Black Women’s Equal Pay Day
The good news, the bad news, and what to do about it
Let’s start with the bad news:
Today—July 27, 2023—is Black Women’s Equal Pay Day. This date represents the extra 6 months and 27 days Black women in the US had to work into this year to catch up to what white men earned in 2022. That’s because last year, Black women in the US earned just 67 cents for every dollar paid to the average non-Hispanic white man.
The gender wage gap is only half of the story.
Earlier this year, we acknowledged Women’s Equal Pay Day, which you can read about in my article, #NotAllWomen. Last year, women in the US, in general, earned 84 cents for every dollar men made, putting Women’s Equal Pay Day at March 14th this year.
So, why the gap? Why is Black Women’s Equal Pay Day more than 4 months later? Because the gender wage gap is only half of the story.
The gender and racial wage gaps combine to put Black women in a terrible position. And for those of us who are the main income earners for our families, the wage gap greatly impacts Black families. And that’s without getting into the generational, systemic issues contributing to the wealth gap.
