07 Mar New Report Highlights Workplace Discrimination Faced by Black Women in California

(Photo by Christina @ wocintechchat.com on Unsplash)

CC Pulse Staff Report

A new report by the California Black Women’s Collective Empowerment Institute provides insights into the lived experiences of Black women in the workplace, highlighting the discrimination they face, including wage disparities, lack of access to leadership roles and microaggressions. The study stresses the urgent need for policy reforms to address these challenges.

The report, “Invisible Labor, Visible Struggles: The Intersections of Race, Gender, and Workplace Equity for Black Women in California,” was conducted in partnership with Evitarus, a public opinion research and strategic consulting firm. The study surveyed 452 employed Black women in California, identifying five key barriers to workplace equity, among them systemic discrimination and racialized beauty standards. It also presents policy recommendations for changes to address these issues.

Key findings from the report include:

• 57% of Black women experienced racism or discrimination at work within the past year
• Nearly 48% felt excluded from career advancement opportunities
• Only 16% felt leadership and advancement opportunities were available to them
• 38% reported being unfairly judged by their supervisors or bosses
• Many women also pointed to wage disparities, microaggressions, and racial beauty standards as significant obstacles they face

Speakers discussed the findings at a March 4 news briefing hosted by Ethnic Media Services and California Black Media.

“We wanted to do this particular research because for too long Black women have been caught in the crosshairs of the intersection of race and gender,” said Kellie Todd Griffin, president & CEO of the California Black Women’s Collective Empowerment Institute. “We wanted to look at how Black women are experiencing the workplace, where there are systemic barriers that limit their opportunities.”

Recommendations from the report include addressing equal pay and economic security, as Black women currently earn, on average, $40,000 less per year than their white male counterparts.

The report also calls for stronger enforcement of anti-discrimination laws to end prejudicial treatment and harassment, as Black women often face racial and gender biases that limit their career advancement.

It emphasizes the importance of creating opportunities to promote leadership and career growth, including programs that support mentorship and leadership development for Black women.

Additionally, the report highlights the need for access to affordable childcare, as 67% of Black households in California are headed by single mothers, and affordable childcare is crucial to helping them stay in the workforce.

It also advocates for ensuring both physically and emotionally safe workplaces, emphasizing the need for policies to address harassment, microaggressions, and toxic work cultures.

Finally, the report calls for addressing hair discrimination, urging stronger enforcement of the CROWN Act, which protects against discrimination based on natural hair, and corporate training to eliminate such biases.

“It’s the compounding nature of being both Black and female,” said Dr. Sharon Uche, researcher at the Empowerment Institute. “It’s not either or, but we do know that the race element specifically being a Black woman is unique, particularly the skin tone….darker-skinned women receiving either harsher treatment or fewer opportunities than those with lighter skin tones.”

Glenda Gill, president & CEO of Save A Girl, Save A World, said the data shows little progress has been made in achieving meaningful changes.

“Systemic barriers still exist when it comes to Black women even in a liberal state like California,” Gill said. “If we improve the experience of Black women, we improve it for everyone.”