National Black Women’s Equal Pay Day
July denotes how far into the year Black women must work to be paid what white non-Hispanic men were paid the previous year. The goal of Black Women Equal Pay Day is to raise awareness about the ongoing gender pay gap and how the pay gap varies significantly. Email advocate@payequitycoalition.com to learn more about our activities surrounding Black Women Equal Pay Day, 2026.
Videos of Black Women Equal Pay Day Speakers:
Danielle Ponder | Special Assistant Public Defender — Diversity and Inclusion Officer at Monroe County Public Defender’s Office
Sashanna J. Mitchell | Member of Black Women’s Leadership Forum
Dr. Celia McIntosh | Vice President of Rochester Black Nurses Association
Ernesta Walker | Education Committee Volunteer Citizen Action
Candice A. Lucas, EdD, MBA | DISMANTLE RACISM & SEXISM
⏬ DOWNLOAD Script PDF
Black Women Gender Pay Gap:
The gender pay gap is more than just a statistic – it affects real women and real families. The gender pay gap causes real damages and perpetuates income inequality for women of color. Black/African American women would be making $20,876 more on average each year if there were no gender pay gap. This adds up to 3 year’s worth of food for their families, approximately 9,874 more gallons of gas, or 22 more months of rent each year. This amount of money could allow a Black women and her family to rise above the poverty line or jump from one socioeconomic tier to another.
Each Equal Pay Day represents the amount of time into the NEXT YEAR that a woman in each group would have to work to earn the same amount of money a non-Hispanic white man earned the previous year. For example, for Black women this date is in August or July every year. Black women work almost two-thirds of a year more to earn the salary paid to non-Hispanic white men in one year. It’s similarly inequitable in New York State.
Next Steps
- Do you have a question or comment? Email advocate@payequitycoalition.com.
- Want more information about events and activities? Visit our ACTIVATE page.
- Need to learn how to negotiate a better salary? Visit our EDUCATE page.
- How about joining a coalition of energetic Rochester advocates to help close wage gaps for all women? Email advocate@payequitycoalition.com.
Email advocate@PayEquityCoalition.com
Get ready to take ACTION!
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