Back in 1962, Malcolm X spit straight facts when he spoke of the disrespect, neglect, and lack of protection of the Black woman received. Sixty years later, America still isn't hearing his message.
So much would change if they did.
From slavery to today, Black women have held the most significant percentage of the labor market. Societal norms meant Black women were expected to work, but oppressive and racist forces pushed Black men out of the workforce.
Those expectations have pushed Black women further into the workforce and higher education.
Black women get 64.1% of bachelor's degrees, 71.5% of master's degrees, and 65.9%of doctoral, medical, and dental degrees. As educated and hard-working as the Black woman is, we still only make $0.64 for every dollar a white man makes - the pandemic exacerbated this.
So, where's the disconnect?
With all that leadership and education, only one Black woman is a CEO of a Fortune 500 company, and only 4% of Black women are in leadership positions. Why? Because white supremacist systems refuse to invest in helping and uplifting Black women.
Increasing diversity in leadership increases revenue and output. Black women are already leaders in our communities. The American economy would prosper in ways white folks can't even imagine by removing economic barriers and opening opportunities for us in leadership roles.