The unpaid work of Black women is the foundation of this country’s economic and political structures. Despite the significance of our contributions, our work must be more consistently valued and equitably paid. Diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) is a tradition that we must be intentional about in terms of how Black women are honored, celebrated, supported and protected.

What had been lost over the last several years in these viral moments of #ThankBlackWomen and #MeToo is the in-depth analysis and discussion around the inaccurate generalization about Black women’s homogeneity with respect to our needs and experience(s).

Energizing and motivating Black women to continue to make gains in companies, politics, institutions, communities, etc., is grounded in a common reality that both racial and economic justices are integral priorities for us all.

Black women are capable of leading in all spaces well into the future. Our power is in our unique lived experiences, the diversity of perspectives, and our tradition of leading successful fights for justice.

It is the challenge of the workplaces, political institutions and communities at large to stop underutilizing us as leaders. It is our challenge to refrain from growing silent in the face of opposition or becoming complacent with personal success.

We must continue to speak up about the ways that racism and sexism impact the lives of all working people and remain vigilant in holding movements, organizations, politicians, etc.’ feet to the fire to eradicate these issues.

To that end, many organizations, institutions, and political spaces have been taking on new projects and conducting experiments for the development of an evidence-based framework to build Black women’s power.

Some of the major highlights from 2022:

Ketanji Onyika Brown Jackson is a Black woman and American jurist who serves as an associate justice of the Supreme Court of the United States. Jackson was nominated by President Joe Biden on Feb. 25, 2022, confirmed by the Senate on April 7 and sworn into office on June 30.

Claudine Gay, a Black woman elected president of Harvard University on Dec. 15, will take office on July 1, 2023.

Black women were amongst the most effective, whether they won or lost, in standing up against Trumpism and extremism, and were, more than other candidates, targeted with an onslaught of dark money attacks during the 2022 midterms:

• Summer Lee became the first Black woman elected to Congress from Pennsylvania.

• Emilia Sykes becomes the third Black woman to represent Ohio’s House delegation. Sykes’ win in Ohio’s 13th Congressional District now means that three Black women will be serving in the state’s delegation (including Reps. Joyce Beatty and Shontel Brown).

• Andrea Campbell was elected as Massachusetts’ first Black female attorney general and the first Black woman ever elected to statewide office.

• California’s Malia Cohen was elected as the state’s new controller, overseeing the world’s fourth-largest economy.

There were a number of Black female members of Congress elected for another two years – something that should not be overlooked in the balance of power between Republicans and Democrats: 

▪ Ayanna Pressley in Massachusetts 

▪ Lisa Blunt Rochester in Delaware 

▪ Jahana Hayes in Connecticut 

▪ Lauren Underwood in Illinois While Val Demings, Cheri Beasley and Stacey Abrams lost their races, it would be a mistake to write off these powerful Black women. They have a tremendous amount of support, and they’ve done it by actually meeting people where they are, understanding their problems, and bringing solutions.

Continued investment, partnerships, and grants to support Black women and girls and Black women-led organizations include: 

▪ Goldman Sachs 

▪ Black Girls Freedom Fund 

▪ Black Girl Ventures

When we fight to raise the economic conditions and strengthen the workplace protections afforded to Black women, we improve outcomes for Black families, Black communities, and everyone else. As a result, we improve our chances of having fully realized the American dream. If Black women don’t get justice, then it will remain elusive for all.

Dr. Kelly Mitchell Brown, an equity strategist, is senior vice president of finance and operations for Race Forward.