Here’s the uncomfortable truth Black women reading this already know: Being offered less than we deserve started way before any of us first earned a paycheck. Consider one of my earliest memories. While enjoying an idyllic afternoon on the playground at recess, my best friend looked at me lovingly and said, “Lola, I don’t like Black people, but I like you.” I said “Thank you,” and a pattern of accepting what was offered began. I was five.
How Black Women Can Navigate Pay-Gap Gaslighting
The pay gap between Black women and white men has widened in 2022.
September 21, 2022
Summary.
This year, Black Women’s Equal Pay Day is almost a full two months later than it was just last year thanks to an ever-widening wage gap. While the burden of achieving equal pay remains on leaders, policymakers, and people in power, the author recommends strategies for Black women to fight the gaslighting that so often accompanies self-advocacy: call it by its name, embrace the discomfort, map what you’re making up for, fight fire with facts, let them tell you, and give yourself grace.
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New!
HBR Learning
Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging Course
Accelerate your career with Harvard ManageMentor®. HBR Learning’s online leadership training helps you hone your skills with courses like Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging. Earn badges to share on LinkedIn and your resume. Access more than 40 courses trusted by Fortune 500 companies.
How to build a better, more just workplace.