The precarious relationship between Black Women & Work: Why I became a career coach?

Black women and work have been inextricably linked; Black women have always been exploited laborers — during slavery, Black women were forced into domestic servitude, and responsible for the caretaking of white families. During the civil rights movement, Black women served as organizers, teachers, social activists, architects, and supportive spouses — however, much of their visibility and impact during the civil rights movement was overshadowed by popular Black male civil rights activists. The labor of Black women is often rendered invisible — a racist and sexist system often overshadows and invalidates their work accomplishments. While Black women continue to face inequities in hiring, pay and advancement today, their labor force participation has been noticeably steady. In many ways, Black women have had to reckon with their own systemic oppression in the labor market, while also recognizing that work is central to their own identity, economic security, and liberation.

The multidimensionality of Black womanhood is rarely acknowledged in American workplaces. We have historically relied on Black women to be the mule, often ascribing “superhero” like attributes to them that only lead to workplace burnout, and imposter syndrome. Black women must be exemplary in the workplace — making mistakes are never…