Civil rights leader speaks to Democrats

Lilly Ledbetter, an advocate for equal pay for women, spoke at the Chester County Democratic Women’s Leadership Initiative

Lilly Ledbetter, a civil rights and labor leader advocating for equal pay for women, spoke in Downingtown.

Lilly Ledbetter, a civil rights and labor leader advocating for equal pay for women, spoke at the Chester County Democratic Women’s Leadership Initiative at their Sept. 11 fall gala in Downingtown.

Ledbetter dedicated her life advocating and fighting for equal pay for women, a cause she began championing after she lost a legal suit with Goodyear Tire and Rubber Co., where she received less pay than her lowest paid male counterpart. The case traveled to the United States Supreme Court, which eventually ruled against her in a 5-4 vote because she filed the claim more

180 days past her first paycheck.

“I consider myself a great winner, to be a great loser,” she said in an interview with the Daily Local News prior to her speech, referencing the progress made toward equal pay since the Supreme Court made its verdict in 2007.

“Ms. Ledbetter’s amazing story inspired guests and challenged them to do their part to research the candidates and their positions, so that they can make informed decisions when casting their vote in November,” wrote Michele Vaughn, co-founder of the leadership initiative. “Lilly Ledbetter’s remarks shed a spotlight on the ongoing and often unrecognized struggle that women continue to face in our society whether in the workplace or in the public arena.”

SUBMITTED PHOTOS Lilly Ledbetter, a civil rights and labor leader advocating for equal pay for women, spoke at the Chester County Democratic Women’s Leadership Initiative at their fall gala.

Lilly Ledbetter mingles with attendees at the Chester County Democratic Women’s Leadership Initiative at their Sept. 11 fall gala in Downingtown.