Recognizing the significance of equal pay and the disparity in wages paid to men and to Black women.
This is a House Concurrent Resolution recognizing the importance of equal pay and highlighting the persistent wage gap affecting Black women compared with White, non-Hispanic men. It notes existing federal anti-discrimination laws (the Equal Pay Act and Title VII of the Civil Rights Act) and documents substantial disparities: Black women working full-time year-round earn about 66 cents for every dollar earned by White, non-Hispanic men (64 cents when including part-time workers). The measure emphasizes earning losses over a lifetime, the broad social and economic costs of the gap, and the ways discrimination and workplace factors (like harassment and lack of family-friendly policies) contribute to the disparity. It designates July 10, 2025 as Black Women’s Equal Pay Day and reiterates Congress’s commitment to equal pay for equal work and to narrowing the gender wage gap. As a concurrent resolution, it expresses the sense of Congress but does not itself create new legal rights or obligations.
Key Points
- 1Designation: July 10, 2025 is observed as Black Women’s Equal Pay Day to raise awareness of the wage gap affecting Black women.
- 2Legal framework cited: Reaffirms the Equal Pay Act (prohibiting pay discrimination for equal work based on sex) and the Civil Rights Act (prohibiting compensation discrimination based on race, color, religion, national origin, or sex).
- 3Wage gap data: Black women earned 66 cents for every dollar of White, non-Hispanic men in full-time, year-round work (64 cents when including part-time/part-year workers); the gap is framed as a barrier to economic progress and opportunity.
- 4Impacts and causes: Highlights that the wage gap reduces lifetime earnings, affects wealth accumulation, and is tied to factors such as childcare access, paid leave, workplace harassment, and wage-transparency issues; notes Black women are often sole or primary breadwinners.
- 5Congressional intent: Not a new law, but a statement of support and a call to address equal pay and reduce the gender wage gap through multifaceted policy approaches.