Released on September 17, 2020

WASHINGTON, D.C. – As the president of the National Organization for Women (NOW), and its first Black president in 50 years, I have especially followed the ”Justice for Breonna Taylor” movement.  It has been moving to see so many others mobilize, whether they are young activists on social media or major influencers like Oprah Winfrey, to keep this issue at the forefront.   

While we applaud the settlement this week of $12 million to the family of Ms. Taylor, we at NOW still demand full justice in this matter. Justice is more than a payout – justice means real action must be taken to hold perpetrators accountable and fix the structural racism within our society that has allowed this to happen in the first place.  

All the police officers involved there the night Breonna Taylor was shot several times and killed while sleeping in her bed should be arrested. There still must be a trial. There still must be justice for her, and for all women and girls like Breonna Taylor who have been similarly killed or assaulted through the years, through our history.  

For too long, Black women and girls (including transwomen) have been made to feel devalued, silenced, and held to different standards.  At NOW, we stand in solidarity with movements like Black Girl Freedom Fund and Movement 4 Black Lives that organize to protect and provide resources to these communities.  

NOW believes that the life of Breonna Taylor – and the lives of so many other Black women lost due to our unjust system – matter, and we will not stop raising our voices until we see justice. 

Contact: Press Team, press@now.org,

Released on September 15, 2020

Washington, D.C. — This week, the U.S. House of Representatives will vote on the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act (H.R. 2694), a bill that aims to eliminate discrimination and promote economic security by ensuring reasonable workplace accommodations for those whose ability to perform functions of their job are limited by pregnancy, childcare, and other related medical conditions.   

For decades pregnant people have lost their much-needed jobs and health insurance after asking for reasonable health accommodations from their employers. Workplace discrimination based on pregnancy and related medical conditions disproportionality effects Black, Latinx, and immigrant pregnant workers and is directly linked to the Black Maternal Health crisis. Black women experience maternal mortality rates at three to four times higher than white women, which can be the result of taxing and inflexible work environments, like being asked to lift heavy items while pregnant or being unable to take appropriate time off for prenatal appointments and after labor.   

Activists have worked hard on a local level to protect the rights and safety of pregnant workers. While a number of states including Kentucky, Colorado, New York, and the District of Columbia are considering adopting their own Pregnant Workers Fairness Acts, we must have a national law that enshrines these protections for pregnant workers.  

No one should ever be forced to choose between a paycheck or a healthy pregnancy. NOW calls on the U.S. House of Representatives to pass the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act and for the U.S. Senate to take up this long-overdue bill to protect workers from discrimination and ensure that pregnancy is not a punishment.  

Contact: Press Team, press@now.org,