Today is Black Women’s Equal Pay Day. Join in on the action by calling on Congress and the Trump Administration to pass policies that close the wage gap!

Right now, Black women are the fastest-growing group of entrepreneurs in the U.S. and are among the most educated groups! (Yet we are largely excluded from many of the higher-paying occupations that make up nearly half of the national workforce). [1]

We are currently killing it in workforce areas like caregiving, healthcare, education, and service industries with one of the highest labor force participation rates among all women in the country! (But we are overrepresented in these industries that don’t pay us what we deserve). And despite receiving far less pay, funding, and support, many Black women serve as the breadwinners, primary caregivers, and pillars of not only their families but entire communities.

How bad is the wage gap for Black women? Black women in the United States earn only 66 cents on the dollar compared to non-Hispanic white men, working full-time year-round. And that gap widens to 64 cents when we take into account all Black women earners, including full-time, part-time and part-year workers. [2] The wage gap for Black mothers is even more devastating, with Black moms earning just 49 cents for every dollar paid to a white father. This translates to a loss of over $42,000 dollars annually. [3]

Working harder doesn’t close the gap.

Passing policies that make wage transparency the law, make paid family and medical leave possible, and make affordable childcare within reach? These things can help close the wage gap.

Choosing higher education and/or high-paying professions doesn't close the wage gap.

In fact, the wage gap widens with higher education because Black women who invest more in degrees and credentials still face systemic pay disparities.

Negotiating “better” salaries does not close the gap.

Black women do negotiate their salaries and they still face more backlash and are less likely to be rewarded for it. Why? Racism. Sexism. Bias. Lack of structural accountability in how wages are determined.

All of these systems work together to suppress the value of Black women’s labor, no matter how hard we work, how educated we are, or how much we give.

That is why we’re demanding that Congress and the Trump administration end the attack on Black women’s economic security and pass policies that promote salary transparency, livable wages, paid family and medical leave, affordable childcare, and workplace protections. Sign on here:  https://action.momsrising.org/sign/BWEPD2025

If we want to close the wage gap, we must confront our history and understand the whole picture. The promises of the sixty-plus-year-old Civil Rights Act have never been fully realized for Black women. Instead, many Black women have inherited a labor system built on racial and gender exploitation, a familiar practice that dates back to the way they were treated during slavery. Emancipation did not liberate Black women occupationally. Post slavery, Black women were funneled back into low-wage roles that systemically undervalued them and reinforced racial and gender hierarchies, with little to no labor protections. [4]

Occupational segregation is a system that functions within racial capitalism. It limits access to opportunities and reinforces pay inequality, job insecurity and sex discrimination at work. According to a National Employment Law Project (NELP) study, “Occupational segregation, the concentration or underrepresentation of groups of workers within different jobs or industries, remains a significant driver of racial and gender inequities in the labor market.” [5] And we did not arrive here by accident. Throughout American history, public policies have consistently positioned Black women first and foremost as laborers and not as people and mothers deserving of care, rest or support. And it’s been this mindset that has fueled economic instability for Black women and their families for over a century now.

Enough is enough. Today, we are fighting to end this dreadful legacy. On this Black Women’s Equal Pay Day, we demand that the Trump Administration and Congress take immediate action to advance transformative policies that center Black women as essential human beings! It’s time to close the pay gap and pay people for what they deserve. Join us by signing here: https://action.momsrising.org/sign/BWEPD2025

Together, we will dismantle these structural inequities, one by one, and create pathways to economic stability, dignity and wellness for Black women and ALL people, families and communities.

References:

[1] “Why Black Women are Carving New Career Pathways as Entrepreneurs"

[2] “Black Women’s Equal Pay Day 2025”

[3] “The Parenthood Pay Divide: Why Mothers Earn Less Than Fathers in the US”

[4] “Black women’s labor market history reveals deep-seated race and gender discrimination”

[5] “Occupational Segregation of Black Women Workers in the U.S.”