“What is happening? This is a posting for the same job as mine and it pays $10,000 more than I make?” That is the question I posed to my supervisor more than 20 years ago as a young Black female lawyer in what was considered a high-paying job in New York City. There was no good answer given, so I applied for the job. This was the first time I discovered the issue of pay inequity for Black women, and unfortunately, I went on to discover many examples throughout my career.

Recent immigration policies, including the separation and detention of families entering at the U.S.-Mexico border and the Attorney General’s decision to deny asylum to victims of domestic violence, reinforce existing inequalities that disproportionately impact immigrant women.

I remember coming home after having dinner with a male friend and being asked by my mother: “Did he pay the bill?”

“No, we split it. Why would he?” I asked.

My mother just shook her head. “He’s no good.”