Serena Williams pens essay on how black women can close pay gap

Monday July 31 is Black Women’s Equal Pay Day. The day is set aside to reflect on the fact that it would take a black woman working eight months longer to catch up to the amount a man earns in the same position. As Serena Williams, famed tennis star and soon-to-be mother, writes it, “Black women are 37 cents behind men in the pay gap—in other words, for every dollar a man makes, black women make 63 cents.” Not only do women of color have to catch up to men, writes Serena, they also have to compete with other women. Williams writes that black women earn 17% less than white women. “Growing up, I was told I couldn’t accomplish my dreams because I was a woman and, more so, because of the color of my skin,”writes Serena in an opinion piece published in “Fortune.” “In every stage of my life, I’ve had to learn to stand up for myself and speak out.”She continued by pointing out that her tennis success has given her financial security but that this day “isn’t about me .” “It’s about the other 24 million black women in America. If I never picked up a tennis racket, I would be one of them; that is never lost on me.”To celebrate the day, Serena said she is partnering with SurveyMonkey to learn more about how Americans perceive the gender pay gap. According to her findings … Sixty-nine percent of black women perceive a pay gap, while just 44% of white men recognize the issue.Nearly two-thirds of black women say that major obstacles remain for women in the workplace.In addition to gender, black women see obstacles to racial equality: three-quarters of black women workers say there are still significant hurdles holding back minorities.Still, some black women remain optimistic: more than 43% of black millennial women believe men and women have equal opportunities for promotion.READ HER ENTIRE ESSAY HERESerena ends the article with this profound quote, "Black women: Be fearless. Speak out for equal pay. Every time you do, you’re making it a little easier for a woman behind you. Most of all, know that you’re worth it. It can take a long time to realize that. It took me a long time to realize it. But we are all worth it. "

Monday July 31 is Black Women’s Equal Pay Day.

The day is set aside to reflect on the fact that it would take a black woman working eight months longer to catch up to the amount a man earns in the same position.

As Serena Williams, famed tennis star and soon-to-be mother, writes it, “Black women are 37 cents behind men in the pay gap—in other words, for every dollar a man makes, black women make 63 cents.”

Not only do women of color have to catch up to men, writes Serena, they also have to compete with other women. Williams writes that black women earn 17% less than white women.

“Growing up, I was told I couldn’t accomplish my dreams because I was a woman and, more so, because of the color of my skin,” “In every stage of my life, I’ve had to learn to stand up for myself and speak out.”

She continued by pointing out that her tennis success has given her financial security but that this day “isn’t about me [her].”

“It’s about the other 24 million black women in America. If I never picked up a tennis racket, I would be one of them; that is never lost on me.”

To celebrate the day, Serena said she is partnering with SurveyMonkey to learn more about how Americans perceive the gender pay gap. According to her findings …

Sixty-nine percent of black women perceive a pay gap, while just 44% of white men recognize the issue.
Nearly two-thirds of black women say that major obstacles remain for women in the workplace.
In addition to gender, black women see obstacles to racial equality: three-quarters of black women workers say there are still significant hurdles holding back minorities.
Still, some black women remain optimistic: more than 43% of black millennial women believe men and women have equal opportunities for promotion.

Serena ends the article with this profound quote, "Black women: Be fearless. Speak out for equal pay. Every time you do, you’re making it a little easier for a woman behind you. Most of all, know that you’re worth it. It can take a long time to realize that. It took me a long time to realize it. But we are all worth it. "

��vlog