Black women struggle to find their way in a job world where diversity is under attack

Regina Lawless hit a professional high at 40, becoming the first director of diversity and inclusion for Instagram. But after her husband died suddenly 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.

- Terry Tang and Michael Casey

While she felt supported in the role, "there wasn't the willingness for the leaders to take it all the way," Lawless said. "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 women in Lawless' group have no workplace peers, making them the "Onlys" the only Black person or woman of color which can lead to feelings of 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 just the latest in a revolving door of Black women who have been aggressively questioned or abandoned after achieving a career pinnacle.