Dear John,

Today is Juneteenth, a day when we commemorate emancipation and Black history. Throughout American history, Black women have been the backbone of working economies and have centered care. Often, Black women have done thankless care work as they have tended to our homes, our communities, and our children, many times at a disadvantage to their own livelihood and families.

As we commemorate Juneteenth, we honor the work of the Black women whose work has made all other work possible, even as they’ve gone without fair compensation for too long.

The history of child care in the United States is rooted in the exploitation of Black women, beginning with the institution of chattel slavery, which forced Black women to nurse and care for children of white landowners, even to the detriment of their own children. Following the end of slavery, work options were restricted for Black women, immigrant women, and other women of color to child care and other domestic jobs. This racist, sexist history has led to an undervaluing of care work.

Today, women—disproportionately Black women and other women of color—make up 94 percent of the child care field. Most child care workers are paid poorly, with nearly 17 percent living below the poverty line: around $22,000 for a family of three. Yet, like our We Are the Backbone campaign illustrates, these women, despite the hardships of the pandemic and their daily lives, continue to enrich our communities and positively impact our children’s lives. 

It is time to reflect on the history of the first Black domestic workers and focus on present day providers. This Juneteenth, let’s honor our past and present-day Black child care providers and invest in their future by valuing the work they do.

Here’s what you can do:

• Tell Congress to invest in $700 billion for child care so that families don’t pay more than 7% of their income for child care.
• If you're in D.C. this summer, check out our portraits by photographer Lloyd Foster of child care providers in D.C., Maryland, and Virginia. These portraits, as part of the We Are the Backbone campaign, are an ode to the unrecognized heroes that hold us up every day. Take a selfie and share with the hashtag #WeAreTheBackbone.
• Share Your Story of Care. It is time to value child care and the women—disproportionately Black and other women of color—who provide it. Share your story with elected officials to highlight the importance of increased investments in child care in this country.

Child care providers have long been unrecognized and undervalued, but they are the true everyday heroes that keep our communities afloat. So today, on Juneteenth, take a moment to honor our past and present-day Black child care providers. Together we can show the country that child care is essential.

Sincerely,

May Amoyaw
she/her/hers
Senior Manager, Campaigns for Income Security and Child Care
National Women's Law Center