The first time I realized I was being paid less than my white coworkers was back in the 90's when I worked at Sam Goody. There was no clear explanation for it and I ended up shrugging my shoulders. Subsequent jobs followed and I continued to shrug my shoulders and coughed it up to a plethora of reasons. Experience. Education. Nepotism. Yadda yadda yadda. The truth is the hiring managers and salary decision makers didn't care about doing what was right or fair and I was too desensitized to even realize what was happening.
Then I got a job in the dental field where I knew I was being underpaid and undervalued. When I was hired I was one of two black employees in the department and the only black female. After 6 years nothing had changed. I heard about what others with less experience, education and hue were making and it began to anger me. But what was I supposed to do?
Today, I'm at a different company and my salary is way too low for my qualifications. But again, what do I do? I need to work. I need to pay my bills. It's nice to see celebrities with their posts talking about equal pay but where do you go from there? What's a hashtag without action? Awareness means nothing without results. So as I contemplate picking up a third job y'all go head and fight a losing cause......
Signed,
Embattled Underpaid Black Woman