Lilly Ledbetter & the Fair Pay Act

Lilly Ledbetter, whose landmark lawsuit against Goodyear Tire & Rubber led to the Fair Pay Act of 2009, passed away on Saturday, October 12, 2024. Hired in 1970, Ledbetter initially earned the same as her male colleagues, but over time her pay fell behind, which she only discovered in 1998 through an anonymous note. Despite workplace policies that discouraged salary discussions, she decided to fight the pay discrimination sparking a legal battle that brought her fight to the Supreme Court. Unfortunately, they ruled in favor of Goodyear saying that she filed her lawsuit too late. 

Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg's dissenting opinion motivated Lilly Ledbetter to take her pay discrimination case to Congress.

This painting celebrates President Obama's landmark legislation and the first bill he signed into law. The law was the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of 2009, and it extended the time frame for workers to file pay discrimination claims by resetting the 180-day limit with each discriminatory paycheck.

Ledbetter never actually received compensation for the gap in pay, but her fight paved the way to further empower women in the workplace. Which is exactly what I chose to celebrate in this painting.

I was incredibly inspired by Obama's first act as president because it was a stark difference to the law President Geoge W. Bush's first signed as President: The Economic Growth and Tax Relief Act signed in 2001 which was intended to stimulate the economy but disproportionately benefited the wealthiest individuals.

I sent prints of these paintings to a friend, Yosi Sergeant, who said he would "pass them around the office." 

Unbeknownst to me at the time, he happened to be working in the Obama Administration with Valerie Jarrett's office at the White House.

Since then, I have gone forward in life with the assumption that my artwork has been displayed in the White House.

Although I can't officially confirm this, I would love to hear someone prove me right (or wrong.)

To see more of my work, or to purchase a print of this painting, visit my store!