THE ONLY

09

THE ONLY

Unicorn Satus and Added Challenges

Despite numerous examples of “winning” by women of color, the data showed several disheartening findings. The “Only” still exists in far too many business environments. 47% of Black women, almost half, say they are frequently or always the ONLY person of color in a professional situation. “Unicorns.” By contrast, 73% of white women reported that they are RARELY the only person of their race in a professional setting. The 47% figure is troublesome because “only-ness” has distinct costs. Black women are twice as likely as white women to say that their work is viewed skeptically. 23% of LatinX and 17% of Asian women also held this view.

31% of Black women said their race and gender led to their job applications being viewed more skeptically. By contrast, only 17% of our white respondents felt that way. And the extra scrutiny can cause serious “stress.” Several surveys have said that women of color face more “micro-aggressions.” Their judgement is questioned in the workplace and even senior women are mistaken for support staff.

Respondents, especially Millennial women, agreed that stress on the job is significant. However, Black women overall seem to absorb or suppress most of the pain. There may be historical precedents for this. In their book, Stewart and Adams cite Harvard School of Public Health leaders who say that even today, there is a belief in some parts of the medical community that African Americans do not feel pain in the same ways. This is a holdover from slavery times, a justification for whipping and other mistreatment. In a befuddling contrast, white Millennials in our survey reported the highest level of stress at 80%.