The Toll of Workplace Shenanigans on Black Women

We all saw it. During a routine House Oversight Committee meeting regarding the potential contempt of Congress charge against Attorney General Merrick Garland, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene made a controversial remark about the physical appearance of a fellow congresswoman.

Addressing Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Texas, the Georgia Republican suggested that Crockett’s “fake eyelashes” were obstructing her ability to read and comprehend the points discussed in last week's hearing.

In response, Crockett criticized Greene for having a “bleach-blonde, bad-built, butch body.”

I won't comment on the decorum of our Congress. As well, those who know me know I don't have time for respectability of any kind. Greene verbally attacked Crockett and when Crockett returned the energy, Greene played the victim.

And while Crockett was quick to act and created merch to match, as we close out Mental Health Awareness Month, I know that incident was hard on her and one of many. Micro and microaggressions take a toll, no matter how rapid the response.

Nearly 40% of Black women have left their jobs due to feeling unsafe, according to Exhale’s The State of Self-Care for Black Women report. When I envisage Black women in the workplace, I imagine pillars of strength, vibrant and celebrated, unmovable, resilient, overqualified, and often self-sacrificing. These “superwomen” stand tall amid a barrage of barriers erected to keep us in our place—because what other choice is there? The dark side of these images is that no amount of real or imagined armor is impervious to the negative impacts of exploitive workplace practices on our mental and physical health.

Consider these findings: in some instances, Black women are found to be 7.5 years biologically ‘older’ than their white counterparts and are three times more likely to die from pregnancy-related causes. Black women who experience racism have an increased risk of heart disease.

In a 1962 speech, Malcolm X asserted, “The most disrespected person in America is the Black woman. The most unprotected person in America is the Black woman.” In 2020, I heard that sentiment echoed by Vice President Kamala Harris when she stated: “The litmus test for America is how we are treating Black women.” Sadly, the truth of her statement rings as accurate today as it did 60 years ago.

I also believe that life and death are at the core of what we say and think.

Burnout as a Health Equity Issue

The demands for justice in labor are not new but are simply part and parcel of the lived experience that we, Black women, occupy. Even so, attempts to bring attention to our plight are often misunderstood and unwelcome. A 2016 Harvard Business Review article noted that women and historically underrepresented people are penalized and scrutinized for promoting diversity at work, while white men do not face the same negative repercussions. This results in an invisible labor and inclusion tax manifested only upon historically excluded communities.

These invisible factors and taxes affect well-being determinants and exacerbate workplace inequity, those stressors that lead to burnout. 77% of Black women believe there is a need for more well-being resources catered to our specific needs. The expansive nature of those needs must be considered; in Edelman’s Trust and Health report, it was found that only 1% of respondents define health as purely physical. Sixty-six percent say physical health, mental health, social health, and community livability are a part of their definition.

Burnout Solutions

The World Health Organization (WHO) officially classified “burnout” in 2019 as a syndrome that “ . . . results from chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed,” and WHO notes that “burnout refers specifically to phenomena in the occupational context and should not be applied to describe experiences in other areas of life.” It should come as no surprise that the stress of race and gender-based discrimination in the workplace shows up in heightened ways for Black people—and Black women in particular—and can be linked to adverse health outcomes.

Burnout is a health equity issue. Health equity is a workforce issue. According to Edelman, employers are often employees' most trusted institutions when it comes to health. Employees say employers must implement policies to prevent burnout, and CEOs must talk about the importance of mental health in the workplace and model healthy work-life boundaries. It is therefore incumbent on employers to address the growing crisis and offer choices beyond “hustle harder,” “burnout and bear it,” or “quietly quit.” So often, rather than finding solutions for exploitative systems, the focus falls on symptoms (like burnout) experienced by oppressed communities or individuals when, in reality, the root problem (white supremacy) needs to be addressed for any sustainable change to take place.

Now What?

I find myself somewhere in the middle of breaking things down and building things up. That is, breaking down the systemic barriers noted above that impact the mortality of Black women and building up solutions that get us closer to equity. But even with those efforts underway, I know many institutions and initiatives are failing Black women.

I will continue to shed light on the toll of exploitive workplace practices on Black women - period. I do believe we can work together to create real change. It’s time for employers to prioritize the health and well-being of all their employees, especially those historically marginalized and overlooked. Let's address the root causes of workplace inequity and create environments where treating others poorly isn't the status quo.

✨ New episode alert! ✨ Check out, "The Ajayi Effect" podcast to hear more about what I think about Black women, safety, and mental health at work.