensEqualPayDay
— Serena Williams (@serenawilliams) August 22, 2019
Today is #BlackWomensEqualPayDay which highlights the hard fact that Black Women in America have to work 599 days to make what white men get in 365 days. Black Women are paid 39% less than their white male counterparts. This is true in every industry. Hollywood included. pic.twitter.com/wvpq9xJmVG
— Ava DuVernay (@ava) August 22, 2019
Today’s#BlackWomensEqualPayDay
the day that marks how far Black women had to work into 2019 to catch up with what white men earned in 2018. Did you know that Black women make 39% less than white men & 21% less than white women? Please show your support. https://t.co/7mAVQZsRlJ pic.twitter.com/JOuMomlCwK— kerry washington (@kerrywashington) August 22, 2019
Black women, and women in general, often fall victim to discrimination from their employers, who tend to rely on gender stereotypes. Black women often fall victim to both gender and racial discrimination. Women have often been steered away from “traditionally male” occupations, and industries where women outnumber men are undervalued compared to their male-dominated counterparts.
This practice is unacceptable in 2019 and women, especially Black women are fighting back. But they can’t fight alone, it is also up to our leaders and Congress to set and enforce legislation that prevents this discriminatory practice in the first place. Civil liberty groups like the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) work continuously to help make sure practices like this don’t happen, but it is also up to us to stand together and speak out for our fellow women. It’s important for women to lift each other up because we are all in this together.
