The Racial Pay Gap for Black Women: Ways to Navigate A Salary Negotiation
The Statistics and Truth
Several wealth gaps exist simultaneously with each other in the US. Statistics in 2019 by Gender Equality Funds reported that women make 79 cents to the dollar than their male counterparts. At the same time, there is a racial wealth gap that exists. According to a Federal Reserve study in 2019, the typical White family has eight times the typical Black family’s wealth and five times the typical Hispanic family’s wealth. It gets even worse when we take a look at the pay range for Black women.
According to ThoughtCo, the claim that Black women are the most educated demographic of Americans comes from a 2014 study that cites the percentage of Black women enrolled in college compared to their other race-gender groups. According to LeanIn.org, Women are often breadwinners for their families — meaning their household depends on their paycheck. This is particularly true for some women of color: More than four in five Black mothers (81%) are the breadwinners in their families.
If Black women are the most educated demographic in the US and 81% are the breadwinners for their families, why do we get paid the least of any demographic at 61 cents to the dollar (CNBC)?
NYU Press explains misogynoir as where sexism and racism meet. Moya Bailey coined the term to describe “the specific hatred, dislike, distrust, and prejudice directed toward Black women.” Hatred isn’t limited to social interactions but seeps its way into every aspect of our lives, including our pay.
“The most disrespected person in America is the black woman. The most unprotected person in America is the black woman. The most neglected person in America is the black woman.” — Malcolm X.
Navigating a Broken System
The truth is, Black women are running a race where the odds are stacked against us. Below are ways you can attempt to move in purpose and pivot out of being lowballed. I caution all readers to know that the negotiation process can be long and draining. I completed my own in 2020, but if I didn’t see the company was worth it, I wouldn’t have continued. I’m also not complacent since receiving the raise and am planning my next plays to continue to build my career.
The Actual Negotiation — A Long Process
I received a rare opportunity to build my position within my company. At the time, our CEO gave me the green light to type up what the role would encompass and email it to her. Not too long after, the process of approval was underway. Though I had the CEO’s support, there was a chain of people I had to negotiate with around pay, accountabilities, and title. Here’s my step by step process to position yourself to receive a more aligned position, make yourself an asset on the team, request a salary increase, and play hardball if you need to.
Networking to Create Allies
I wouldn’t be where I am now without help. The relationships I cultivated within my company gave me allies I’d need later down the line to move forward. Networking isn’t always something to do outside your daily environment. Making friends inside your company opens more doors internally.
I began building relationships with two HR Team members, the Director and the Director of Diversity. I did the same with our CEO. All of them are also Black women. Look within your company for people you want to get to know better and begin building those relationships.
Position Yourself To Be An Asset To The Team
My position before I became a community engagement manager was an events associate. Aside from an intern, an associate is a lowest-paid position within the company. When COVID-19 hit, we canceled all our events for the year. I had a ton of free time on my hands and offered to help the Director of Inclusive Economies. I didn’t enjoy planning events and leaned more towards JEDI work, so it was an excellent opportunity for me to attempt to pivot out of my role.
I have a degree in Strategic Communications with a focus on public relations and African American studies. I always leaned towards my African American studies coursework but went into events as a safety net for job security. Nonetheless, my yearning to work within race, diversity, equity, inclusion, justice, and belonging remained. When I began supporting the Inclusive Economies director, I shined within the work. Within a couple of months, I innovated new projects, and it had before my full-time workstream without the title or pay.
Then over the summer, my director was out on vacation. Police officers had just murdered George Floyd in Minneapolis, MN, and protests were ongoing. My organization wanted to give a response and turned to me. I pitched the idea to create an anti-racist resource portal and had it launched within a week. The portal gained favor from our community, stakeholders and even received praise from our company’s founders.
I had made myself useful and proved myself to be knowledgeable. I became an asset to the team. I wasn’t just taking orders anymore but innovating.
If you’re in a position right now that you don’t like, get out of it. Begin to position yourself in the field that you have a natural passion for. Your genuine love is your magic, and we automatically do better when we are in our lane.
Once you find that lane, take off. Come with new ideas, passion, energy, and make yourself an asset to the team.
Request a Salary Increase Based on Streams of Work (Compare to Compensation Brackets) — Manager
There are specific compensation brackets for levels of work at my company. I began to research what our compensation frames were and how an associate position measured up against them. Then I reviewed my workstream and compared it to an associate-level position. I was doing higher-level work than an associate or senior associate role. Therefore I had earned a raise.
By this time, my CEO mentioned on a one-on-one call that she didn’t think an events role fit me. I created my ideal job description and emailed it to her within the next couple of days. In the email, I added the workstreams I was carrying, what I wanted to do, and added a manager title to fit the load. It was approved and passed on to our finance director to finalize.
I was lucky enough to have the CEO ask me to write out my job description; however, you can do the same thing. If you are doing work and want a different position to match, write it! If you do the job, you deserve the title and pay.
Pull in HR to Join The Process
I received a counteroffer from my department’s director to do a hybrid job that was a senior associate role, practically the opposite of what I submitted. At this point, I enlisted our Diversity Director and HR director to join the JD finalization process. I had been building relationships with both of them since I joined the company and knew they were allies.
But here’s a secret, HR legally has to intervene if you file a complaint or grievance. If not, they’d be open to a lawsuit later if an employee were to leave. HR exists to protect the company but also exists to support the employees. Utilize your HR department, and don’t be afraid to make noise. We have to be unafraid and unapologetic to speak up.
Begin Taking Interviews Elsewhere
While in this negotiation process with HR, my department director, and manager, I began taking interviews elsewhere. Other job offers is a significant key in negotiation. When you have positioned yourself to be an asset for a team, they won’t want you to leave. When you have an offer to go, you hold power.
If you get an offer letter from one company, tell them you want to think it over while you gather more. Assess all your options. What company is best for you? If it’s one of the companies you interviewed with, accept their offer! If not, it’s time to bring your offer letters to the negotiation process.
Bring Offer Letters to Your Company But Be Prepared To Leave
You have to have a second option when you bring offer letters to your current company. If they say no, where will you go next? Be prepared to leave your company if they show you that you aren’t valuable by not paying you more. The best scenario is that they provide a counteroffer to retain you as staff.
In my case, I received three salary increases during the year. I continued to move forward, requesting raises after each one and performing well in my role to prove I deserved it. In total, it came out to 17k in additional income. I also received the manager title I asked for and didn’t have a hybrid role I didn’t want. I won on every front. And I know you can too.
As Black women, we are playing a game stacked against us. But we can and will win. Work smarter and not harder.
Yours Truly,
Marielle
