Despite making up about 20% of the U.S. population, in 2020 women of color represented only about 3% of the highest-ranking senior executive-level positions (also known as c-suite or chief-level roles) in corporate America.1 Factors such as microaggressions, double standards, and unconscious bias prevent women of color from advancing at work in ways that are different from white women and even men of color.
In the mid-1970s, five African American women from St. Louis sued General Motors for discriminatory employment practices; however, their claims were dismissed because of a perceived lack of proof of discrimination. GM’s white female employees hadn’t experienced this particular discrimination, so the plaintiffs couldn’t sue for gender discrimination, and men of color hadn’t experienced it either, so they complaint couldn’t be covered under racial discrimination.2 The nuanced experience of being both women and Black created a framework of unique experiences of discrimination, later recognized as “intersectionality,” as coined by Kimberlé Crenshaw.3
This framework can be seen in both big and small ways in work settings across employment sectors. Often, the experiences of women of color are misunderstood or mischaracterized, and unwelcoming racial environments fester even when these individuals address issues. Canadian-based Center for Community Organizations developed the following infographic to shed light on the impact of factors such as tokenization, repetitive injury and microaggressions, and denial of racism that perpetuates employment issues for women of color.4
As ethical leaders, we all have a responsibility to be aware of inequities and to name and dismantle harmful practices that make our workplaces unwelcoming. While employment concerns are not limited to race and gender, consider how you demonstrate cultural competence in your workplace and how you create an environment welcoming to and supportive of women of color.
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