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Jax State to Host Exclusive Screening of Lilly on April 17 Before Nationwide Release

by Josh Underwood

Jacksonville, AL (04/01/2025) — On Thursday, April 17, the Jax State College of Arts, Humanities, and Sciences will host an exclusive screening of Lillyahead of its nationwide release on May 9. This powerful new film tells the story of Jacksonville native and equal pay icon Lilly Ledbetter, portrayed by Academy Award nominee and Golden Globe winner Patricia Clarkson. The screening will begin at 6:30 p.m. in the Stone Center Theatre.

Following the film, Jax State will present a panel discussion moderated by Dr. Staci Stone. Panelists include Rachel Feldman, the film's writer, director, and producer; Vickie Saxon, Lilly's daughter; and Lanier Scott Isom, journalist and co-author of Grace and Grit, Lilly Ledbetter's memoir.

Born in Jacksonville, Alabama, in 1938, Lilly McDaniel Ledbetter was raised on her family's farm in Possum Trot. After graduating from Jacksonville High School in 1956, she worked her way up from an associate at H&R Block to office manager roles at an accounting firm and a doctor's office. In the mid-1970s, she served as Assistant Director of Financial Aid at Jax State. Then, in 1979, she landed her dream job at the Goodyear tire plant-becoming one of the first women hired in management.

Despite facing discrimination and sexual harassment, Lilly persevered. Nineteen years into her career at Goodyear, she received an anonymous note revealing she was being paid significantly less than her male counterparts. Ledbetter filed a lawsuit and initially won, but only to see the decision overturned on appeal. Her case ultimately reached the U.S. Supreme Court, where she lost again due to a technicality: she had not filed her claim within 180 days of her first unequal paycheck-something she had no way of knowing at the time.

Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg read her dissent from the bench, calling on Lilly to keep fighting. And she did. Lilly went on to champion equal pay on the national stage, becoming the namesake of President Barack Obama's first official piece of legislation: the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act.

Thanks to grant support from the Alabama State Council on the Arts and as a part of Kaleidoscope, this event and celebration of the legacy of Lilly Ledbetter is free and open to the public, but seating is limited. To guarantee your seat, please REGISTER HERE.

About Jacksonville State University: Founded in 1883 as a state teachers' college, Jacksonville State University has grown from humble beginnings into the Alabama regional university with the highest percentage of accredited programs. Located in the Appalachian foothills midway between Birmingham and Atlanta, Jax State offers more than 150 courses of study, including over 40 online programs, at the undergraduate and graduate levels. To learn more, visit www.jsu.edu, call 1-800-231-JAX1, or e-mail jaxfacts@jsu.edu.

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