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CIVIC ENGAGEMENT EMPOWERING NEWS

Organization hosts special screening of “The Little Mermaid” in Pearl

Organizers rented two screens and were able to give out more than 170 tickets. They said the screening was important not only because Halle Bailey was starring in the movie, but the film helps provide representation for Black girls.

“Representation is the most important thing, and to know that a Black girl is going to be our representation, to know that little girls can live up to a princess like that is a very great thing,” said Hollye Weekes, found of Digital Weekes, LLC.

Source: WJTV News 12

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CIVIC ENGAGEMENT EMPOWERING EMPOWERING POLICY NEWS

Women’s rights activists claim Mississippi’s equal pay bill furthers the gender pay gap

Women make around 82% of what men make in the same job according to a recent national study by Pew Research. The Equal Pay for Equal Work act of 2022 was passed by the Mississippi legislature to address the state’s lack of an equal pay bill. But the Mississippi Black Women’s Round Table says lawmakers need to remove language that carves out several exceptions for wage discrimination. Executive Director Cassandra Welchlin says it allows employers to use pay history and employment gaps as justification for unequal wages.

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CIVIC ENGAGEMENT NEWS

MS Black Women’s Roundtable encourages voter registration

Excerpt from WJTV–Leaders with the MS Black Women’s Roundtable hosted several sites across the state, including the campuses of Jackson State University(JSU) and Tougaloo College. Their voter registration tables for students included voter information.

They said it’s important for the youth to understand the importance of voter registration and that their votes matter.

Toni Johnson, Civic Engagement for MS Black Women’s Roundtable, said the organization will start a youth program called ‘Black Youth Vote.’ The youth are provided with training on the importance of voting and breaking down how voting connects to community solutions.