Equal Pay Day symbolizes how far into the year women would have to work, on average, in order to match what men earned the previous year. In other words, women have to work an extra 83 days into 2021, on average, in order to get paid the same amount of money a man made in 2020. But the keyword here is “average.” 

When you break the gender pay gap down by race and ethnicity, it's even wider for Black women, Indigenous women, and Latina women. To put it into perspective, this year Equal Pay Day for Black women is on August 3rd, on September 8th for Indigenous Women, and on October 21 for Latinas. Although the gender pay gap is narrower for Asian American and Pacific Islander women, AAPI Equal Pay Day—which fell on March 9th this year—was still 68 days further from December 31 than it should be.

At our Equal Pay Day Summit presented by Mastercard, we hosted a thoughtful discussion on pay equity with Blake Gifford, an attorney and content creator, Kameron Monet, an attorney and content creator, Kelly Joscelyne, the chief talent officer at Mastercard, and Brenda J. Schamy, partner and co-founder of DiSchino & Schamy, PLLC.

ICYMI, we’ve jotted down all the mic-drop-worthy moments for you, but if you’re still experiencing FOMO, you can join C&C Insiders to get access to all of the workshops, mentor sessions, panels, and keynotes from our Equal Pay Day Summit and all of our past events. (Yes, you read that correctly!).

On knowing your worth…

“If you don’t know your worth (and you should), then research it. Research your value so that you truly know your worth.” — Kelly Joscelyne

“Ask other people. No one wants to talk about money, no one wants to talk about pay. Let's talk about it. Let's bring it to the forefront.” — Kameron Monet

“Employers bank on you not talking about [your salary with your coworkers], because it helps them to hide their hands. Talk about it.” — Blake Gifford

“Make friends at work. Networking is everything. Chase relationships and the checks will come.” — Brenda J. Schamy

On negotiating your salary…

“Negotiating is not a negative it’s a healthy business practice.” — Kameron Monet

“Come in first and come in firm. It anchors the conversation in your favor.” — Blake Gifford

“Know your worth and always have a counter offer.” — Kelly Joscelyne

“Be creative in your negotiations and think outside the box. There's no such thing as no deal if you want it.” — Brenda J. Schamy

On cultivating your dream career…

“You belong in every room you are you're in.” — Blake Gifford

“What’s for you is for you, no matter how much value you give to other people it’s never going to interfere with what’s for you.” — Kameron Monet

“Do anything you want. Reach for it.” — Kelly Joscelyne

“Try it.” — Brenda J. Schamy

On the best money books to read…

“The Confidence Code: The Science and Art of Self-Assurance—What Women Should Know by Katty Kay and Claire Shipman.” — Kelly Joscelyne

“You Are a Badass at Making Money by Jen Sincero.” — Kameron Monet

“Money Diaries by Lindsey Stanberry.— Blake Gifford

“Wise Guy by Guy Kawasaki.” — Brenda J. Schamy

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