Black Women in the Workplace

 Rachel Goodly

Harris

Engl 2017-64187

23 April 2023

Black Women in the Workplace

​I have chosen to do a visual for the class project. The primary focus will be an insight on African American women in the workplace. With that being said, my research question would be, “Are African American women judged by their appearance in the workplace?” I will be using resources including: “The ‘Angry Black Woman’ Stereotype at Work,” by Harvard Business Review and Adia Wingfield’s article, “Women Are Advancing in the Workplace, but Women of Color Still Lag Behind”. The main goal of my visual is to prove that many African American women are used as tools of excellence but are not given the credit they deserve. They are seen as hard to work with, too loud, aggressive, ghetto, and stubborn because they are creative, determined, and unwilling to be a follower. They are trailblazers that ideas get stolen from them. They are spoken over as if their voice does not matter. These women are considered as ‘hidden figures’ when it comes to success in prominent corporations, and professional programs. African American women can be seen as rare depending on the line of work, just because many people feel they do not have the capacity to succeed in workplaces. Because African American Women are demanding citizenship, challenging power, and seeking justice; the United States workforce creates restricting stereotypes to ensure these women lose hope and continue to be guinea pigs. The way African American women wear their hair, speak, and dress should have nothing to do with discrimination of opportunities. African American women are just as powerful in leadership positions as men. 

          Shirley Chrisholm’s  most famous quote states:

“I am not a candidate of black America, although I am black and proud, I am not a candidate of the women’s movement of this country, although I am a woman, and I am equally proud of that…I am a candidate of the people of America'' (Shirley Chisholm, Biography.com 1). This is proof why black women should be stamped with respect. The public degraded her name in many ways, but she chose assertiveness and kindness which resulted in her position in being elected into the United States Congress.

In conclusion, black women can only heal if the world puts their firm beliefs and morals to the side and heal together. Because Black Women are demanding citizenship, challenging power, and seeking justice; the United States workforce creates restricting stereotypes to ensure these women lose hope and continue to be guinea pigs. After reviewing and interpreting various resources and information regarding black women at work, I have come to a realization as supported on page 1 of the Harvard Business Review article:

“This pervasive stereotype not only characterizes black women as more hostile, aggressive, overbearing, illogical, ill-tempered, and bitter, but it may also be holding them back from realizing their full potential in the workplace-and shaping their experiences overall.” The power in their voice builds structure in the workplace and brings a sense of community outside of the workplace. The power of a woman is inspiring, but the power of an African American woman is unmatchable. 

Works Cited

“Shirley Chisholm.” Biography.com, A&E Networks Television, 4 May 2021, https://www.biography.com/political-figure/shirley-chisholm. Accessed 06 April 2023.

“The ‘Angry Black Woman’ Stereotype at Work.” Harvard Business Review,31 Jan 2022, https://hbr.org/2022/01/the-angry-black-woman-stereotype-at-work. Accessed 10 April 2023.

Wingfield, Adia Harvey. “Women Are Advancing in the Workplace, but Women of Color Still Lag Behind.” Brookings, 6 Jan. 2021, https://www.brookings.edu/essay/women-are-advancig-in-the-workplace-but-women-of-color-still-lag-behind. Accessed 16 April 2023.



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