With the recent Women’s March this past weekend I had a lot of different reactions.
I myself as a woman see the need for pay equality in the workplace. I, being a Black woman specifically, also see the need for the INCLUSION of all social issues that may affect MY BLACK COMMUNITY to be rallied, and marched for.
Women’s March organizers obviously want to focus on the issue of pay equality. White women in particular have most certainly addressed the 0.80 cents that they make in comparison to the dollar of White men. Meanwhile, we as Black women only make 0.63 cents, (USA today, 2016).
Also, since 1980, White women have experienced a $0.22 increase in hourly wage while Black women’s hourly wage has only increased by $0.09 cents (Pew Research, 2016). Oh and let’s not forget about our Black men who have consistently since 1980, earned only 73% of what their white male counterparts make.
White Male $1.00 Black Male $0.73
White Female $0.80 Black Female $0.63
+____________ +__________
= 1.80 White Household =$1.36 Black Household
It looks like the focus should be in OUR own households. Does this look equal to you?
Will History Repeat Itself?!
During the Woman’s Suffrage Movement in the 1900’s, Black Women led the fight right alongside White organizers. Sojourner Truth, Ida B. Wells-Barnett and many others were among the marchers, and ralliers.It should be said that during that time Susan B. Anthony herself stated:
“I will cut off this right arm of
mine before I will ever work or demand
the ballot for the Negro and not the woman”
Yet, we still lent our powerful Black female leaders to their cause.
After more marches and rallies, the the 19th Amendment was eventually passed in 1920 granting White women the right to vote while Black women had to wait 45 more years until the Voting Rights Act of 1965 was passed. This was a law which made it illegal to turn away, punish, or intimidate any Blacks from voting.
So, What Are We Going to Do?
The Women’s Suffrage movement much like the Women’s March of today was not all inclusive of women’s rights, and issues. It’s merely a hamster wheel to keep us occupied under the false belief that OUR issues, and rights will be upheld and addressed as well. How long are we going to lend our powerful voices to causes that do not fit our own?
Why isn’t the alarming rate of Black girls who have gone missing nationwide one of the rally cries for this march?
Why isn’t the police brutality that Black men and women face day in day out, on campaign t- shirts, and slogan boards?
Once again, we are used and then forgotten.
This is not to further divide, and this is NOT to ask for inclusion. Rather this is a rally call for US to refocus our energy and help OUR own communities before we lend our voices to others. Our energy should be to first improve the pay gaps that our own Black women and men face in the workplace.
Are we going to stop and pay attention to our own issues or are we going to let history repeat itself?]]>
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