How to make the workplace better for Black women
While workplace DEI was born of the best intentions, it has been poorly implemented. Fairness is a zero-sum game — the workplace is either fair for all or fair for none.
Black women have finally caught up. On Sept. 21, Black Women’s Equal Pay Day highlighted the additional time Black women needed to work to earn the same as the average U.S. white man in 2021.
It is an alarming realization: Black women needed to labor for nine additional months simply to earn the same as their white male colleagues do in one year. Today, Black women only bring home 58 cents for every dollar the average white man earns — an income disparity that adds up to a staggering $907,680 lost over a Black woman’s career.
This pattern holds true in our region. Black women in the Philadelphia area earn significantly less than white men.
Concerningly, the wage gap prevails despite the fact that Black women are completing four-year college degrees at rapidly increasing rates. Higher education may be helping others get ahead, but Black women are finding that obtaining a degree does not translate to pay equity. A regional analysis of Census Bureau data conducted by The Inquirer found that college-educated Black workers make significantly less than their peers.
Systemic racism, sexism, and discrimination perpetuate the wage gap. Black women are hired more slowly, not prioritized for mentorship, subjected to frequent microaggressions, and promoted less frequently.
These factors are not just about dollar amounts — they also limit Black women’s life expectancy. Decades of research have established that experiencing racial discrimination results in chronic stress, which elevates cortisol levels (the stress hormone) and can lead to diabetes, heart disease, cancer, and other obesity-related syndromes. Over 74,000 Black Americans die unnecessarily each year from diseases that are the result of these pervasive health inequities, including chronic stress.
According to Black women, the workplace is one of the greatest sources of stress, making tackling workplace disparities an essential step toward achieving health equity. Some might argue that this effort is already underway, citing decades of workplace diversity, equity, and inclusion programming. But this programming has failed to move the needle.
Black women are still significantly underrepresented in workplace leadership. Black women make up 7.4% of the U.S. population, yet only 1.6% of VP roles and 1.4% of executive positions. White men, in contrast, account for 35% of the U.S. population, 57% of VP roles, and 68% of executive roles.
Furthermore, a survey conducted last year by the Gallup Center on Black Voices found that only 23% of Black women are likely to say their organization is fair to everyone.
While workplace DEI was born of the best intentions, it has been poorly implemented. Research conducted by Bersin, a Deloitte partner, suggests that about 80% of companies are “just going through the motions” instead of holding themselves accountable.
If diversity, equity, and inclusion programming is not the solution we once hoped for, then what is?
The answer may lie in the often-overlooked link between fair working environments and overall improvements in business performance.
Today’s workplaces are not fair. Fairness is a zero-sum game — the workplace is either fair for all or fair for none. When employees are polled, they typically describe fairness as feeling respected, appreciated for their work, and encouraged to strive for more. These are all valuable feelings that, if fostered in a workplace, would make it more successful.
So, the final question remains: How do we achieve fair?
» READ MORE: How Pennsylvania women can achieve equal pay
The first step is understanding where your organization stands. What practices and policies are in place, and are they fair? How do you measure up against other organizations relative to gender and racial equity?
Then, determine where you need to go. Work with employees to better understand what changes are needed such that they feel they are treated fairly. If your workplace is not fair for all, make it so.
We have an obligation to keep future generations of Black girls from experiencing the repercussions of an unfair workplace. If we can achieve fairness, then we will have made an essential step toward health equity.
Linda Goler Blount is president and CEO of the Black Women’s Health Imperative.