A Seat At The All-White Table: Diversity, Equality and Inclusion

Report shows Black women need to work until they are 83 years of age to earn what white men earn by the age of 60 (Black Enterprise). Join us for this candid conversation on race, gender and the American labor force.

US Department of Labor: 5 Facts about Black Women in the Labor Force

1.    Black women earn 63 cents for every dollar earned by white, non-Hispanic men.
In comparison, white, non-Hispanic women earn 78.7% of white, non-Hispanic men’s earnings, and Asian women earn 87.1%.

2.    This wage gap is not just driven by educational differences. 
Black women with advanced degrees have median weekly earnings less than white men with only a bachelor’s degree.

3.     Black women have the highest labor force participation rate of all women.  

4.     Black women have also experienced high unemployment, especially in the wake of the pandemic. 
Typically, Black women have higher labor force participation rates than other women, meaning a higher share of Black women are either employed or unemployed and looking for work. For instance, in 2019, Black women’s labor force participation rate was 60.5% compared with 56.8% for white women. Even in 2020, in the midst of the pandemic, their labor force participation rate was 58.8%, compared to 56.2% for women overall.

5.     Black moms, too, have relatively high labor force participation rates.
Black mothers – two-thirds of whom are equal, primary or sole earners in their households – have higher labor force participation rates than other moms. This has historically been the case, and 2020 was no exception: 76.0% were in the labor force, compared with 71.3% of white moms, 62.8% of Hispanic moms and 64.3% of Asian moms

The gender wage gap affects women of all races, but it affects Black women the most.    (Black Enterprise).

Questions, please email: AAHCEprograms@richlandlibrary.com

Registration Information:

•    This event is held via Zoom.
•    Click the green registration button below to register.
•    The Zoom event link will be e-mailed to registrants the day prior to the event.  If you don’t have a Richland Library card, click here to get a card or register as a guest.  A valid e-mail address is required to attend. 

This program is in partnership with the South Carolina Humanities Council and the African-American History and Cultural Events Committee (AAHCE).

Richland Library received a Growth Grant from South Carolina Humanities, www.schumanities.org. Funding for the Growth Grants has been provided by the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) as part of the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 and the NEH Sustaining the Humanities through the American Rescue Plan (SHARP) initiative