#TBT: President Kennedy Takes Action On The Pay Gap

     On June 10th, 1963, President John F. Kennedy made history with the signing of the Equal Pay Act, which recognized that women at the time were being paid 61 cents for every dollar a man made and set about aiding the American economy and its women by ending this gap.

     Did it ultimately end the wage gap? No. Women today make 82 cents for every dollar a man makes. However, this was the first time female workers being discriminated against had the government on their side, and it paved the way for all the landmark progress that followed, including the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of 2009, the first law signed by President Obama and one that expanded the legal recourse for women.

     The pay gap has been reduced by nearly 60 percent over the course of 60 years, and today is a day to remember the progress that has been made and continue to take action until this gross injustice is nothing more than a piece of history.