When Black Women Lead: Identifying - and Breaking Down - Barriers
Nonprofits exist to do good in the world. To heal the ailments that plague humanity, from the natural (disaster relief) to the man-made (discrimination). They are on the front lines of policy change, they lead efforts to raise awareness, they share facts and research about important topics so people who make decisions can do so based on carefully-analyzed data. Many people in the social impact sector truly believe their work, their campaigns, their voices, their contributions will change the world.
But nonprofits, despite their missions or pure intentions, are just as susceptible as any other profession to racism, gender discrimination, homophobia and all of the rest of the problems they seek to solve.
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Because, like everyplace you might work, nonprofits are filled with people and all of the stuff that comes with them.
A recent report by the Building Movement Project highlights the impact of discrimination on women of color in the nonprofit sector specifically. From salary inequity to lack of advancement opportunities, women of color in the nonprofit sector face the same challenges that they face in other work environment (or everywhere else, for that matter). Despite being highly visible on the front lines and on the right side of many social issues, women of color in nonprofits lack access, resources, and supports needed to succeed. The report, created after surveying roughly 4000 women of color in the field, debunks the refrain often heard when nonprofit leaders and board members gather around a table to explain why, once again, the newly-hired leader doesn’t reflect the community they seek to serve: “we just don’t know anyone qualified and willing to take the role.” “We posted it everywhere but no qualified candidates applied.” This report highlights the fact that despite level of education, experience, or enthusiasm, women of color are still kept from rising to the highest levels of leadership in some nonprofit organizations.
I’ve participated in countless versions of those conversations in my nearly 20-year career. Early on, I quietly wondered how there could be not one woman of color for a leadership role. I tried to figure out why the black woman with the masters degree and 20+ years of experience, who also had an excellent rapport in the community and knew the clients’ needs based on her efforts to build those relationships, wasn’t even considered for a role leading the entire department.
As I gained more experience and gradually moved through the nonprofit ranks (largely due to mentorship by a phenomenal CEO who believed in my ability) I attained such a role and title, but quickly learned increased access came with its own challenges. Sometimes my contributions or perspective were met with silence, but when a white colleague offered the same idea it was supported, nurtured, and lauded. And we don’t need to talk about times when I was told colleagues found me to be intimidating. Or the time when a white supervisor said she felt “disenfranchised” because, during a meeting between me and a few black colleagues, we were heard laughing. That was the whole offense.
I learned that having a seat at the table was meaningless if your seat is not as comfortable. No one likes feeling like they crashed a party that wasn’t meant for them.
So what should nonprofits do?
Listen. A lot. Especially to the women of color, especially to black and brown women, that work with you. And if you think you’ve already done so, do even better.
Check your values - Try to understand why you don’t see certain candidates as qualified. It could be that certain traits you consider truly essential come from a place of unconscious bias and really don’t have much to do with the role and what’s needed to succeed.
Commit to inclusion, and then act - If you want to get this right, you must create systems to ensure that everything from job descriptions to hiring committees to pay are structured with equity in mind.
Set them up for success - Value their contributions and add support that will ensure success. Connect them to mentors and create safe spaces for community on the job.
Start at the top - Examine your board and your senior leaders, and think about how to create more space for - and welcome - diverse voices at the most senior levels of your organization. Not only does that demonstrate your commitment, it creates a wider network from which to draw diverse staff and supporters in the future.
For me, there is one reason that is the most important for organizations to consider. The moral imperative of making sure the communities you serve have role models, nurturing staff members, and leadership with valuable, important perspective to guide strategic decisions. At all levels. Now, of course, allies are welcome and needed in social impact work. But diverse leaders are necessary in all areas of your organization. Your community deserves to see themselves reflected in your team.