As black women across the country stand together in solidarity to call attention to the injustice that is pay inequality, the fight for equal pay goes on. Black Women’s Equal Pay Day is the final day a black woman has to work in a year to earn what a white man made by December 31 of the previous year. It is shameful that this year, that day did not fall until August 7, as black women only make 63 cents to every one dollar our white male counterparts make.
Black women are not just the backbone of the Democratic Party, they are also the lifeblood of the American workforce. Today, women make up nearly half of our country’s workforce, but since Trump took office, the pay gap for women has only widened. His dangerous policies, like the revocation of President Obama’s Fair Pay and Safe Workplace executive order, are proof positive that he and his administration don’t care about an issue that affects families across the country.
The Democratic Party is proud to stand in solidarity with black women in the workplace, and proud to fight for a level playing field for all. Democrats believe that women’s economic strength is American economic strength, and that’s why closing the gender pay gap is an issue we should all be fighting for. Black women are the core of our party, and we will not rest until all Black women and all working families receive fair and equal pay, so we can create a stronger America for all.
Lottie Shackelford, DNC Women’s Caucus chair, released this statement to commemorate Black Women’s Equal Pay Day.
