One of the most striking trends in recent years has been the departure of Black women from traditional corporate roles to pursue entrepreneurial endeavors. This exodus is not a retreat from corporate spaces but a bold act of self-liberation, one that commemorates the resilience, resistance and self-determination of Black people for centuries.
Many Black women have rejected spaces that refuse to honor their contributions and are not merely surviving outside corporate walls; they are thriving, creating their own paths and building ecosystems that recognize and celebrate their worth.
In corporate America, Black women are often left out of the conversation on gender equity. Author Leanne Mair challenges the narrative that Black women “can’t hack” the corporate world, highlighting instead the environments that fail to allow them to thrive. Black women continue to face the harshest barriers, from underrepresentation in leadership to the invisible labor of leading DEI initiatives.
“Side hustles reflect the lack of value that Black women face within an organization,” she notes. In her new book, Closing the Gap: How to Include Black Women in Any Gender Equity Strategy, Mair aims to dismantle the excuses that keep organizations from taking meaningful action, providing research-backed strategies beyond simply acknowledging the problem.
For Mair, writing Closing the Gap wasn’t just a passion project; she felt an overwhelming need to address the glaring gaps in how Black women are treated in corporate spaces. Amplifying her frustration were reports and initiatives like those from Lean In and McKinsey, which, in her opinion, year after year, highlighted the struggles of Black women without proposing actionable solutions. Reflecting on her journey, Mair recalls that “I felt like something was sitting on me—a pressure I couldn’t move past. I realized that the experience of Black women within the corporate world was not recognized enough, especially through the lens of organizational transformation.”
Understanding the Power Pyramid and unconscious bias
Central to Mair’s argument is the concept of the “Power Pyramid,” a framework that vividly illustrates the hierarchical power dynamics within organizations that perpetuate inequality. At the base of this pyramid are Black women, who face the most significant barriers and have the least access to power and resources. Just above them are other women of color, who also experience considerable discrimination and marginalization, though their challenges are somewhat less severe than those of Black women.
Moving further up the pyramid, white women and men of color share a tier, as they possess more privilege and access to power than women of color but still face obstacles related to their gender or race. Finally, at the very top of the pyramid sit white men, who hold the most power, privilege and influence within organizational structures.
Mair emphasizes that leaders must actively understand their role within the power structure and take concrete steps to support those most affected by these inequities. Further, Mair critiques the widespread reliance on unconscious bias training, arguing that it often does more harm than good, allowing for passive racism and sexism to continue unchecked.
“Unconscious bias training gives people a pass to say, ‘Well, it’s not my fault.’ But if you wanted to be a better leader, you’d find out what you needed to do to improve. Why is it any different regarding equity?” she questions.
By recognizing and addressing the inherent, deep-seated power imbalances reflected in the pyramid, organizations can move toward creating a more equitable environment for all.
The importance of expanding mindsets
To close the gap between recognition and action, Mair suggests that leaders must integrate diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) into every aspect of their lives—not just at work. “You can’t try and turn on racial equity, gender equity or any sort of diversity practice at work only. If this doesn’t seep into your real life, you have no chance.”
Mair asserts that understanding contrarian opinions is essential for developing a more nuanced and practical approach to equity. She urges aspiring allies to engage with organizations that support marginalized communities and to participate in conversations that actively challenge their beliefs.
Reading Mair’s book, I was struck by her powerful reframe for leaders: “Gender equality focuses on closing the gap between men and women, whereas gender equity demands that the hierarchy among women is dismantled.”
This insight cuts to the core of Mair’s message: Understanding and addressing the barriers to gender equity is crucial, and it requires action across both personal and professional spheres.
Keep in mind that this extends beyond solely white men. For women leaders, this requires a deep introspection into their positions within the Power Pyramid Mair describes. For example, women working full-time and year-round are paid an average of 84 cents for every dollar paid to men, with disparities even more pronounced for women of color and women with disabilities.
Black women earn 69 cents on the dollar compared to white men, and the gap widens for other groups: Latinas earn 57 cents, Native women earn 59 cents, and Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander women earn 65 cents. Interestingly, Asian women earn 99 cents on the dollar. These disparities are just one example of the hierarchy within the broader struggle for equity.
Also, consider that a woman often needs to attain at least one additional educational degree to earn as much as a man with less education. For instance, on average, a woman with an advanced degree still earns less than a man with only a bachelor’s degree. If not for women’s higher attainment of educational degrees, the gender wage gap would be even more glaring. This is especially true for Black women, who represent the most educated demographic in the U.S. yet face a profound pay disparity. This is why Mair underscores the need for women to serve as allies to one another in the fight for gender equity.
The challenges and opportunities for corporate DEI
While Mair acknowledges that some U.S. initiatives do, in fact, focus on Black women, like the Executive Leadership Council and Power Rising Summit, she argues that these efforts, focused merely on data collection, remain insufficient.
“No one will give you data until you tell them what you’re going to do with it,” Mair asserts, emphasizing that organizations must take meaningful, actionable steps, demonstrating a genuine commitment to change.
Closing the Gap offers organizations a comprehensive guide to advancing the conversation on DEI and creating environments where Black women can thrive. By implementing the REASON framework Mair outlines in her book, companies can move from passive acknowledgment to active transformation, fostering a culture of inclusion and equity that benefits everyone.
- Recognition: Identify and understand the symptoms of systemic problems to address their root causes.
- Engagement: Build trust and ensure both psychological and physical safety within the organization.
- Action: Clearly define and communicate the purpose and rationale behind your actions.
- Support: Anticipate and address both the intended and unintended consequences of change.
- Outreach: Implement proactive measures now to support and prepare the future workforce.
- Navigation: Continuously adapt, measure your progress and refine your strategies.
This REASON framework provides aspiring allies with a clear, actionable roadmap and is designed to complement existing gender equity efforts. It aims to relieve Black women of the burden of creating solutions for the very challenges they face alone.
A call to action
Mair’s message is clear: Engaging with gender equity for Black women is not as difficult as it seems. It requires recognizing the different truths individuals live due to the Power Pyramid and taking actionable steps to support equity. For many years, corporate leaders have leaned into the common trickle-down approach, assuming that advancements in the workplace are equally stratified across different groups of women, which has led to a blanket approach to needs.
However, she advocates reconsidering this blanket approach, which has not closed the gap. Instead, she asks leaders to adopt a trickle-up or follow-up paradigm—centering on the needs, perspectives and experiences of Black women, recognizing that by centering the needs of Black women, they can create a ripple effect that uplifts all women in the workplace. This focus is vital in her view because when we focus on those who suffer the most, we will also help those who suffer to a lesser extent.
As organizations navigate the complexities of gender equity, Mair’s book offers a timely and essential guide for organizations ready to embrace authentic gender equity. But leaders must act now. The time for passive acknowledgment is over—real change starts with bold, intentional steps.
For those in positions of power, the responsibility lies in acknowledging their role within the system and using their influence to drive change. By adopting an expansive mindset and leveraging the tools they already have, leaders can create a more inclusive future where Black women—and all women—can thrive.
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