Obama pays tribute to Lilly Ledbetter: ‘This grandmother from Alabama kept on fighting’

Former President Barack Obama paid tribute to Lilly Ledbetter of Alabama following her passing on Saturday. He shared a heartfelt statement on the social platform X.

Obama and Ledbetter shared a personal connection, as the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act was the first bill he signed into law after taking office in 2009. 

“Lilly Ledbetter never aimed to be a trailblazer or a household name,” Obama said. “She simply wanted equal pay for her hard work. But this grandmother from Alabama fought tirelessly until the day I signed the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act into law—my first as president.”

He continued, “Lilly did what countless Americans have done: she set high aspirations for herself and even higher ones for her children and grandchildren. Michelle and I are deeply grateful for her advocacy and friendship, and we extend our love and prayers to her family and to all those who continue the fight she began.”

According to her family, Ledbetter, 86, died from respiratory failure.

Others joined Obama in honoring Ledbetter, who famously sued Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. after discovering, through an anonymous note, that she was earning up to $2,000 less per month than her male counterparts at the Gadsden plant where she worked for over 19 years. Though a jury initially awarded her $3.3 million in damages, that decision was later overturned.

In 2007, Ledbetter’s case reached the Supreme Court, which ruled in a narrow 5-4 decision that she had missed the 180-day deadline to file her claim.

“Throughout her career, she lost more than $200,000 in salary, along with even more in pension and Social Security benefits,” Obama stated during the signing of the bill in 2009. 

“Lilly could have accepted her situation and moved on. She could have chosen to avoid the hassle and harassment that often come with standing up for what you deserve. 

“But instead, she recognized that a principle was at stake—something worth fighting for. Thus began a journey that lasted more than a decade, reaching the Supreme Court and culminating in this bill, which will help others achieve the justice she was denied,” Obama said.