• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Trendingnow

1

Analysts expected oil to surge above $200 but China has quietly kept prices half of that—and can’t for much longer

2

Corporate America has been draining the world's water. Matt Damon's new campaign calls on Gap, Starbucks, and Amazon to help give it back

3

Current price of oil as of June 11, 2026

1

Analysts expected oil to surge above $200 but China has quietly kept prices half of that—and can’t for much longer

2

Corporate America has been draining the world's water. Matt Damon's new campaign calls on Gap, Starbucks, and Amazon to help give it back

3

Current price of oil as of June 11, 2026
CommentaryBlack women

It’s Black Women’s Equal Pay Day. The pay gap won’t shrink until employers take these steps

By
Raena Saddler
Raena Saddler
and
Rachel Thomas
Rachel Thomas
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Raena Saddler
Raena Saddler
and
Rachel Thomas
Rachel Thomas
Down Arrow Button Icon
August 13, 2020, 8:00 AM ET

This op-ed is the second in a series by LeanIn.Org on the state of women in the workplace.

Today is Black Women’s Equal Pay Day. That means Black women had to work all of 2019 and this far into 2020 to earn what white men earned last year alone—four months longer than white women had to work to accomplish the same goal. Over the course of a Black woman’s career, the pay gap accounts for almost $1 million in lost income.

That’s a major injustice. It’s also part of a much bigger problem.

For five years, LeanIn.Org and McKinsey & Company have run Women in the Workplace, the largest study on the state of women in corporate America. Year after year, the data tell the same story: The workplace is worse for women than for men, worse for women of color than white women, and for Black women in particular, in many ways, it’s worst of all.

At this moment when our national conversation has finally turned to the systemic injustices Black people face, it’s critical that we take a hard look at what’s happening in the workplace. For too many Black women, work is yet another area where they encounter inequality and discrimination.

To understand the depths of this problem, consider the findings from last year’s Women in the Workplace study. Black women are underrepresented at every level of corporate America. The gap is largest at the top: Only 1% of C-suite leaders are Black women. But the problem really begins to show itself at the first step up from entry-level job to manager—what we call the “broken rung” on the corporate ladder. For every 100 entry-level men promoted to manager, only 58 Black women get the same recognition.

Whether you rise at work often depends on who champions you. For many Black women, it feels like no one does. Black women are less likely to have managers advocate for them. They receive less sponsorship (the informal support senior employees give promising junior employees). And 59% of Black women say that they have never—not once—had an informal interaction with a senior leader at their company.

All this contributes to a workplace where Black women regularly deal with disrespect and microaggressions. They’re more than twice as likely as men to be mistaken for someone at a much lower level. They’re more likely than other employees to hear people express surprise at their language skills or other abilities. And for the half of Black women who are the only or one of the only women of color on their teams, being at work means feeling closely watched and on guard.

Finally, there’s allyship. More than 80% of white employees consider themselves allies to people of color at work, according to new data from Lean In and SurveyMonkey. But only 45% of Black women say that they have strong allies at work. And fewer than 40% of white employees say they have ever spoken out against racism at work.

This data about Black women’s experiences at work should ring alarm bells in every C-suite; we’ve presented it in a new report: The State of Black Women in Corporate America. Companies must move swiftly to change things for the better. What better day to take action than Black Women’s Equal Pay Day?

Business leaders should commit publicly to doing more to advance Black women. Then they must embrace an intersectional approach. The challenges Black women face are rooted in a combination of sexism and racism, so any attempt to support them must take both into account. For example, companies should track representation by gender and race combined and set hiring and promotion targets for women of color and Black women specifically. Right now, only 7% of companies set hiring and promotion targets in this way. That leaves many Black women and other women of color at least somewhat invisible, which is exactly the problem companies should be solving. And that intersectional approach should be applied across the board: to compensation, to access to mentorship and sponsorship, and to other factors that affect employees’ success and satisfaction.

Companies must also work on creating a culture in which Black women are meaningfully included and welcome. Educating employees about sexism and racism—and empowering them to speak up when they see them—is key. But rooting out bad behavior isn’t enough. Companies must proactively cultivate good behavior—for example, by requiring allyship training that teaches white employees how to advocate for colleagues of color.

For years, Lean In has urged employers to make their workplaces equal for women. We know from our data that the only effective and lasting way to do that is by centering the women who are most marginalized. If employers want to do better by women, they must do better by Black women.

Raena Saddler is VP of people and managing director of LeanIn.Org. Rachel Thomas is cofounder and CEO of LeanIn.Org. Their new report is The State of Black Women in Corporate America.

About the Authors
By Raena Saddler
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon
By Rachel Thomas
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in Commentary

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in Commentary

fort
CommentaryFlorida
Ken Griffin has Miami. Stephen Ross has West Palm Beach. Fort Lauderdale had Wayne Huizenga — and it’s been winning ever since
By Jenni MorejonJune 12, 2026
3 hours ago
Three ways that Asia’s enterprises are adopting AI—and where they are falling behind
CommentaryOracle
Three ways that Asia’s enterprises are adopting AI—and where they are falling behind
By Garrett IlgJune 11, 2026
17 hours ago
gordon
CommentaryVenture Capital
Gordon Ritter: I predicted AI’s learning loop a decade ago. The doomers are still measuring the wrong thing
By Gordon RitterJune 11, 2026
1 day ago
bessent
CommentarySocial Security
Social Security and Medicare are heading toward insolvency. Congress has 6 years to act
By Steve H. Hanke and David M. WalkerJune 11, 2026
1 day ago
Digital sovereignty isn’t the same thing as digital isolation. Asia’s governments should be careful
Commentarydata sovereignty
Digital sovereignty isn’t the same thing as digital isolation. Asia’s governments should be careful
By Leonard LimJune 10, 2026
2 days ago
tim
CommentaryAirline industry
Merlin CTO: autonomy can rebuild the foundation of aviation — and national security
By Tim BurnsJune 9, 2026
3 days ago

Most Popular

Analysts expected oil to surge above $200 but China has quietly kept prices half of that—and can’t for much longer
Energy
Analysts expected oil to surge above $200 but China has quietly kept prices half of that—and can’t for much longer
By Sasha RogelbergJune 10, 2026
2 days ago
Corporate America has been draining the world's water. Matt Damon's new campaign calls on Gap, Starbucks, and Amazon to help give it back
Environment
Corporate America has been draining the world's water. Matt Damon's new campaign calls on Gap, Starbucks, and Amazon to help give it back
By Catherina GioinoJune 9, 2026
3 days ago
Current price of oil as of June 11, 2026
Personal Finance
Current price of oil as of June 11, 2026
By Joseph HostetlerJune 11, 2026
1 day ago
When SpaceX starts trading, some 'shareholders' will discover they own nothing at all
Investing
When SpaceX starts trading, some 'shareholders' will discover they own nothing at all
By Jim EdwardsJune 12, 2026
3 hours ago
Marc Lore’s robots make 500 burrito bowls an hour. A human can make 45
Innovation
Marc Lore’s robots make 500 burrito bowls an hour. A human can make 45
By Amanda GerutJune 9, 2026
3 days ago
Costco CEO Ron Vachris rose from forklift driver to the C-suite without a college degree: ‘Don’t chase a title’ is the career advice that got him there
Success
Costco CEO Ron Vachris rose from forklift driver to the C-suite without a college degree: ‘Don’t chase a title’ is the career advice that got him there
By Preston ForeJune 8, 2026
4 days ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.