Madison, WI – Today marks Black Women’s Equal Pay Day in the United States, a day that symbolizes the additional time that African American women must work into the current year to earn what non-Hispanic white men earned in the preceding year. Representative Shelia Stubbs (D-Madison) released the following statement:
“Black Women’s Equal Pay Day serves as a call to action and moves us to address and remedy the root causes of pressing systemic inequality resulting in the wage gap we see today.
Black women historically have been underpaid. It is estimated that Black women earn only 66 cents for every dollar earned by their white, non-Hispanic male counterparts in full-time year-round employment. Over a period of time this gap can result in a significant lost in earnings, sometimes hundreds of thousands of dollars in the course of a Black woman’s career. Many factors contribute to this gap, including hiring discrimination, transparency in lack of pay, and unpaid caregiving responsibilities, just to name a few.
Today is set aside to raise awareness and acknowledge the strategic efforts currently underway to secure wage equity for Black women going forward. We must continue to enact and support policy that ensures equitable compensation for Black women and all people, so that everyone has the same chance to attain financial security for themselves and their families.
As a legislator dedicated to reducing disparities across Wisconsin, I will continue raising awareness about this issue and working toward a future where this discrepancy in wages no longer exists.”
