One of the great contradictions of America is that inequality is still rampant—despite the widespread belief that hard work can overcome any barrier. Women, for example, are still paid less than men and the wage gap for women of color in the workforce is even greater than it is for white women. Monday marked Black Women’s Equal Pay Day, which means it is the day in 2017 that black women would, in theory, have caught up to be paid the same amount of money that white men would have made in 2016. This is why it matters:
In order for black women to earn as much as non-Hispanic white men earn in a year, they'd have to work 19 months. That's why Black Women’s Equal Pay Day falls on July 31st: to represent that extra seven months of essentially free labor. (Equal Pay Day fell on April 4th this year to represent the average 80-cents-to-the-dollar figure.)
"Pay inequity directly touches the lives of black women in at least three distinct ways," a blog post by the Economic Policy Institute explains. "Since few black women are among the top five percent of earners in this country, they have experienced the relatively slow wage growth that characterizes growing class inequality along with the vast majority of other Americans. But in addition to this class inequality, they also experience lower pay due to gender and race bias." Black women not only get paid less than white women but also work longer hours, it adds.
Seven whole months of essentially free labor. As if black women are not laboring all the time for free already—in our communities, in our schools, in our families, in the world. We also go without getting paid what we are worth in the labor market, despite our skill set.
One important myth to dispel here is that education can improve this gap. If only it were that simple. It’s quite easy to suggest that if we simply go out and get more education, black women will make ourselves more competitive in the job market. Yet we are increasingly earning Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees at higher rates than many of our counterparts, and we still make less money. And given that we are often the breadwinners for our families, this can have a detrimental and lasting impact, not just on us, but on our families and entire communities.
Valerie Jarrett, former Senior Advisor to President Obama had this to say on the topic:
Eight out of ten Black women are breadwinners, and many the sole breadwinner, so their contribution to the family income is vital. Yet, a quarter of Black women live in poverty, with nearly the same rate being trapped in service occupations, with the lowest wages. These low wage jobs often lack paid sick leave, family leave, and other essential benefits, all of which contribute to a vicious cycle of inequality and poverty.
This means that 13% of the U.S. population — 23.5 million Black women — who relentlessly pursue the American dream, continue to be overlooked and underpaid. They are robbed of an equal opportunity for prosperity, and plagued by systematic injustice.
And Serena Williams, who is now starting a family of her own, shared this:
Equal pay for black women is not just about money. While black women should absolutely be paid for their labor and what they are worth, this is also about equality, justice and the betterment of our country as a whole. When black women do better, their families do better. And when black women do better, all people—regardless of color or gender, also do better.