By Flynn Demapendan
Lilly Ledbetter—who is known as a women’s equality activist who fought for fair pay and led the passage of the inspirational Fair Pay Act of 2009—passed away on October 12 at 86 years old. Her passing was confirmed by her Speaking Manager, Jodi Solomon.
It was stated that Ledbetter passed away peacefully and was surrounded by her family and loved ones. “Our mother lived an extraordinary life. We truly appreciate your respect for our privacy during this time of grief,” said Ledbetter’s family.
Ledbetter’s activism changed the course for workers who receive less pay than they deserve. Ledbetter pursued a legal fight against the issue of equity pay for ten years, starting in 1998.
It all started when Ledbetter was hired to be a supervisor at a tire plant in Alabama for the company Goodyear in 1979. Years later, she discovered through an anonymous note that she was getting less pay than her male co-workers who worked in the same position.
“When I saw that, it took my breath away. I felt humiliated. I felt degraded,” said Ledbetter in an interview with NPR in 2009. In 11 months, she retired from her job and filed a gender discrimination lawsuit against the company in 1999.
Ledbetter won the lawsuit in 2003 and was awarded more than $3 million, but this amount was reduced to $300,000 due to a statutory cap and $60,000 in back pay. Goodyear appealed the decision to the Supreme Court, stating that Ledbetter could only win the damages or back pay for the 180 days that were prior to the filing of her claim.
In 2007, the high court agreed in a 5-4 ruling, which resulted in Congress passing the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of 2009. This act amended the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which allows workers to “obtain relief, including recovery of back pay, for up to two years preceding the filing of the charge.” The President at the time, Barack Obama, signed and passed the bill.
Ledbetter was honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award for her activism on equal pay. Lilly Ledbetter has been recognized as an advocate who pushed the topic of pay equity, and her backstory continues to inspire many others to stand up.
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