Black women’s equal pay day:
Pay me like you pay him!

According to social media, black women are shinning right now. They’re launching businesses and climbing up corporate ladders everywhere. Let them tell it and they’ve BEEN shinning since the beginning of time. Shea butter wearing, melanin popping women have always been giving that black girl magic. Even though they might be making major moves in these internet streets, their pockets aren’t reflecting that shine at all.

“Nationally, black women working in full time, year-round positions make 63 cents to each dollar earned by a white man.”
-Vox Media Inc.

It’s 2018 and black women are still getting the short end of the stick and most don’t even realize it. This year, on August 7, was pronounced BLACK Women’s Equal Pay Day, which marks how long a BLACK woman has to work into 2018 to catch up to the same amount a white man made in 2017. This is similar to Women’s Equal Pay Day, but rather than focusing on the statistics of all women, this day is dedicated to Black women and their truths. This shouldn’t even be a conversation and yet, here we are. Black Women’s Equal Pay Day is more than just a hashtag. It’s a movement and we’re here for it. According the National Women’s Law Center, the pay gap can widen over the course of a black woman’s career, causing her to lose nearly $870, 000 in potential earnings.

So, what can you do to help make a change, so history doesn’t repeat itself again? Use one of the biggest tools you have, your mouth, and keep the conversation relevant to speak up about the current wage gap. Our voices need to be heard. These matters need to be heard at all levels from policy discussions to the family cookout. Acknowledge that you may have a bias and put yourself in your own place. Leave your bias at the door and become more aware of the stereotypes that would normally influence your business decisions whether you’re hiring, promoting, or simply doing business with a black woman. Hire, promote, and pay black women the same way you would their white male colleagues. Showcase diverse leaders in your organization so they can be remodels to other women of color aspiring to be in leadership roles. Don’t think that you can’t make a difference, or your voice won’t be heard. If something doesn’t rub you the right way, say something about it! What’s your MESSage?

written by Erin Myers of Favored Freauxs, LLC