Black women in the workplace, 2016 - climbing a steep ladder
- Summary:
- It is difficult enough for women to achieve equal status with men in the workplace. A recent study confirms what black women have known for many years - it is doubly difficult. Some employers though are demonstrating an enlightened approach to this specific inequality.
Finally, vindication. Quantifiable evidence. The oh-so-familiar truth that black women share amongst ourselves – that we are marginalized in a way not addressed by the LeanIn movement – is validated by hard data. This story addresses the premise that Black Women Are Leaning In and Getting Nowhere from two perspectives: First, the data from leanin.org and McKinsey & Co., the Center for Talent Innovation and the New York Times. Second, my point of view on how black women cope – or don’t – and why.
Disclaimer: I am not a victim. I am not complaining. I am reporting facts, with experiential data that supports the reported facts.
Women in the Workplace 2016, a study undertaken by LeanIn.Org and McKinsey & Co. and released last month reports:
- Women remain under represented at every level in the corporate pipeline.
- Women negotiate for promotions and raises as often as men but face more pushback when they do.
- Women also receive informal feedback less frequently than men—despite asking for it as often
- Compared with white women, women of color face the most barriers and experience the steepest drop-offs with seniority despite having higher aspirations for becoming a top executive.
The first three points resonate with ongoing reports in media and are well rehearsed. My interest is in the last bullet point.
Facts from a 2015 study from the Center for Talent Innovation and an October 2, 2016 article in the New York Times:
Perhaps because they’ve been “leaning in” for generations, black women on track for leadership are more likely than their white sisters to see an executive position as the means to getting what they want from their careers.
Black women are:
- 2.8 times as likely as white women to aspire to a powerful position with a prestigious title
- Far more likely than white women to see themselves as leaders — by a margin of 26 percent to 40 percent.
- More likely to cite financial independence as one of their top three goals
While it is always dangerous to draw firm correlations, the outcomes shown above could be connected to material realities: 71 percent of employed black women said they are the primary wage earners in their households, compared with 48 percent of white women who work. I’m a head of household; not everyone in this generation is, but even if they’re not, our culture skews matriarchal for societal reasons, so most of us grew up around working women driving or contributing to household income. Work wasn’t an option, it was a necessity.
What black women want most from work:
- 91% ability to flourish
- 89% ability to excel
- 85% ability to reach for meaning and purpose
- 81% ability to earn well
- 73% ability to empower others and be empowered
Despite these desires, black women are more likely than white women (44% vs. 30%) to report feeling stalled, and to feel that their talents aren’t recognized by their superiors (26% vs. 17%).
The data is clear. See the mile-wide gap between ambition and realization?
My take
An article published in the Huffington Post, “Black Women are Leaning In and Getting Nowhere” riffs on this gap quite nicely, but let me add my point of view
There are many alternatives to continuing to challenge the system and climb the ladder. Many choose freedom by becoming entrepreneurs, like two good friends Teri Williams Cohee and Miko Yuk. Others, like me, stick it out because of life circumstances, non-entrepreneurial temperaments, or simply choosing to stay to prove we have the right to be there.
I’ve had (and heard about) an endless number of experiences since earning my Harvard MBA thirty years ago that support the data in the first half of this story. The social change activist in me will always speak out until those curious enough to look behind the data understand this stuff really happens – it’s more than theoretical. Here are some examples:
- A white male manager tells me that I need to stop expressing career ambitions and inquiring about getting promoted and just wait to be tapped, which was his experience. Didn’t Satya Nadella of Microsoft take a ton of heat for saying something similar?
- The stereotypes of the 'angry black woman' limit our upward mobility because of our perceived 'soft skills' deficits. Maybe you missed the 2014 New York Times article about successful ABC Network show-runner Shonda Rhimes (Grey’s Anatomy, Scandal, How to Get Away with Murder): “Rhimes has embraced the trite but persistent caricature of the Angry Black Woman, recast it in her own image and made it enviable.” Being capable and opinionated is perceived as positive for white women but threatening when exhibited by black women. My own 'exceptional work outcomes' have been diminished by 'my behavior' and 'subtle things, things that were hard to put a finger on.' I’ve often observed other black female executives tarred with the ' difficult to work with' brush.
- Perhaps the legal system is the place to correct discrimination? Sadly no. The following comes from a highly credible source: A complainant in a case to prove unconscious bias in her workplace was told by a government mediator: “You have a very tough road ahead if you move forward with this. You’ll have to try this case in court in front of a jury who will look at your salary, what you’ve accomplished and wonder why you aren’t just satisfied with what you’ve got given who you are and conclude that you are making unreasonable demands." This is colored (sic) by the demographic of the average juror in such cases. Net-net, you should be grateful for what you have because the expectations for you were so low and you’ve exceeded them, so stop seeking equity and justice and a fair evaluation commensurate with your achievements? The tragedy is that in many cases, black women give up. They try to forget. Because in the end, it is too hard to push back.
I want to close on a note of hope. I'm fortunate that my current employer is stepping up to tackle diversity and inclusion directly. I’m in that conversation. I’ll bring my perspective to the table with the intent of broadening the conversation to improve outcomes for black women just embarking upon their careers. That in turn gives me opportunities to help those who I have the privilege of mentoring into new roles.