Rep. Adams Marks Black Women’s Equal Pay Day
Black women make only 69 cents for every dollar made by white men

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congresswoman Alma S. Adams, Ph.D. (D-NC-12), Ranking Member of the Education & Workforce Committee (E&W)’s Subcommittee on Workforce Protections, along with Congresswoman Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-NJ-01), and Democratic Women’s Caucus Chair Lois Frankel (D-FL-22), introduced the Black Women’s Equal Pay Day Resolution, marking the importance of recognizing national racial and gender wage gap on July 9th. Senator Reverend Raphael Warnock (D-GA), Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ), and Senator Laphonza Butler (D-CA) introduced a companion bill in the Senate.
Despite the passage of the Equal Pay Act of 1963, requiring that men and women in the same workplace be given equal pay for equal work, Census Bureau data shows that Black women working full time, year-round, are paid 69 cents for every dollar paid to White, non-Hispanic men. July 9, 2024 marks how long into 2024 Black women must work to make what white, non-Hispanic men were paid in 2023. The resolution calls on Congress to “[recognize] the disparity in wages paid to Black women and its impact on women, families, and the United States,” and “[reaffirm] its support for ensuring equal pay for equal work and narrowing the gender wage gap.”
“I am immensely proud to lead the Resolution to mark Black Women’s Equal Pay Day on the House side,” said Congresswoman Alma S. Adams, Ph.D.(NC-12). “My family lived this struggle: my mother was our primary breadwinner. She cleaned houses and saved up and pinched every penny so I could be the first person in my family to go to college. I can only imagine what she would have been able to accomplish had she been paid a fair wage. I see no reason why our daughters, granddaughters, and great-granddaughters must face the same barriers, and that’s why I introduced this legislation with my colleagues today.”
Today, on Black Women's Equal Pay Day, we acknowledge how Black women are disproportionately affected by the gender pay gap. Our commitment to ensuring fair and equal pay for Black women is a commitment to justice, equality, and the American ideal hard work should be acknowledged and rewarded," said Congresswoman Bonnie Watson Coleman (NJ-12). "I am proud to cosponsor this resolution with Representatives Alma Adams and Lois Frankel, and pave the way for a future where equality in the workplace is a reality for all."
“Equal pay is a matter of fairness and justice, and is essential for creating a more equitable and prosperous world,” said Democratic Women’s Caucus Chair Lois Frankel (FL-22). For generations, women have received unequal pay for equal work, and for Black women the disparity is even worse. It’s long past time Congress took the necessary steps to close the wage gap.”
“There is no such thing as equality for some. Black women deserve the same opportunities to earn the same paycheck as their neighbors across the state and the country. I will always be an advocate and a champion for equal, fair pay for all people,” said Senator Reverend Warnock. “I’m honored to join Senator Butler, Senator Booker, and Rep. Adams in introducing this resolution to recognize Black Women’s Equal Pay Day and the many contributions Black women have made to this country and continue to make every single day.”
“It is unacceptable that Black women earn less than their white and male counterparts—regardless of where they work or their education level," said Senator Butler. “Black Women’s Equal Pay Day calls upon us to take action and close the pervasive gender and racial pay gaps that persist in our workforce."
“It is unacceptable that despite all the progress we have made, Black women continue to make 69 cents on the dollar compared to their white male counterparts,” said Senator Booker. “We must continue to fight for equal pay for equal work and take steps to end the practices that underpay and undervalue Black women in the workplace.”
The pay gap is considered especially damaging to Black families because in the United States, more than 68 percent of Black mothers are the sole or primary breadwinners for their families, compared to just more than one-third percent of non-Hispanic white mothers.
Rep. Adams and her colleagues say they will keep raising awareness for this racial and gender wage gap until it is closed. The bill’s original cosponsors include the following representatives: Bonnie Watson Coleman (NJ-12), Lois Frankel (FL-22), Kathy Manning (NC-06), André Carson (IN-07), Haley Stevens (MI-11), Valerie Foushee (NC-04), Nikema Williams (GA-05), Adam Smith (WA-09), Suzanne Bonamici (OR-01) Nydia Velázquez (NY-7), Seth Moulton (MA-06), Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC), Ilhan Omar (MN-05), Josh Gottheimer (NJ-05), Susan Wild (PA-07), Summer Lee (PA-12), Steny Hoyer (MD-05), Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (FL-20), and John Garamendi (CA-08).
Endorsing organizations include Family Values @ Work, National Black Worker Center (NBWC), Equal Rights Advocates, Equal Pay Today, PowHer New York, The National Coalition on Black Civic Participation’s Black Women’s Roundtable, National Partnership for Women and Families, National Committee on Pay Equity, Pro-Choice North Carolina, Maine Women’s Lobby & MWL Education Fund, Michigan Pay Equity Network, Institute for Women’s Policy Research (IWPR), Justice for Migrant Women, National Employment Law Project, National Council of Jewish Women, MANA A National Latina Organization, American Association of University Women (AAUW), Gender Equality Law Center, Women Employed, Mississippi Black Women's Roundtable, National Women's Law Center, National Organization for Women (NOW), In Our Own Voice: National Black Women’s Reproductive Justice Agenda, and the National Council of Negro Women (NCNW).
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Congresswoman Alma S. Adams, Ph.D. represents North Carolina's 12th Congressional District (Charlotte, Mecklenburg County, Cabarrus County) and serves on the House Committee on Agriculture and the House Committee on Education & the Workforce, where she serves as ranking member of the Workforce Protections Subcommittee.