$21,000 — That’s much extra a Black woman would earn each year if she was paid equally to the average White man. Over the course of her life, that’s $840,000 lost — in retirement savings, investing in family, and quality of life.
July 31st marks Black Women’s Equal Pay Day, the time of the year when Black women have finally caught up to what white men made in the previous calendar year. Join 9to5 to fight for equal pay!
Here are three ways you can take action:
1. Collect petition cards! Reach out to your friends, your family, folks at your church or in your book club and ask them what these numbers mean to them. Ask them to sign a petition card, which you can download and print here, or email lindsey@9to5.org to have paper copies mailed to you.
2. If you are a Black woman and want to share your story, write a letter to the editor of your local newspaper. Check out our guide on writing a letter to the editor here. Be sure to explain that July 31 is Black Women’s Equal Pay Day, and to submit your letter the week before so it can be published that day!
3. Help spread the word on social media! 9to5 and our partner organizations will launch #Slay4EqualPay campaigns on Facebook and Twitter as we approach July 31. We need help from our members and friends to help share infographics and join in online conversations. Contact lindsey@9to5.org to be the first to hear when these are released. Also, follow us on Facebook and Twitter!
