Thursday, Jacqueline Amos, Chair of the Mississippi Association of Democratic Chairs, released the following statement on behalf of all 82 of the state’s Democratic County Executive Committee chairs regarding the urgent need for a state equal pay law in Mississippi:
“Mississippi is once again dead last, and once again it is a self-inflicted embarrassment in front of the rest of the country and the world. It is August 13, 2020 and we are the only state remaining in the United States of America that does not have an equal pay law on the books. Today’s recognition of Black Women’s Equal Pay Day is a time for us to raise awareness among our fellow Mississippians and all Americans as to the severity of this problem and urge our state’s political and governmental leaders to act.
“According to CNN Business, the Equal Pay Today Campaign finds that ‘Black women had to work an additional seven and a half months this year on top of the 12 months they worked last year just to make as much as their White, non-Hispanic male counterparts did in 2019’ and that ‘Black women lose out on roughly $1 million of income over a career’ due to severe inequalities in professional compensation. The Economic Policy Institute also reports that ‘based on average hourly earnings, Black women still earned only 66 cents for every dollar White, non-Hispanic men made.’
“Mississippi’s 82 Democratic County Chairs believe this to be unacceptable as both a civil and human rights issue, but also offensive to the women who work just as hard—if not harder—than their male counterparts but cannot get ahead. Today we call upon all of Mississippi’s statewide elected officials and the entire State Legislature to seriously commit to the passage of an equal pay law in the Magnolia State. Likewise, we call upon all of our state’s leaders to make a commitment to urge public and private sector employers to begin the process of immediately correcting these historic inequalities. Although we will still be the last state to ratify such a law, it is necessary now more than ever.”
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Release from Mississippi Association of Democrat Chairs.
Magnolia Tribune
