| I am an enemy. No, I am not flying planes into buildings. I am not harboring Osama Bin Laden. My name does not appear on some no-fly list. Why then, you might ask, am I an enemy? And of whom?
I am a woman. I am the enemy of a country and state that is run by white men. After 36 years, I finally get it.
Louisiana HB 705 was defeated 59-33 today. This bill, introduced by Rep. Barbara Norton, D-Shreveport, would have banned employers in Louisiana from paying workers in a way that discriminates based on gender. Named the "Equal Pay for Women Act," this bill sought to address Louisiana's wage gap, one of the largest in the nation. A woman 25 years or older makes an average of 65 cents for every dollar that a man makes in Louisiana.
After a Master's degree in Urban Studies and countless hours of reading sociological theories of race in this country, I sometimes forget that I too am oppressed and devalued (65 cents on a dollar, to be exact) as a white woman. No, it is not the same thing, but it is something. At this low point of realization, however, a fire sparks within me. My studies and real life converge. Add the people of color and women and I will tell what the sum is: a majority
What are you afraid of, white men? Afraid that we will put an end to your reign? Afraid that we will stop birthing your sons and meet you at the water cooler? Afraid that we will call you into our offices and break that news that cuts have to be made? Yes, be afraid..... |
