Farmingville, NY - In honor of Black Women’s Equity Day, Councilwoman Valerie M. Cartright visited children in Suffolk County on August 21st to raise awareness about the enduring problem of pay inequality and its disproportionate effect on women of color.
Joined by Assemblywoman Kimberly Jean-Pierre, Babylon Town Councilwoman Jackie Gordon, and Victoria Gumbs Moore, Esq., the group spoke with children in the Keep Your Change program in North Amityville and young women at Bethel AME Church in Setauket. The women led activities with the youth to illustrate pay disparities and discussed the effects on families and community.
“Pay equity is critically important to having a fair and just workplace. It is imperative that all persons are treated equally as it relates to pay and advancements. This is a critical issue because the impacts are long lasting and far reaching. Unequal pay and discrimination impact a woman of color as an individual, it impacts her family and the larger society,” stated Councilwoman Cartright. “On a personal level, as the mother of a young Haitian-American girl, I want my daughter to know that her mother fought for equal rights and equal pay for women of color when I had the opportunity. It was a privilege to join my colleagues in speaking with our communities’ children about pay equity and educate them about ‘Black Women’s Equity Day.’ We had several eye-opening moments with these youth as we discussed the continuing culture surrounding issues of pay equity. I am proud to say that this experience has given me faith that these issues will not be allowed to endure another generation.”
“The gender pay gap is a very real issue here in the United States, and it’s even more pronounced for women of color,” said Assemblywoman Kimberly Jean-Pierre. “We won’t achieve real economic justice unless we confront this issue head-on, and I was pleased to join some of my colleagues to help start and continue this much-needed conversation.”
“I had the pleasure of speaking with young women today who are already keenly aware of what is equal and just,” Councilwoman Gordon said. “The time has come for equal pay for equal work; nothing more, nothing less.”
“It’s important that young women know their value and learn that being paid anything less than their full value is unacceptable,” said Victoria Gumbs Moore, Esq., a past President of Amistad Long Island Black Bar Association and Past President of Suffolk County Women’s Bar Association and Girl Scout Leader.
The inaugural Black Women’s Equity Day takes place Thursday, August 22. It is being commemorated by the National Bar Association, which has asked its membership to participate nationwide.
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