[link removed] [[link removed]]

Fighting for gender justice in the courts, in public policy, and in our society.
Justice for her. Justice for all.
[link removed] [[link removed]]
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 can no longer ignore the Black women who paved the way for us to create the robust child care system we have today.
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 [[link removed]] 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
[[link removed]]
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
[[link removed]]
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.
[[link removed]]
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
DONATE [[link removed]]
[link removed] [[link removed]] [link removed] [[link removed]] [link removed] [[link removed]] [link removed] [[link removed]]
Please forward this email to your friends and co-workers and encourage them to sign up to receive NWLC emails in their own inboxes. [[link removed]]
Privacy Policy [[link removed]] | unsubscribe: [link removed]
National Women's Law Center
11 Dupont Circle NW, Suite 800
Washington, DC 20036
United States