When it comes to the employee experience, women of color have long been carrying burdens neither men nor white women fully understand. The intersection of race and gender—with all its ills—gives way to unique workplace challenges that create an emotional drag on women whose ideas, skills, and efforts are critical for business success.
Racism is deeply entrenched in our society and goes far beyond the alarming incidents we hear about in the news. While hate crimes and verbal assaults are indeed the most shocking, they are but one dimension of harm suffered by women of color in the world. Women of color in general, and Black women specifically, have less access to just about everything required to live a full life, including opportunity, safety, equal pay, and good health outcomes. Of course, as tempting as it is for us to delineate between work and life, human beings are the same in both circumstances. Bottom line: when you are impacted by racism, it spills into every space you occupy.
When people reflect on how racism impacts women of color at work, we tend to think first on experiences like microaggressions—subtle (or not so subtle) acts of indignity that communicate to an outgroup that they do not belong. Microaggressions can manifest as insults, disrespect, or disregard. Research shows that women of color, and especially Black women, go to work “on guard,” or bracing for offense, due to culture norms that have perpetuated or allowed such race-based harm to go unchecked. But racism is found in much more than hurtful slurs or intentional discrimination. Because it is intricately woven into our shared history, it wreaks havoc on our talent systems, processes, and relationships too.
There are three major issues that racism has created for women of color at work. Left unchecked, these issues will continue to compromise both the mental health and achievement of a growing and important talent segment. And if they compromise our talent, they will compromise our performance.
Lack of Opportunity
A concentration of power in our workplaces has kept insight, access, and opportunity behind an invisible wall. Since white men inhabit most high-level leadership positions, and we as people tend to surround ourselves with people like us, these critical success enablers benefit those with proximity to that power. Affinity bias perpetuates itself and makes it difficult for those who exist on dimensions of difference to learn the unwritten rules, connect with influencers, and be chosen for high profile learning opportunities that might lead to promotion. On the mental health front, the fact that opportunity feels farther away can create a sense of perceived hopelessness, while literally denying women of color the chance to achieve dreams and better their stations in life.
Low Representation
Since lack of opportunity has left so few represented in high-level leadership positions, women of color often feel isolated at work. This means there are fewer leaders who deeply understand their concerns, can help them navigate corporate politics, might provide air cover when they take big risks or make mistakes, or are present and available to generally support and encourage them. Low representation also means fewer models to emulate, which makes it harder for individuals to see themselves rising to higher heights.
Burden of Proof
Racism is defined as a belief that one race is inherently superior to another, and that predetermined characteristics dictate potential. Unfortunately, evidence suggests this belief is alive and well in our workplaces. Women of color report having to go above and beyond to prove their competence, and many believe they must work twice as hard to get half as far. As people who are biased by both our experiences and are nurturing, we are likely to require more of those we don’t know or can’t personally relate to. Affinity bias fuels a tendency to doubt those who are different, while we trust people who look like us, sound like us, grew up like us, or were educated like us. This burden of proof many leaders unconsciously perpetuate leads to women of color feeling overworked and undervalued, which often ends in separation.
It’s important that we expand our understanding of how racism impacts women of color beyond the sensational examples. It is true that hate crimes create fear and exasperation for every member of a targeted group. It is true that pain inflicted on one member of a marginalized community is often felt by the whole. But these examples only scratch the surface. The fear, sadness, and anger experienced by women of color every time tragedy strikes is matched by the relentless and daily slights that stand between them and their potential to be great.
Leaders must grow in not only awareness and compassion, but also bravery if they want to create healthier workplaces for women of color and ensure that every person in their charge has an opportunity to contribute and grow sustainably. This is why we’re here—to unlock opportunity and maximize the efforts of every person.
Tara Jaye Frank is a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion strategist and author.