By Kim Carter
As I sit to write this editorial, the dilemma that plagues me is this: rather than ask why are Black women important in the workplace, I am wondering when they haven’t been important?
Since the 1600s, Black women have worked harder and, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, they have had the highest labor force participation of any other group of women at 62.5%.1 Black women’s labor contributions have set the foundation for and continue to strengthen the U.S. economy, despite a false narrative that Black women do not work hard, they must be pushed to perform well, and that they should be satisfied with any job they are afforded, notwithstanding their talent, worth, or skill set.2
Clearly, however, race and gender are not determinative factors regarding whether a person contributes to the workforce. Ingrained in the history of this country, Black people have been forced to sacrifice their bodies, lives, cultures, languages, families, and identities to build the U.S. economy. These facts underscore the strength, intellect, and resilience that Black women embody, which set them apart in today’s workforce. That embodiment is more colloquially known as “Black Girl Magic.”3
Black women presently make up a large percentage of the country’s essential workforce and small business owners.4 Essential workers, who have risked their lives, facing uncertain danger while they continue to work during a pandemic, are largely led by women and minorities. According to statistics gathered by the Economic Policy Institute, women make up 76% of the essential workers in the health care industry, and 73% of the essential workers in government and community-based services. People of color make up approximately 50% of the essential workers in food and agriculture industries, and 53% of the essential workers in the industrial, commercial, and residential facilities and services industries.5 Black women, from Maryland to Rhode Island, make up 23% to 40% of essential service workers.6
What do race and gender have to do with a person’s work ethic?
In truth, neither race nor gender should have any bearing on whether a person is an asset to an employer. Experience has shown us that regardless of race, ethnicity, nationality, gender, sexual orientation, and — in many respects — disability, diverse people improve employers’ bottom lines.7 Women, in particular, are stronger in areas of compromise, honesty and ethics, fair pay and benefits, and mentoring.8 The effects of this discrimination are compounded and therefore greater than the sum of gender or race discrimination.9
The Black woman’s unique experience
Black women excel in resilience. For far too long, Black women have been an invisible, double-minority. Rather than seeing Black women as unique, with their own set of experiences, they are often placed in the same category as white women when it comes to gender-related issues. And, they are considered to be the same as Black men when faced with race-related disparities. However, Black women, because of their unique combination of race and gender, are often subjected to biases that place them beneath white women and Black men, collectively. These challenges largely go unnoticed and they are often ignored.10
Today, our country continues to ignore all that Black women overcome, to contribute to American enterprise, by discounting their advances for reasons such as affirmative action, help from others, or by random chance.11 In 2016, 35.2% of Black women held management and professional positions, 29.2% were employed in sales and office occupations, and 27.7% were employed in service occupations.12 By 2015, Black people’s consumer power reached $1.2 trillion and Black women, at a rate of 66.9%, were the breadwinners in their homes.13
Despite the microaggressions, and compounded effects of gender and race disparities that Black women face, they remain just as likely as white men to pursue top executive and leadership positions — 49% seek opportunities to serve as role models, 52% wish to impact the success of the company, and 46% wish to influence the workplace culture positively.14
Conclusion
Black women make up the majority of the Black labor force and they are the pulse of the U.S. economy.15 They are often leaders that possess the same attributes that are admired in white men, despite being ignored, undervalued, underpaid, and demeaned. Black women are phenomenal because of the battles they fight and win, and the barriers they overcome to become significant contributors to our economy. Black women are the embodiment of magic.
Kim Carter, Esq., Of Counsel, Schor, Vogelzang & Chung, LLP, practices Employment Law Defense.
[1] Among adult women (age 20 and older), Blacks (62.5%) were more likely to participate in the labor force than Hispanics (58.9%), Asians (58.3%), and Whites (57.6%).(BLS Reports, Labor force characteristics by race and ethnicity 2017, August 2018, Chart 1, www.bls.gov/opub/reports/race-and-ethnicity/2017/home.htm)
[2] “Racism and Sexism Combined to Shortchange Working Black Women.” Center for American Progress.www.americanprogress.org/issues/women/news/2019/08/22/473775/racism-sexism-combine-shortchange-working-black-women.
[3] The term “Black Girl Magic” became popular in 2013 to celebrate the beauty, power, and resilience of Black women, and to congratulate Black women on their accomplishments.(See Wilson, Julee (January 12, 2016).”The Meaning Of #BlackGirlMagic, And How You Can Get Some Of It”. HuffPost. Retrieved September 3, 2016; see also Ali, Rasha (June 30, 2016).”What Is Black Girl Magic? A Short Explainer”.TheWrap.Retrieved November 26, 2016.www.thewrap.com/what-is-black-girl-magic.
[4] Id.
[5] Economic Policy Institute, “Who are essential workers? A comprehensive look at their wages, demographics, and unionization rates;” May 19, 2020. www.epi.org/blog/who-are-essential-workers-a-comprehensive-look-at-their-wages-demographics-and-unionization-rates.
[6] “Racism and Sexism Combined to Shortchange Working Black Women.” Center for American Progress.www.americanprogress.org/issues/women/news/2019/08/22/473775/racism-sexism-combine-shortchange-working-black-women.
[7] “The business case for diversity in the workplace is now overwhelming,” by Vijay Eswaren, World Economic Forum, April 29, 2019.www.weforum.org/agenda/2019/04/business-case-for-diversity-in-the-workplace.
[8] Id.
[9] The State of Black Women in Corporate America, www.leanin.org/research/state-of-black-women-in-corporate-america?gclid=CjwKCAiAouD_BRBIEiwALhJH6F-s7hMlg3V9FnphaIgF5jb2R9zddBwGP-YY9aonpRyhmI2XJNroahoCQakQAvD_BwE, 2020.
[10] “Racism and Sexism Combine to Shortchange Working Black Women;” by Jocelyn Frye, Center for American Progress, August 22, 2019; www.americanprogress.org/issues/women/news/2019/08/22/473775/racism-sexism-combine-shortchange-working-black-women
[11] “The State of Black Women in Corporate America,” www.leanin.org/research/state-of-black-women-in-corporate-america?gclid=CjwKCAiAouD_BRBIEiwALhJH6F-s7hMlg3V9FnphaIgF5jb2R9zddBwGP-YY9aonpRyhmI2XJNroahoCQakQAvD_BwE, 2020.
[12] “African American Women in the U.S.Economy,” www.americanprogress.org/issues/women/reports/2016/08/23/142815/african-american-women-in-the-u-s-economy, August 23, 2016.
[13] Id.
[14] Id.
[15] “‘Black women best’ Why putting Black women first may save us from economic disaster;” by Anna Gift Opudu-Agyeman; Economic Policy Institute, June 25, 2020; www.epi.org/blog/black-women-best-why-putting-black-women-first-may-save-us-from-economic-disaster.