Recently, I attended a lecture on
campus where Lilly Ledbetter was the keynote speaker. If you’re not sure who
Ledbetter is, here is her life story in a few paragraphs.
Ledbetter grew up in a working
class family and she wanted more for herself. In 1979, Ledbetter was hired as a
supervisor at the Goodyear Tire Plant in Gadsden, Alabama. In a position mainly
occupied by males, Ledbetter faced daily discrimination.
After 19 years working for
Goodyear, Ledbetter received an anonymous letter revealing that she had been
making thousands less each year than men in her position. When Ledbetter filed
a sex discrimination suit, Ledbetter lost her case when the court ruled that she
should have filed suit within 180 days of her first unequal paycheck.
Since
then, Ledbetter has been hurdling through Congress, pushing for change and
advocating for equality in the workplace. In 2009, Ledbetter’s work paid off
when President Obama and Congress passed the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act. This
new act now allows anyone to bring suit against discrimination up to 180 days
after any paycheck that shows unequal pay.
As
a female about to enter the workforce, this was an eye opener for me. Inequality in
the work force is far from gone and it doesn’t stop at sex, it’s also an issue
for minorities. Ledbetter showed us all that anyone, in any position, could
truly make a difference.
This
week, the hurdle I want everyone to try and jump is the hurdle that prevents us
from making a difference. We may all want change, but we get caught up in life
and expect others to do the work for us. Let’s make an effort to push for that
change. Write that letter, call up that congressman, vote in the next election
and know your surroundings. Learn the issues and understand them.
This is pretty cool post. It's very different from the type of posting you've been doing so far, and I think it's a great move for you. I like the original content as well, but this was a good branch to examine too. The confidence in the tone and voice in this post is really strong; it has an immediacy and prevalence that really resounds in the message. Kudos. It's also a different subject matter as this is the first that you've discussed a really political topic. I think it's a great move on your part. Some of the really huge hurdles that we're facing as a generation are political ones that will affect us and our country for years to come. It's a bold change, but it's very prevalent and effective. Great post.
ReplyDeleteI think it's great that you incorporated a campus event into your post! Ledbetter's amazing story really works well with your overall theme. I'm disappointed that I wasn't able to see her presentation, but your post provided a great summary of her struggle against the issues that have confined so many. I also like that you added a challenge to your readers at the end. I'd love to hear about more "hurdling" examples from current events and politics.
ReplyDeleteYour writing is very strong in this post! I also like how you switched things up and decided to use a different subject matter for your piece. I like that your post also had a strong theme behind it having to do with change. Strong post!
ReplyDeleteOne minor thing, I don't know if it's just me but when I go to your blog I'm not brought to your most recent post, I'm brought to your first post. I have no trouble finding your most recent post, but I know we were supposed to have it with the most recent being first. Other than that I think you're doing a great job on your blog so far.
You did an excellent job with this post. Not only did it relate to "hurdling through life," but it also taught me a lot. I had no idea who Lilly Ledbetter was before reading this post. I think you did an awesome job and I really enjoyed the different style of this post. I love the conclusion paragraph as well. I really enjoyed that you left the reader thinking about hurdling a current problem we are facing and to help do something for the community as a whole. Great job.
ReplyDeleteP.S.-I am still having the same problem as Emily, that I cannot see your most recent post when coming to your page. It is easy to find the most recent post, but for people who do not know where to look, it could become a problem.
Being a male, I can't relate as well as the other members of our group, but I can empathize with you. It is an interesting idea to make the hurdle something somebody else overcame, and then talking about how you want to follow in her footsteps. Taking yourself out of the post as much as you did was a good move this week.
ReplyDeleteI echo that I can't see your most recent post. Can you try to fix it?
~Sammy
NOTE: Blog has been reinstalled on ANGEL. If that doesn't solve the problem, then it's the blog settings. --Donna Steiner
ReplyDelete