Thank You Lilly Ledbetter, Equal Pay Champion, 4/14/34–10/12/24

Issue 275 — October 14, 2024

I was so sad to learn of the death of Lilly Ledbetter, a leader of the movement for pay equity. She was moved by her own story to fight for equal pay regardless of gender first for herself, and then for all women.

After learning that her pay had been for years substantially less than male coworkers doing the same job, Lilly became the plaintiff in the United States Supreme Court case Ledbetter v. Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co, suing on the basis of employment discrimination.

While she had won in lower courts, the SCOTUS ruled against her, claiming she had brought suit after the law’s time limitations, Lilly’s impact through her activism became a nationwide movement.

Condolences to Lilly’s family. What a loss and what a life. Those of us who had the opportunity to meet Lilly Ledbetter in person were blessed.

One solace is that she lived to know the story of her fight for #equalpay will be immortalized in the film “Lilly” thanks to the vision and tenacity of director Rachel Feldman and producer Jyoti Sarda.

All of us must be grateful for the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, the first bill President Barack Obama signed into law.

May we all use our voices and power for the greater good like Lilly.

You can watch the video of my interview with Lilly where she tells her story in her own voice, or listen to the podcast version of that interview here.

Award winning actress Patricia Clarkson plays Lilly in the film that is currently being screened at film festivals around the country. Watch for it in your area and let’s help this important story get to commercial theaters everywhere. Point of pride: Rachel and Jyoti met when both participated in Take The Lead’s #50WomenCan Change the World in Media and Entertainment. Such is the power of the cohort.

We can honor Lilly by pressing the fight for equal pay until women reach full pay parity.