President Obama's LOVE LETTER to American Women - Past and Present
When President Obama signed The Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act bill on January 29th, it was an unmistakable Love Letter to American Women - a love letter that ensures women across the country will receive equal pay for equal work. By signing that bill, he is helping to fulfill what millions of women have fought for. Women like Ida B. Wells-Barnett, Mary Church Terrell, Francis Ellen Watkins Harper, and Anna Julia Cooper.
When Jeannette Rankin was elected to Congress in 1916 (four years before women had the right to vote), she had Equal Pay for Equal Work for women in mind. When Nannie H. Burroughs and Mary McLeod Bethune started The National Association of Wage Earners in the 1920s, they not only worked to improve living conditions for women, but also envisioned Equal Pay for Equal Pay for Women. When Fannie Lou Hamer fought 15 years for civil rights in The South (despite threats by the Klu Klux Klan and beatings by police), I’m sure she envisioned how her efforts would bring about, among other things, Equal Pay for Equal Work. These were brave, pioneering women.
Yet despite their awe-inspiring work, and the work of countless others, gender inequities have never been corrected. According to a study by The Center for American Progress, women may lose $434,000 in income, on average, due to the career wage gap. As it is stands right now, women in general earn 77 to every dollar a man makes for full time year round work. For a black woman it is 67 cents; for a Latina woman it is 58 cents. And as a policy specialist, President Obama is aware of these disturbing figures.
By championing the right of working women to receive fair pay, the paychecks of millions and millions of women (particularly in low wage, non-unionized jobs) can now see a boost. But, with President Obama's love letter comes a strong challenge too. Before the signing the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, President Obama said: "So in signing this bill today, I intend to send a clear message: That making our economy work means making sure it works for everyone. That there are no second-class citizens in our workplaces, and that it's not just unfair and illegal—but bad for business— to pay someone less because of their gender, age, race, ethnicity, religion or disability."
New Mexico Govenor Bill Richardson understands President Obama's challenge. He recently signed an executive order requiring his state to study and report it's own pay practices when it comes to gender and race, and it will require the same from private sector companies that want state contracts. Gov. Richardson's motivation is to overcome pay inequity in his state, and he created a task force to implement the necessary changes. Yes, this is awesome! Companies that want state contracts in New Mexico will have to show taxpaxers (who are footing the bill) that their businesses pay its workers fairly. And don't you believe that by doing pay equity analyses, these companies will cut down on discrimination lawsuits because their statistics will be available to employees who will see they're not being shorted? I do.
More work has to be done though. In fact, I would like to see President Obama sign a similar executive order for companies that want federal contracts, and I e-mailed him at WHITEHOUSE.GOV to let him know. E-mail him yourself and let him know your ideas.
President Obama signed not only a love letter, but a declaration of justice and a commitment to fairness for the nameless, faceless, voiceless women who help hold up our economy but are not rewarded for it. So let us rejoice that we have a president who understands the economic realities of American working women, and who understands what needs to be done to boldly address the less than flattering aspects of those realities.
Ladies, President Obama just signed you a Love Letter.
2morrowknight is an internet strategist and community organizer who blogs at 2morrowknight.blogspot.com, and is author of a forthcoming children's book on President Obama.
When Jeannette Rankin was elected to Congress in 1916 (four years before women had the right to vote), she had Equal Pay for Equal Work for women in mind. When Nannie H. Burroughs and Mary McLeod Bethune started The National Association of Wage Earners in the 1920s, they not only worked to improve living conditions for women, but also envisioned Equal Pay for Equal Pay for Women. When Fannie Lou Hamer fought 15 years for civil rights in The South (despite threats by the Klu Klux Klan and beatings by police), I’m sure she envisioned how her efforts would bring about, among other things, Equal Pay for Equal Work. These were brave, pioneering women.
Yet despite their awe-inspiring work, and the work of countless others, gender inequities have never been corrected. According to a study by The Center for American Progress, women may lose $434,000 in income, on average, due to the career wage gap. As it is stands right now, women in general earn 77 to every dollar a man makes for full time year round work. For a black woman it is 67 cents; for a Latina woman it is 58 cents. And as a policy specialist, President Obama is aware of these disturbing figures.
By championing the right of working women to receive fair pay, the paychecks of millions and millions of women (particularly in low wage, non-unionized jobs) can now see a boost. But, with President Obama's love letter comes a strong challenge too. Before the signing the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, President Obama said: "So in signing this bill today, I intend to send a clear message: That making our economy work means making sure it works for everyone. That there are no second-class citizens in our workplaces, and that it's not just unfair and illegal—but bad for business— to pay someone less because of their gender, age, race, ethnicity, religion or disability."
New Mexico Govenor Bill Richardson understands President Obama's challenge. He recently signed an executive order requiring his state to study and report it's own pay practices when it comes to gender and race, and it will require the same from private sector companies that want state contracts. Gov. Richardson's motivation is to overcome pay inequity in his state, and he created a task force to implement the necessary changes. Yes, this is awesome! Companies that want state contracts in New Mexico will have to show taxpaxers (who are footing the bill) that their businesses pay its workers fairly. And don't you believe that by doing pay equity analyses, these companies will cut down on discrimination lawsuits because their statistics will be available to employees who will see they're not being shorted? I do.
More work has to be done though. In fact, I would like to see President Obama sign a similar executive order for companies that want federal contracts, and I e-mailed him at WHITEHOUSE.GOV to let him know. E-mail him yourself and let him know your ideas.
President Obama signed not only a love letter, but a declaration of justice and a commitment to fairness for the nameless, faceless, voiceless women who help hold up our economy but are not rewarded for it. So let us rejoice that we have a president who understands the economic realities of American working women, and who understands what needs to be done to boldly address the less than flattering aspects of those realities.
Ladies, President Obama just signed you a Love Letter.
2morrowknight is an internet strategist and community organizer who blogs at 2morrowknight.blogspot.com, and is author of a forthcoming children's book on President Obama.
Tags: barack, black, business, discrimination, history, inspiration, latino, love, obama, women
Add a Comment
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Comment by Crystal Smith on February 26, 2009 at 1:19pm
- AMEN, amen, amen
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Comment by 2morrowKnight on February 20, 2009 at 8:11am -
Hey, no problem. I do believe it will be enforced, but there's always a way to make the teeth of the bill a little stronger. That's why I want him to federaaal executive order that's equal to the state executive order that New Mexico Gov. Bill RIchardson signed regarding equal pay.
Thanks so much for your post. It's much appreciated.
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Comment by Nandi on February 20, 2009 at 12:15am - When I heard about this bill, I said if the President wasn't married, I'd have went up to Washington and gave him a serious kiss for what he did because frankly I am tired of women making less and having to do more with what they make. God bless the Brother for what he did. That means folks gotta stop paying women less just because and I pray they get it straight. So yeah he gave me a serious love letter. I only hope it's enforced. Thanks for the blog.
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Comment by 2morrowKnight on February 14, 2009 at 12:44am
- Absolutely! I just got your friend request! I'll e-mail you some practical things you can do. Stuff that's not really hard. You'll see that they yield positive results. Thanks for reaching out bro!
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Comment by No Drama on February 14, 2009 at 12:40am - Yeah, I was reading your piece. You really put in the work sir. I may copy your efforts in 2012, when he runs for re-election. Let's stay in touch!
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Comment by 2morrowKnight on February 12, 2009 at 5:35am
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Thanks for your posts No Drama...
You asked what was it like to be an internet strategist for President Obama? AWESOME! I was moved to get more involved with President Obama way back in January of 2008. He was in a very tight spot with Hillary Rodham Clinton. So I figured that if I got e-mails from all of the 50 States, I could help him win the primaries, and, help him defeat the lies about him that were circulating online. In short, it was a great experience! Thanks for asking!
Take care.
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Comment by No Drama on February 12, 2009 at 5:28am
- Oh, I saw on your first post that you were an internet strategist for President Obama? How was that experience?
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Comment by No Drama on February 12, 2009 at 5:27am
- I love this post brother man!!! Truly on point. I had never voted in my life, but I am happy to say I voted for him. I know this is just the beginning.
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Comment by 2morrowKnight on February 12, 2009 at 5:05am
- No problem Sharon. Thank you for all that you do!
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Comment by Sharon A Hill on February 10, 2009 at 2:00pm - 2morrowknight, I appreciate your kinds words about my etiquette training and how it can help HBCUs. It's happening now and I'm thrilled to be able to enrich the young lives.
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