A’ja Wilson is coming back to Columbia. Here’s why.
Gamecock great A’ja Wilson will be returning to Columbia in 2019 to be the keynote speaker at a women’s empowerment conference, according to a statement from the Women’s Rights and Empowerment Network.
Wilson — who has made headlines as she advocated for equal pay between the genders — will be speaking at the annual summit at the Columbia Museum of Art on April 1, according to the statement.
“If we continue on our current path, women will not receive equal pay to men until 2059,” network CEO Ann Warner said in the statement. “Given this, we knew A’ja Wilson would be the inspirational voice to encourage South Carolinians to build individual and collective commitments to closing the gender and racial wage gap and accelerate women’s economic empowerment in South Carolina.”
After Wilson was selected No. 1 overall in the WNBA draft, she began speaking out against the huge disparities in pay between her league and the male counterpart.
“154M ........... must. be. nice. We over here looking for a (million) but Lord, let me get back in my lane,” Wilson wrote on Twitter.
Wilson was the first speaker announced for the summit, which aims to help attendees build personal skills and a network of advocates across the state of South Carolina, according to the statement. Summit-goers will spend this year learning about salary negotiation skills and leader development.
This story was originally published December 17, 2018 at 10:03 AM.
