LESTER HOLT (HOST): A major unveiling in our nation's capital as president Obama dedicate a national moment for a battle generations have fought, for women's equality. It comes on what's dubbed Equal Pay day. On average women in the U.S. make 21 percent less than men. For those who say it's past time to change that, NBC's Andrea Mitchell explains why this day is so important.
ANDREA MITCHELL: Aileen Rizo made the stunning realization four years ago. A male colleague in the same job at the Fresno County Office of Education was making $12,000 a year more.
AILEEN RIZO: I was speechless. I didn't even know how to grapple with that information.
MITCHELL: In fact, the average woman makes $0.79 for every dollar a man makes. From the world cup winning U.S. Women's soccer team, paid 40 percent of what the men's team earned.
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MITCHELL: Equal Pay Day marking how much longer women have to work this year to catch up to what men made last year. Working moms have to work to June 4th, African-American women must work until August 23rd, Latinas until November 1st. The state with the biggest pay gap, Louisiana. The smallest, right here in New York, where experts say women have greater access to high paying jobs.
