Carmen Berkley

Carmen Berkley is the Civil, Human and Women's Rights Director at the AFL-CIO. She also serves as a Principal Consultant at Can't Stop Won't Stop, LLC , Lead Trainer for Campus Camp Wellstone, and is a proud member of the Black Youth Project 100. Carmen has dedicated her life to advocacy and justice for people of color, women and the LGBTQ community. Through her years she has served as the President of the United States Student Association, Regional Field Director for NAACP, Digital Strategist for American Federation for State County and Municipal Employees, Field Director for Choice USA and Executive Director of the Generational Alliance. Follow Carmen on Twitter @CarmenSpindiego

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By Carmen Berkley • 9 years ago

My American Dream: A minimum wage that allows everyone to prosper

This post originally appeared on the Huffington Post.

When I think of the American Dream, I don’t just see images of white picket fences and fathers kissing their children before they leave for work.

I see an African-American mother of two dropping her children off at school and driving to her place of employment with the confidence that she’ll have enough gas to get to work and enough food to cook dinner. I imagine a Latina mother able to save enough money to help her son go to the college of his choice regardless of the rising cost of tuition. I see an America where working 40 hours a week allows women of all backgrounds the opportunity to gain prosperity and success. But how can anyone achieve such a dream on $7.25 an hour? They can’t.