Statement by NOW President Toni Van Pelt:

The District of Columbia celebrates April 16 as Emancipation Day. On that day in 1862, President Abraham Lincoln signed the District of Columbia Compensated Emancipation Act, which ended slavery in Washington, D.C., freed about 3,100 slaves in the District of Columbia, reimbursed those who had legally owned them and offered the newly freed women and men money to emigrate. The Act came nine months before President Lincoln issued the broader Emancipation Proclamation.

As a member of Washington, D.C.’s community NOW celebrates Emancipation Day and acknowledges the the continued struggle of African Americans. As we reconcile our country’s past, it is our duty to rectify the ramifications of that past on the present.

The U.S. has gone from slavery, to racial segregation, to the industrial prison system of today. The “New Jim Crow” disproportionately criminalizes African American men for low level offences with longer sentences that any other race in the U.S. Mass incarceration–as we all know–is merely the tip of the iceberg. Our country’s storied and dark history of discrimination is seen in gross racial disparities in income; neglected Black and Brown communities such as Flint, Michigan; increased segregation in public schools across the country; and even a lack of adequate reproductive care for Black women.

On Emancipation Day, NOW calls on our white sisters and brothers, to not only educate themselves on the true history of our country’s treatment of African Americans, but to uplift organizations such as Sister Song and The Black Women’s Blueprint that specifically help and address the needs of communities of color. It falls upon all of us as Americans to stand up, speak out, and move in solidarity whenever we see or hear injustice.

The struggle for emancipation is far from over for any of us until we all have an equal chance at economic and health security, education, safety and peace.

Contact

Dee Donavanik, press@now.org, 951-547-1241

Statement by NOW President Toni Van Pelt:

By voting to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment, the Illinois Senate has recognized what women everywhere know to be true. We still need the ERA. In fact, we need it more than ever.

It’s unconscionable that the U.S. Constitution fails to guarantee equal rights for everyone, regardless of gender. Fixing these flaws is not only proper, it is essential to the continuation of our democracy. Our Constitution is not set in stone—it’s a living document that must reflect our core values and principles in today’s world.

Illinois has now taken a historic step towards becoming the 37th state to ratify the ERA. Thirty-eight states are needed to ratify the ERA in order to amend the Constitution. Ratification efforts are ongoing in Virginia, Missouri, North Carolina and Florida where state legislatures are facing a blue tide of electoral activities and women voters are demanding equal representation and equal rights.

It’s significant that this vote took place one day after Equal Pay Day, which underscores the inequality women face in the workplace.

Illinois NOW President Michelle Fadeley said after the vote,

“Illinois NOW applauds the Illinois Senate for their bipartisan support on this history-making vote. We also thank Senate bill sponsor Heather Steans for leading the charge, and the new Illinois Senate bipartisan Women’s Caucus for their stand for equality for our state and nation.”

NOW members in every state join our sisters and allies in Illinois in celebrating this vote. We look forward to the Illinois House joining their colleagues in voting to ratify the ERA, but the battle in the House is uphill, A bipartisan vote of 71 members is needed to win approval and the General Assembly has 67 Democrats and 51 Republicans. A vote could occur before the end of May.

Contact

Dee Donavanik, press@now.org, 951-547-1241

Statement by NOW President Toni Van Pelt:

NRA TV has a new video out attacking the American Federation of Teachers and its president, Randi Weingarten. Their slanderous, offensive language doesn’t bear repeating, but it reminds us how important it is to stand up to the NRA and, as some brave young people have recently reminded us, to “call B.S.” on their lies.

More than three-quarters of all teachers in kindergarten through high school are women, and in elementary and middle schools, women comprise more than 80 percent of teachers. Randi Weingarten is an effective, indefatigable advocate for teachers, and she is a feminist leader we all can be proud of.

If the NRA thinks they can change the subject by slandering teachers, and demonizing Randi Weingarten, they are sorely mistaken. The NRA has descended to a new low—for now. It’s only a matter of time before they go even lower.

With every step down they take, NOW and feminist allies will step up to oppose them. We’re not afraid of the NRA, and neither is Randi Weingarten.

Contact

Dee Donavanik, press@now.org, 951-547-1241

Statement by NOW President Toni Van Pelt:

April 10 is Equal Pay Day—marking the number of extra days into 2018 the average woman has to work to earn as much as her male counterpart did in 2017.

No one who cares about economic justice and the rights of women is celebrating this occasion. Although Congress enacted the Equal Pay Act in 1963, the gender pay gap is still pervasive.

On average, women are paid just 80 cents for every dollar earned by men. For women of color, the gap is even wider. According to Pew Research, African American women on average earn only 66 cents and Latinas on average earn only 60 cents for every dollar earned by white, non-Hispanic men.

When the Equal Pay Act was passed, full-time working women were paid 59 cents on average for every dollar paid to men. This means that it took 55 years for the wage gap to close just 21 cents—a rate of less than half a penny a year. The narrowing of the gap has slowed substantially in recent years—in fact, at the current pace the wage gap won’t be closed until the year 2058.

That’s too long to wait. We need to erase Equal Pay Day from the calendar. Raising the minimum wage is a good first step. The minimum wage is a women’s issue—nearly two-thirds of minimum wage workers are women.

Data from the Institute for Women’s Policy Research show that the U.S. economy would grow by more than $512 billion if women received equal pay.

NOW is calling on Congress to pass the federal Paycheck Fairness Act, and for localities and states to pass their own bills to close the gender wage gap. The EEOC must also reinstate the requirement that certain employers submit pay data and hours worked.

Let’s put an end to no one’s favorite holiday. Equal Pay Day is a reminder of how far we still have to go to achieve real equality.

Contact

Dee Donavanik, press@now.org, 951-547-1241

Statement of NOW President Toni Van Pelt:

Fifty years after the death of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., his legacy endures in the daily work of countless movements, organizations and organized protests. We in the women’s movement, like so many others, draw inspiration from Dr. King’s example of peaceful protest, passionate advocacy and positive solutions.

When Dr. King marched with workers, he marched with women who were being paid horrifically low wages. When Dr. King spoke out against oppression, he was heard by women who were denied equality.

And when we in the women’s movement have marched on Washington, we march alongside Dr. King.

We honor the memory of Dr. Martin Luther King and rededicate ourselves to the cause of equality and justice he so revered.

Contact

Dee Donavanik, press@now.org, 951-547-1241