‘Constant fight of belonging’
Black women struggle to find their way in job world where diversity attacked, not aided
BOSTON — Regina Lawless hit a professional high at 40, becoming the first director of diversity and inclusion for Instagram. But after her husband died unexpectedly in 2021, she pondered whether she had neglected her personal life and what it means for a Black woman to succeed in the corporate world.
While she felt supported in the role, “there wasn’t the willingness for the leaders to take it all the way,” Lawless said. “Really, it’s the leaders and every employee that creates the culture of inclusion.”
This inspired her venture, Bossy and Blissful, a collective for Black female executives to commiserate and coach each other on how to deal with misogynoir — misogyny experienced by Black women — or being the only person of color in the C-suite.
“I’m now determined to help other women, particularly women of color and
Black women, to see that we don’t have to sacrifice ourselves for success. We can find spaces or create our own spaces where we can be successful and thrive,” said Lawless, who is based in Oakland, California.
Many in Lawless’ group have no workplace peers, making them the “Onlys” — the only Black person or woman of color — which can lead to loneliness or isolation.
“Getting together helps us when we go back, and we’re the ‘only-lonelies’ in a lot of our organizations,” Lawless said.
With attacks on “diversity, equity and inclusion” initiatives raging, Black women looking to climb the corporate ladder face a more hostile landscape than ever. Aside from having to constantly prove themselves and talk in a manner that can’t be labeled as angry or emotional, obtaining top managerial positions doesn’t stop the double dilemma of racial and gender pay gaps. All this adds up to disproportionate representation of Black female senior leadership.
Claudine Gay’s resignation in January as Harvard’s first Black president following accusations of antisemitism and plagiarism was the latest in a revolving door of Black women who have been questioned or abandoned after achieving a career pinnacle.
In Boston, Charity Wallace, 37, a biotech professional, and Chassity Coston, 35, a middle school principal, reflected on their own career struggles in light of Gay’s ordeal. Wallace said she was being more cognizant of her mental health, and that’s where their young Black professionals group, sorority sisters and family come in.
“It’s a constant fight of belonging and really having your girlfriends or your homegirls or my mom and my sister. I complain to them every day about something that’s going on at work,” Wallace said. “So having that circle of Black women that you can really vent to is important because, again, you cannot let the things like this sit. We’ve been silenced for too long.”
Coston said she mourned Gay’s resignation and, fearing something similar could happen to her, she reconsidered her future in education. But she didn’t want to give up.
“We have to continue to fight just like Rosa (Parks), just like Harriet (Tubman),” Coston said.
Gay struggled despite her resume full of accomplishments, Wallace said.
“I can’t imagine how she felt trying to do that and getting all these accolades, her degrees that she has, the credentials, and it just seemed like even that was not enough for her to stay,” Wallace said.