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** The Raise the Wage Act would lift up Black workers and their families ([link removed])
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** What’s happening
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“Where justice is denied, where poverty is enforced, where ignorance prevails, and where any one class is made to feel that society is an organized conspiracy to oppress, rob and degrade them, neither persons nor property will be safe,” said Frederick Douglass in a speech he gave in 1886 ([link removed]) , on the 24th anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation. His birthday was commemorated on Sunday, and his words about derailing racial inequality should be commemorated at this moment, when the nation faces a decision that can help level the playing field for Black Americans.

The right to a living wage is before Congress now—in the form of the Raise the Wage Act, which would raise the federal minimum wage to $15 an hour by 2025. The current minimum wage—$7.25 an hour—is far short of a living wage. Because Black workers make up a disproportionate share of workers who are severely underpaid, a minimum wage increase would powerfully benefit these workers and their families and communities.
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Raise the minimum wage to $15 ([link removed])
The minimum wage hasn't been raised in over a decade, and it has lost 18% of its value during that time. Minimum wage expert Ben Zipperer explains why we need to raise the wage to $15, eliminate the $2.13 tipped minimum wage, and automatically increase the wage with inflation. Watch the video » ([link removed])

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** Raise the minimum wage to $15
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** What we’re talking about
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Full COVID recovery requires raising the minimum wage ([link removed])
EPI’s Heidi Shierholz wrote for The Hill: "Due to occupational segregation, discrimination and other factors related to structural racism and sexism, Black and Hispanic workers and women remain concentrated in low-wage jobs." Read the op-ed » ([link removed])
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U.S. trade deficit hits record high in 2020 ([link removed])
The rapid growth of U.S. trade deficits reflects the combined effects of the COVID-19 crisis, which caused U.S. exports to fall more than imports, and by the persistent failure of U.S. trade and exchange rate policies over the past two decades. The Biden administration must prioritize rebuilding domestic manufacturing. Read the blog post » ([link removed])

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EPI applauds the reintroduction of the FAIR Act ([link removed])
Last week, the House of Representatives introduced the Forced Arbitration Injustice Repeal (FAIR) Act ([link removed]) which eliminates forced arbitration in employment, consumer, antitrust, and civil rights disputes. Congress must pass this critical piece of legislation to ensure workers are able to enforce their rights and are not barred from bringing their employer to court. Read the statement » ([link removed])


** Upcoming webinar
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Achieving Economic and Racial Justice for Black Workers: Policy Priorities for 2021 and Beyond ([link removed])
Join EPI’s Program on Race, Ethnicity, and the Economy (PREE) for a webinar discussing specific policies for recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic and overcoming longstanding racial disparities in the labor market. Register for the event » ([link removed])


** Previous webinar
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Actions the Biden administration and Congress can take to better protect farmworkers ([link removed])
EPI hosted a webinar highlighting an EPI report ([link removed]) on how efforts to protect the wages and working conditions of U.S. farmworkers and temporary migrant farmworkers with H-2A visas have failed. Watch the video » ([link removed])
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** What we’re reading and listening to
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The Reason Black History Month is in February ([link removed])
Every February, we celebrate a special holiday. And no, I'm not talking about Valentine's Day. I'm referring to the 28 (or 29) days we dedicate to honoring Black History Month, our nation's way of showing respect and recognition for the hard work of and sacrifices made by African Americans. Read more » ([link removed])

American Democracy Is Only 55 Years Old—And Hanging by a Thread ([link removed])
You were born on July 9, 1964, in Greenwood, Mississippi, delivered into the cradle of white supremacy. Listening to the stories of terror and hope woven into the story of your birth used to frighten me. Read more » ([link removed])
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Black workers should have the right to a living wage
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