Statement by NOW President Toni Van Pelt:

WASHINGTON – It is reported a school nurse and vice principal at Binghamton East Middle School in New York State strip searched four African-American girls because they were acting “giddy” and authorities concluded they might be using drugs.

News flash—12-year-old girls act silly sometimes. That’s not a problem for white children, but for children of color, this normal behavior can be used to justify racist and sexist stereotypes and the most horrific invasions of privacy. Black girls are disciplined because of their hair, their clothes and the way they talk to their friends. These discriminatory steps often lead to the school-to-prison pipeline that victimizes so many African-American girls.

NOW condemns the Binghamton East Middle School’s actions, and calls on the Superintendent of Schools, Dr. Tonia Thompson, to fire the nurse, assistant principal, and principal of the school, along with any other school personnel who oversaw the strip searches. Additionally, a policy that ends all school strip searches must go into effect immediately, and district employees must be required to participate in cultural competency training.

The criminalization of Black girls must stop, now!

Contact

NOW Press, press@now.org, 202-628-8669

Statement by NOW President Toni Van Pelt and Christian Nunes, Chairwoman of the Racial Justice Committee:

WASHINGTON – Every February, we observe Black History Month as a way of celebrating, honoring and absorbing the lessons of the African Americans who have contributed so much to our culture, our communities and our nation. This year, we are witnessing a transformation in our politics, with more women of color running for office, getting elected and making a difference than ever before.

While Donald Trump and his overwhelmingly white, male Administration wage a mean-spirited, discriminatory and racially divisive campaign to undermine civil rights protections, we need to remember the words of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Dr. King said, “We are now faced with the fact that tomorrow is today. We are confronted with the fierce urgency of now. In this unfolding conundrum of life and history, there ‘is’ such a thing as being too late. This is no time for apathy or complacency. This is a time for vigorous and positive action.”

Black History Month reminds us of the “fierce urgency of now.”  That’s always been the watchword of the National Organization for Women. As part of NOW’s core principles, we see human rights as indivisible, and we will continue to stand in solidarity and follow the lead of African Americans across the country, working together to overcome the barriers to justice and equality that have been imposed by racism.

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NOW Press, press@now.org, 202-628-8669

Statement by NOW President Toni Van Pelt:

WASHINGTON – When the Equal Pay Act was passed in 1963, women were paid 58 cents for every dollar earned by men. Fifty-six years after the act’s passage, the difference is still apparent. Today, women are paid only 80 cents for every man’s dollar, and the gap is even wider for women of color. The career earnings loss due to sex- and race-based pay discrimination for many women total in the hundreds of thousands of dollars.

The Paycheck Fairness Act was first introduced in the 105th Congress, 1997-1998 — more than 20 years and 11 Congresses ago. Women have been waiting for far too long for equal treatment. The Paycheck Fairness Act would bring us several important steps closer to parity.

Today, on the ten-year anniversary of the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.) introduces the Paycheck Fairness Act as H.R. 7. This act would begin to close loopholes in the Equal Pay Act and address other ways to close the gender wage gap. Namely, it would increase penalties for wage discrimination and assure that employers determine wages through the factors of experience, training, and education, rather than sex. The act would also direct federal agencies to collect data on compensation discrimination and publicly disclose it.

The progress of women in the workforce over the last fifty-six years is evident, but the financial penalty many women experience due to sex- and race-based pay discrimination must stop. If closing the wage gap continues at its agonizingly-slow current rate, men and women will not reach wage equality until 2059. That is forty years too long.

The National Organization for Women (NOW) calls on members of Congress to support the Paycheck Fairness Act (H.R.7) and to take leadership in moving this important advancement for working women and their families to passage.

Contact

NOW Press, press@now.org, 202-628-8669