Lilly Ledbetter's memoir author reacts to her death

3 months ago 3

13 NEWS AT SIX STARTS NOW. EQUAL PAY IN THIS COUNTRY IS FOR THE FAMILY. IT’S AN AMERICAN, RIGHT? IT SHOULD BE EVERYBODY THAT UNDERSTANDS IT. THE WORLD MOURNING THE LOSS OF EQUAL PAY. ACTIVIST LILLY LEDBETTER, WHO DIED THIS WEEKEND AT THE AGE OF 86. THANKS SO MUCH FOR JOINING US HERE AT 6:00. I’M BRITTANY DECKER I’M GUY RAWLINGS LEDBETTER WAS A WIFE AND MOTHER WORKING AS AN AREA MANAGER AT THE GOODYEAR TIRE PLANT IN GADSDEN. WHEN SHE FOUND OUT SHE WAS MAKING LESS MONEY THAN HER MALE COUNTERPARTS, THE DISCOVERY WOULD TAKE THE JACKSONVILLE NATIVE ON A JOURNEY ALL THE WAY TO THE NATION’S HIGHEST COURT AND END WITH PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA SIGNING INTO LAW A BILL NAMED IN HER HONOR. OUR WVTM 13 LISA CRANE IS JOINING US NOW HERE IN STUDIO TONIGHT WITH HOW ALABAMA IS REMEMBERING HER GRACE AND GRIT. YOU SPOKE WITH THE AUTHOR WHO REALLY IMMORTALIZED LILLY’S STORY. LISA. YEAH, AND WHAT AN AWESOME TASK. LANIER ISOM HAD HAD WITH THAT. SHE’S A LOCAL AUTHOR WHO HAD THE HONOR OF WRITING LILLY LEDBETTER’S MEMOIR, AND SHE SAYS LEDBETTER CHOSE HER BECAUSE SHE WANTED A SOUTHERN WRITER, AND THAT WAS 15 YEARS AGO. SHE HAD NO IDEA THEN HOW MUCH LILLY LEDBETTER WOULD CHANGE HER LIFE. SHE LOVED THIS PICTURE. LANIER ISOM SPENT THREE YEARS WITH LILLY LEDBETTER RESEARCHING, INTERVIEWING, AND WRITING HER MEMOIR TITLED GRACE AND GRIT MY FIGHT FOR EQUAL PAY AND FAIRNESS AT GOODYEAR AND BEYOND. ISOM SAYS SHE STARTED WITH THE GOAL OF ANSWERING ONE IMPORTANT QUESTION LILLY GREW UP IN A HOUSE WITHOUT RUNNING WATER OR ELECTRICITY. SHE HAD ONLY A HIGH SCHOOL EDUCATION, SO WHY IS SHE THE PERSON WHO HAS A LAW NAMED AFTER HER? WHEN THIS IS A UNIVERSAL PROBLEM? LEDBETTER STARTED WITH A LAWSUIT AGAINST HER EMPLOYER, GOODYEAR. SHE WON AND WAS AWARDED ALMOST $4 MILLION IN BACK PAY AND DAMAGES, BUT THE VERDICT WAS OVERTURNED ON APPEAL. SHE NEVER RECEIVED ANY MONEY FROM GOODYEAR, BUT SHE DIDN’T STOP FIGHTING FOR OTHERS. LILLY NEVER GAVE UP. SHE BELIEVED IN DOING THE RIGHT THING. SHE BELIEVED IN FIGHTING FOR THE RIGHT THING, AND SHE REFUSED TO GIVE UP IN THE FACE OF IMPOSSIBLE ODDS. ISOM SAYS LEDBETTER BECAME MUCH MORE THAN THE SUBJECT OF A BOOK. SHE BECAME A CLOSE FRIEND, AND, LIKE SO MANY OTHERS, NOW SHE’S MOURNING THE LOSS OF THIS EXTRAORDINARY WOMAN. SHE WAS FAMILY. SHE WATCHED MY CHILDREN GROW UP. SHE CHANGED MY LIFE. JUST LIKE SHE CHANGED THE LIVES OF ALL AMERICAN WOMEN AND MEN IN THE WORKFORCE. NOW, A MOVIE ABOUT HER LIFE WAS JUST RELEASED LAST WEEK. IT’S CALLED LILLY. AND WHILE LEDBETTER DID NOT LIVE TO SEE THAT MOVIE PREMIERE, SHE ACTUALLY DID GET A PERSONAL VISIT FROM THE DIRECTOR WHO CAME HERE TO BIRMINGHAM TO GIVE HER A PRIVATE SHOWING. SO SHE GOT TO SEE IT, AND THEY’RE ALL REALLY HAPPY ABOUT THAT. NOW, AS FAR AS WHERE WE CAN ALL SEE THAT MOVIE, IT’S AN INDEPENDENT PRODUCTION, SO NO WORD YET ON HOW THAT’S GOING TO HAPPEN. BUT AS SOON AS WE KNOW, WE’LL LET EVERYBODY ELSE KNOW. AND JUST THE IDEA OF HER LEGACY, KNOWING THAT HER LEGACY IS GOING

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Lilly Ledbetter's memoir author reacts to her death

The world is mourning the loss of equal pay activist Lilly Ledbetter, who died this weekend at the age of 86. Ledbetter was a wife and mother, working as a manager at the Goodyear Tire Plant in Gadsden, when she found out she was making less money than her male counterparts. The discovery would take the Jacksonville native on a journey all the way to the nation's highest court and end with President Barack Obama signing into law a bill named in her honor.Lanier Isom is a local author who had the honor of writing Ledbetter’s memoir. She said Ledbetter chose her because she wanted a Southern writer. That was 15 years ago, and she had no idea how much Ledbetter would change her life.Isom spent three years with Ledbetter, researching, interviewing and writing her memoir titled "Grace and Grit: My Fight for Equal Pay and Fairness at Goodyear and Beyond." Isom said she started with the goal of answering one important question. She said, “Lilly grew up in a house without running water or electricity. She had only a high school education, so why is she the person who has a law named after her when this is a universal problem?”Ledbetter started with a lawsuit against her employer, Goodyear. She won and was awarded almost $4 million in back pay and damages, but the verdict was overturned on appeal. She never received any money from Goodyear, but she didn't stop fighting for others. Isom said, “Lilly never gave up. She believed in doing the right thing. She believed in fighting for the right thing. And she refused to give up in the face of impossible odds.” Isom said Ledbetter became much more than the subject of a book; she became a close friend, and like so many others, she's mourning the loss of this extraordinary woman. She added, “She was family. She watched my children grow up. She changed my life. Just like she changed the lives of all American women and men in the workforce.”A movie about her life was just released last week. It's called "Lilly." While Ledbetter didn't live to see its premiere, the director came to Birmingham to give her a private screening and I’m told she was thrilled with the outcome. It's an independent production, so there is no word yet on how you can watch it, but we'll keep you posted.

MOUNTAIN BROOK, Ala. —

Lanier Isom is a local author who had the honor of writing Ledbetter’s memoir. She said Ledbetter chose her because she wanted a Southern writer. That was 15 years ago, and she had no idea how much Ledbetter would change her life.

Isom spent three years with Ledbetter, researching, interviewing and writing her memoir titled "Grace and Grit: My Fight for Equal Pay and Fairness at Goodyear and Beyond." Isom said she started with the goal of answering one important question. She said, “Lilly grew up in a house without running water or electricity. She had only a high school education, so why is she the person who has a law named after her when this is a universal problem?”

Ledbetter started with a lawsuit against her employer, Goodyear. She won and was awarded almost $4 million in back pay and damages, but the verdict was overturned on appeal. She never received any money from Goodyear, but she didn't stop fighting for others. Isom said, “Lilly never gave up. She believed in doing the right thing. She believed in fighting for the right thing. And she refused to give up in the face of impossible odds.”

Isom said Ledbetter became much more than the subject of a book; she became a close friend, and like so many others, she's mourning the loss of this extraordinary woman. She added, “She was family. She watched my children grow up. She changed my life. Just like she changed the lives of all American women and men in the workforce.”

A movie about her life was just released last week. It's called "Lilly." While Ledbetter didn't live to see its premiere, the director came to Birmingham to give her a private screening and I’m told she was thrilled with the outcome. It's an independent production, so there is no word yet on how you can watch it, but we'll keep you posted.

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