18-04-2025
Life of equal pay advocate Lilly Ledbetter portrayed in film
JACKSONVILLE, Ala. (WIAT) — Lilly Ledbetter's fight for equal pay for women started in her hometown of Jacksonville, Alabama. Decades later that fight hasn't been forgotten, and, in 2025, it's being dramatized in the film 'Lilly.'
An exclusive screening of the film drew Jacksonville State University students and the community to the Stone Center Theatre on Thursday.
Ledbetter, who died in October 2024, was the first woman to work in a management position at a Good Year Tire Plant starting in 1979. Ledbetter spent nearly 19 years working at the plant, making significantly less than her male colleagues.
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After filing a lawsuit, and facing several setbacks, her case reached the U.S Supreme Court where she ultimately lost.
Despite this, Ledbetter persevered and former President Barack Obama signed the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act into legislation in 2009.
Some who attended Thursday's screening said Ledbetter's fight is inspiring to see on the big screen.
'It's very inspiring to see someone who grew up on Possum Trot Road take their case all the way to the Supreme Court and then beyond, with congress and President Obama's Fair Pay Act. So we're very excited, again to celebrate that legacy that didn't just impact our community, it impacted the nation,' said Rock Executive Director at the Randy Owen's Center Emily Duncan.
The film is set to be released on May 9.
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