Lilly Ledbetter, has died at the age of 86.
Ledbetter – whose discovery she earned less than her male counterparts in a Gadsden Goodyear plant, eventually led to federal legislation.
According to her family, Ledbetter died of respiratory failure. “She passed away peacefully – surrounded by her family, and loved ones. Our mother lived an extraordinary life.”
Recently – she was awarded the “Future Is Female Lifetime Achievement Award” – and a feature film about her life, “Lilly,” – also premiered, at the Hamptons International Film Festival.
The “Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act” was the first bill which then-President Barack Obama signed into law after taking office back in 2009; a lawsuit against the Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company, came after working more than 19 years at the company’s Gadsden plant.