NOW Applauds Focus on Communities of Color in “My Brother’s Keeper” Initiative, Urges President Obama to Include Girls and Young Women of Color

The National Organization for Women (NOW) applauds President Obama’s refocusing the nation’s attention, through the “My Brother’s Keeper” initiative, on the deep racial disparities in education, economic well-being, housing and health care facing people of color. At the same time, we share the concerns expressed by over 200 African American men in their letter urging the president to expand this promising initiative to include girls and women of color — who live in the same households, suffer in the same under-resourced schools, and struggle to overcome a common history of limited opportunities caused by various forms of discrimination.

This GOP Senate Candidate’s Company Paid Millions to Women in Discrimination Cases

Molly Redden writes for Mother Jones: “With Republicans trying to avoid a repeat of 2012’s Todd Akin disaster and retake the Senate, the Georgia GOP establishment was happy to see David Perdue, a self-funded businessman, leading in the polls ahead of Tuesday’s Senate primary. Compared to gaffe machines such as Rep. Paul Broun, who has pushed personhood for zygotes, and Rep. Phil Gingrey, who defended Akin’s “legitimate rape” comment, the former Dollar General CEO seemed unlikely to introduce fraught gender issues into the general election—where Michelle Nunn, the likely Democratic nominee, is polling well against the GOP field.”

Are black women MIA in the equal pay debate?

Marjorie Valburn writes for The Washington Post: “Black women are among the lowest paid workers in the United States. In many professions they’re near the bottom of the pay scale. They earn less than white men – on average just 64 cents for every dollar paid to white men – and less than women overall, Read more …

Republicans Plan to Reach Out to Women By Avoiding Facts

“During this election year, you can expect to see a change in tone in many political ads. If you’re wondering if this means that they’ll finally be less dumb, I’m sorry to disappoint; they are, unfortunately, going to get even more dumb, because conservative strategists have decided that the best way to reach ladies is to avoid facts and instead appeal to emotions.”

The Wage Ravine

It’s tempting to look solely at the wage gap and think the only thing keeping men and women from economic parity is 23 cents. We tend to ignore the other ways women, especially LGBTQ-identified women, women of color, and LGBTQ-identified women of color, are saddled with undo economic burdens because complication is hard.