What Leaders Need to Know Right Now About Black Working Mothers

Recently, there has been a wealth of information circulating online designed to educate businesses on committing to equitable practices and anti-racism in the workplace. These resources are necessary and long overdue. Every leader should be reading, sharing, and putting the information into practice. Here is a quick summary:

First, leaders must:  

• Acknowledge the depth of emotions Black employees are feeling right now.
• Reach out to Black employees and let them know you’re here to listen. 
• Understand that wellness is important and encourage employees to take the time they need to care for themselves and family members.  
• Ensure your employees know how to access resources that your company offers, like employee assistance programs. 

Then, leaders must:  

Understand that now is the time to take intentional, big-picture actions to support your Black employees. This means creating a different work environment that intentionally amplifies Black employees. Provide opportunities for visibility, promotion and stretch assignments for Black employees - and make this a built-in part of your company’s structure to create long-term change. It's also time to evaluate representation on your board, senior leadership team, and middle management. If these powerful groups within your company aren’t diverse, your company’s marginalized employees don’t have a seat at the table, and it’s time to change that.

Understand the challenges Black working mothers face:

Many leaders may not be aware that their employees who are both Black and mothers face another set of unique challenges - both in the workplace, and in the world. Black women get less support at work than any other group, and are less likely to hold board seats and C-suite roles. Of the Fortune 500 CEOs, only 4 are black, and not one of them is a black woman. 

When you combine the challenges of working while Black (this experience in the time of COVID is covered exceptionally in this article) with being a woman at work, and add motherhood on top of that - you’ve got a group of employees who are facing more challenges than perhaps any other. 

Familiarize yourself with the unique burden that Black working mothers carry:

• Black mothers can’t trust institutions to protect their children. Black children live in constant danger of violence, especially at the hands of the police, and especially now. Black children are also more likely to be bullied and disproportionately disciplined in school. 
• Our nation is just beginning to wake up to the idea that police disproportionately target, arrest, and imprison Black men. Understand that this means your Black women employees may have family members who have been victims of police violence and mass incarceration. 

Educate yourself, your executives, and your company:

It’s important to recognize where your company has work to do regarding equity, such as pay gaps, racially biased dress codes/appearance rules, and work culture that unconsciously favors groups that are already in power. However, it’s not enough. As Jennifer Siebel Newsom said recently in TIME, “Disparities don’t just evolve out of nowhere. Instead, they are the result of generations of behaviors and policies that communicate our nation’s values.” This is why education is an essential part of any company’s anti-racism plan. To change the disparities faced by Black working moms, you have to understand history.  

As a leader, it is your responsibility to educate yourself, and provide equity training for your company - but hopefully you already know that. When you look for anti-racism books to read, seek out those that are written by and focused on Black women. 

Books to read by Black women: 

• 'So You Want to Talk About Race,' by Ijeoma Oluo
• 'Sister Outsider,' by Audre Lorde
• 'Eloquent Rage,' by Brittney Cooper 

If you’re not sure when you’ll have time to get through a book, you can take 10 minutes - right now - and read through this excellent guide to beginning your racial equity education by The Smithsonian Museum of African American History & Culture.

It’s also the responsibility of leaders to facilitate required, ongoing race equity training for your executive team. Consider using a facilitator that focuses on the challenges Black mothers face, such as the National Birth Equity Collaborative.

Taking responsibility and beginning to learn (and unlearn), are the first steps toward creating a more equitable future - one that protects and uplifts Black moms in your company and in the workforce as whole. Every step you take makes a difference for the employees who have lived with endless racism, sexism, and discrimination, every day. Every change you make at your company puts pressure on other companies to take action. Your actions matter, and your most vulnerable employees are counting on you.

For more information on how to protect and uplift Black working moms within your company, visit steeleandgrace.com.