Restaurant workers are among the groups most likely to earn minimum wage, which in Mississippi is $7.25 an hour. It was last changed in 2008, when it was raised $0.70 from $6.55. (Joshua Resnick/Adobe Stock)

In observance of Martin Luther King Junior Day, there’s a call to action to address the persistent wage disparity between Black women and their counterparts in the United States.

Black women were paid, on average, 64% of what white men were paid in 2021 – according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Economic injustice is a pressing issue — particularly in states like Mississippi, where the minimum wage is still $7.25 an hour.

Professional caterer and the owner of Heart2Heart Catering and Vending, Lillian Travis, said she thanks Dr. King for his insights and fight for fair living wages — but emphasizes the fight for economic justice is far from over.

“My background is restaurants, and I know for a fact that we are at the bottom of the totem pole,” said Travis. “Even in the catering business, people tend to give us Black women the lower bids, the lower-paying jobs.”

In 2022, the Mississippi Legislature passed the Equal Pay for Equal Work Act, to ensure men and women are paid equally for the same work.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, over 100,000 people work in foodservice in Mississippi.

Travis said she’s hopeful that Restaurant Opportunities Center — or ‘ROC’ United — can help with the quest for better wages and working conditions in foodservice, and access to health care.

The group is advocating for a Restaurant Workers’ Bill of Rights, now in Congress. Travis pointed out that in the restaurant business, most workers still don’t have access to paid sick leave.

“Do you know that the restaurant industry is one of the only industries that does not have insurance, paid time off, or any type of benefits are available for employees nationwide,” said Travis, “unless the owners want to do that.”

She added that foodservice workers were greatly affected by the pandemic — and even now, some still can’t afford to miss work when they are ill, which puts public health at risk.

She said she hopes the New Year will bring new attention to these issues and galvanize change in the industry.