The Women’s Economic Institute Hosts 2019 Black Women’s Equal Pay Forum
Phoenix, Arizona – August 12, 2019 — TODAY — The Women’s Economic Institute, Inc.,
(The WEI) hosts 2 nd Annual Black Women’s Equal Pay Forum Sunday, August 25, 2019 at
the AC Biltmore Hotel, Phoenix, AZ, 2:00PM to 6:00PM. Free and Open to the public. Doors
open at 1:45PM.
Across the nation Black women’s unemployment rates are higher than any other group of
women. That’s across every industry in every profession despite leading in academic
degrees. White women earn 87 cents for every dollar earned by white, non-Hispanic males,
while Black women, facing both the race and gender income gap, earn anywhere from 43-
63 cents. That means Black women have to work almost eight months into 2019 (August
22, 2019) to earn what white males made on December 31, 2018. Something’s wrong with
that picture.—Charlene Tarver Founder and Executive Director of The Women’s Economic
Institute (“The WEI”)
According to the National Women’s Law Center, the silver lining here is that high unemployment
rates coupled with low wages have created a ripe environment for Black women-owned
businesses, which are growing at six times the national average.
Black Women’s Equal Pay Day is a national movement to create awareness around the
wealth and income gaps impacting Black women and communities of color; creating
systemic, multi-generational poverty. The Phoenix Forum (held August 25 th ) will engage
our local community on the issues of fair wages, equal pay, and resources/incentives for
Black women entrepreneurs. Panelists include human resource professionals Audrey Bell
Jenkins, Ashlee Atkins, and TJ Lowery. A second panel will include commentary on wage
equality with Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego, Tempe Vice Mayor Lauren Kuby, Jodi Ligett
formerly of Planned Parenthood, and Secretary of State Katie Hobbs. For more information
on the 2019 Black Women’s Equal Pay Forum or to get your FREE ticket go to Eventbrite at
https://2019blackwomenspayday.eventbrite.com4
The Women’s Economic Institute, Inc is a 501(c)(3) founded to examine systemic poverty, provide
workforce training, offer technical assistance to women entrepreneurs, and develop economic
policy. Visit us on the web at https://womenseconomicinstitute.com.
This article originally appeared in The Arizona Informant.</em
