A new study by the National Partnership for Women & Families finds that the gender wage gap is wider for African Americans than is the case for White women.
The study found that on average for all races, women are paid 77 cents for every dollar paid to men. But African American women are paid only 70 percent of every dollar paid to men of all races and only 64 cents for every dollar paid to non-Hispanic White men.
The largest gender wage gaps for African American women was found in Louisiana. There, African American women earned only 55 cents for every dollar earned by men of all races. Not all the states with large gender wage gaps for African American women were in the South. For example, in New Jersey African American women earned only 69 cents for every dollar earned by men.
The states with the smallest gender wage gaps for African American women were Maryland and California.
My question is, who can do anything about this problem? African American women continue to be underpaid, underrated, and socially abused in America. Yet, it was their tears and hard work that built families black and white in this country. Everything black women do or have is coveted by white women – their skin color, their hips, lips, voices, music – but white people what everything but the burden of being black. They capitalize on everything. They claim the blues, jazz, soon it will be white women who sing gospel music, not black women. But one thing they cannot outdo black women in and that’s praising God. Black women need to learn how to take what is rightfully theirs. Their children are mentally abused in under-funded schools. Their money makes Asians in the hair and nail business rich. When are black women going to strike back. Stop buying false hair and nails. Invest in your education and your children’s education. Save your money and start your own business. STOP giving your 64-70% of the dollar men make back to people who could really care less about you, except that they want your money. Change your mind. Love self. Stop emulating white women who think you are a joke. As for those black women who live naturally, I salute you. Keep pushing because your day is not far off!
Joan it must be our task as Black people male and female to work collectively to organize, mobilize, coupled with acting in concert with definitive short, medium and long term goals to address this issue which is long over due.
Our lack of preparation to work in the Academic-Corporate-Complex is a consequence of enslavement and white individual and systemic institutional barriers are still very pervasive.
Joan, Frantz Fanon said “The oppressed will always believe the worst about themselves.
Although I agree with your premise that Black women should love and embrace every ounce of their Blackness from their head to toe that is much easier said than done to a people who have suffered intense psychic damage to their self-esteem through hundreds of years of brutal white supremacy brainwashing and indoctrination.