National

Black Women Face Pay Gap

Published

10 years ago

April 21, 2015

Oakland Post

Nearly 60 percent of Black women worked in either the service industry, sales or office jobs. (Stock Photo)

By Freddie Allen
NNPA Senior Washington Correspondent

WASHINGTON (NNPA) – Black women working full time earned just 64 cents for every dollar White men made in 2013, according to a new report by the Center for American Progress (CAP).

Researchers with CAP, a nonpartisan education and policy group, released the issue brief that reported that even though the types of jobs and the number of hours that women worked can affect the wage gap, “structural and economic realities that limit women’s abilities to compete with men in the labor force” also contribute to the pay disparities. It noted that Black women working several part-time jobs to make ends meet may be falling further behind.

Although White women working full time also earned less than White men (78 cents for every dollar), women of color often earned because they were stuck in low-paying jobs, worked fewer hours and had greater responsibilities as the primary caregiver in their households.

More than half of all Black children grow up in single-parent homes with their mothers. Black men raise children alone in 9 percent of single-parent households.

Black women are also less likely to graduate from high school or attend college than White women.

“This places African American and Hispanic women at a disadvantage from the moment they enter the workforce, creating major structural barriers to entering top-earning professional fields,” stated the report.

Nearly 60 percent of Black women worked in either the service industry, sales or office jobs.

“Jobs in industries such as food service—where women of color are concentrated—are often hourly jobs in which many workers are part time and schedules are subject to cancellation or alteration on short notice,” stated the CAP report.

A recent report on the effects of irregular work schedules by the Economic Policy Institute (EPI), a Washington, D.C.-based think tank focused on low- and middle-income workers, noted that employers in the retail and wholesale trade and services industries, such as hospitality and leisure, professional and business services are more likely to hire part-time workers and adjust their schedules without warning to meet immediate customer demands.

“Moreover, because precarious employment is concentrated among relatively lower-income earners, it not only exacerbates growing income inequality stifling potential economic expansion and underutilizing potential available labor input, but takes a toll on the wellbeing of working families,” the report explained.

Workers who made less than $22,500 annually were more likely to work irregular schedules than workers who earned more.

The EPI report said that, “For workers with significant caregiving or financial commitments, having weeks with as few as zero hours and days when there may be either no work or short notice to arrive at work, may make balancing work with life stressful, intolerable, or even impossible, forcing them to choose between participating in the paid labor force, unemployment, or withdrawal from the labor force.”

Just 35 percent of Black women were employed in higher-paying management, professional and related jobs compared to 48 percent of Asian women and 43 percent of White women, according to the CAP report.

EPI researchers also reported that 43 percent of workers may have less than a week’s advanced notice of their hours. Another 8 percent indicated that they knew their work schedules one to two weeks in advance had and 6 percent had two to four weeks.

“Employees who work irregular shift times, in contrast with those with more standard, regular shift times, experience greater work-family conflict, and sometimes experience greater work stress, stated the report and that work-family conflict is in turn associated with lower job and life satisfaction,” the EPI study said.

The CAP report on the race and gender wage gap said that expanding policies like paid family, medical leave and paid sick days, and strengthening equal pay laws would help women of color remain in the labor market and protect them from racial and gender discrimination.

Milia Fisher, a research associate with the Women’s Initiative at CAP and the author of the report, wrote that public policy alone will not close the gender wage gap for women of color.

Fisher concluded: “The United States needs to address both the structural drivers behind the pay gap and the persistent cultural biases against women and people of color if it wants to truly affect change for these populations.”

###

Oakland Post

Posts by Oakland Post

Up Next

Tired of Black Men Getting Shot Down, Killed in Cold Blood

Don't Miss

Lawyer: No Answer on Why Man Who Died in Custody was Stopped

Oakland Post

Click to comment

Activism

‘Resist’ a Look at Black Activism in U.S. Through the Eyes of a Native Nigerian

In 1995, after she and her brothers traveled from their native Nigeria to join their mother at her new home in the South Bronx, young Omokha’s eyes were opened. She quickly understood that the color of her skin – which was “synonymous with endless striving and a pursuit of excellence” in Nigeria – was “so problematic in America.”

Published

16 hours ago

December 29, 2024

Oakland Post

Cover of “Resist! How a Century of Young Black Activists Shaped America.” Courtesy image.

By Terri Schlichenmeyer, The Bookworm Sez

Throughout history, when decisions were needed, the answer has often been “no.”

‘No,’ certain people don’t get the same education as others. ‘No,’ there is no such thing as equality. ‘No,’ voting can be denied and ‘no,’ the laws are different, depending on the color of one’s skin. And in the new book, “Resist!” by Rita Omokha, ‘no,’ there is not an obedient acceptance of those things.

That became a bigger matter to Omokha later, 15 years after her brother was deported: she “saw” him in George Floyd, and it shook her. Troubled, she traveled to America on a “pilgrimage for understanding [her] Blackness…” She began to think about the “Black young people across America” who hadn’t been or wouldn’t be quiet about racism any longer.

She starts this collection of stories with Ella Josephine Baker, whose parents and grandparents modeled activism and who, because of her own student activism, would be “crowned the mother of the Civil Rights Movement.” Baker, in fact, was the woman who formed the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, or SNCC, in 1960.

Nine teenagers, known as the Scottsboro Nine were wrongly arrested for raping two white women in 1931 and were all released, thanks to the determination of white lawyer-allies who were affiliated with the International Labor Defense and the outrage of students on campuses around America.

Students refused to let a “Gentleman’s Agreement” pass when it came to sports and equality in 1940. Barbara Johns demanded equal education under the law in Virginia in 1951. Huey Newton and Bobby Seale formed the Black Panther Party for Self-Defense in 1966. And after Trayvon Martin (2012) and George Floyd (2020) were killed, students used the internet as a new form of fighting for justice.

No doubt, by now, you’ve read a lot of books about activism. There are many of them out there, and they’re pretty hard to miss. With that in mind, there are reasons not to miss “Resist!”

You’ll find the main one by looking between the lines and in each chapter’s opening.

There, Omokha weaves her personal story in with that of activists at different times through the decades, matching her experiences with history and making the whole timeline even more relevant.

In doing so, the point of view she offers – that of a woman who wasn’t totally raised in an atmosphere filled with racism, who wasn’t immersed in it her whole life – lets these historical accounts land with more impact.

This book is for people who love history or a good, short biography, but it’s also excellent reading for anyone who sees a need for protest or action and questions the status quo. If that’s the case, then “Resist!” may be the answer.

“Resist! How a Century of Young Black Activists Shaped America” by Rita Omokha, c.2024, St. Martin’s Press. $29.00

Oakland Post

Posts by Oakland Post

Black History

Pioneering NASA Physicist George Alcorn Revolutionized Imaging Technology and STEM Education

Born in Indianapolis in 1940, George Alcorn’s scientific curiosity was sparked early on by his father, an automobile mechanic. “I was a very fortunate boy, in that my hero was my daddy,” George once shared with the National Inventors Hall of Fame®. “I thought that what my father was doing was science.” Together, the pair spent hours tinkering with car engines, setting the stage for Alcorn’s future in STEM.

Published

16 hours ago

December 29, 2024

Oakland Post

Portrait of George Edward Alcorn Jr. Debbie McCallum. Public domain image.

By Tamara Shiloh

George Alcorn was a trailblazing physicist and engineer whose groundbreaking inventions transformed aerospace technology and imaging devices. Best known for his creation of the X-ray imaging spectrometer, Alcorn’s work at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) not only advanced space exploration but also reshaped the scientific community’s understanding of deep space phenomena.

Born in Indianapolis in 1940, Alcorn’s scientific curiosity was sparked early on by his father, an automobile mechanic. “I was a very fortunate boy, in that my hero was my daddy,” George once shared with the National Inventors Hall of Fame®. “I thought that what my father was doing was science.” Together, the pair spent hours tinkering with car engines, setting the stage for Alcorn’s future in STEM.

That foundation propelled him through an impressive academic journey. After earning a bachelor’s degree in physics from Occidental College in 1962, he pursued graduate studies at Howard University, where he received a master’s degree in 1963 and a doctorate in atomic and molecular physics in 1967.

Alcorn began his career in private industry, working at IBM on high-performance semiconductor devices. In 1978, he joined NASA GSFC, where his contributions revolutionized imaging technology and space exploration.

In 1982, he invented the X-ray imaging spectrometer, a device that allowed scientists to more accurately detect and analyze elemental and chemical components. The innovation earned him the title of 1984 NASA GSFC Inventor of the Year. This spectrometer has since been used in planetary mapping, star charting, and deep space exploration, and its descendants continue to shape modern imaging technologies.

Beyond his spectrometer, Alcorn contributed to the development of the Freedom Space Station in collaboration with international agencies and invented the Airborne LIDAR Topographic Mapping System (ALTMS). ALTMS uses light to analyze Earth’s surface and has become integral to data collection for environmental studies and drone technology.

Alongside his technical achievements, Alcorn was a passionate educator. He taught physics and engineering at Howard University and mentored underrepresented doctoral candidates at the University of the District of Columbia. Recognizing the importance of engaging students early, he co-founded the Saturday Academy, a weekend program aimed at inspiring inner-city middle schoolers in Washington, D.C., to develop an interest in math and science.

“I believe it’s so important to start learning and enjoying learning as young as possible,” Alcorn said. “It gives children even more of an advantage.”

Alcorn’s contributions earned him numerous accolades, including the prestigious Robert H. Goddard Award of Merit from NASA GSFC in 2010 and the Alumni Seal Award for Professional Achievement from Occidental College in 2012.

Reflecting on his work, Alcorn remarked, “If you have a good, interesting project, work is not coming to work – it’s coming to an adventure.”

Oakland Post

Posts by Oakland Post

Alameda County

Barbara Lee Releases Statement on Possible Run for Mayor of Oakland

Already, her backers are organizing to urge her to run for the position left vacant by the recall of former Mayor Sheng Thao, which became effective on Dec. 17. At present, Council President Nikki Fortunato Bas is serving temporarily as mayor.

Published

17 hours ago

December 29, 2024

Oakland Post

Congresswoman Barbara Lee. Courtesy photo, Office of Rep. Barbara Lee.

By Ken Epstein

Questions continue to swirl in Oakland and throughout the Bay Area over the possibility that Congresswoman Barbara Lee might run for mayor of Oakland after she leaves Congress in January.

Already, her backers are organizing to urge her to run for the position left vacant by the recall of former Mayor Sheng Thao, which became effective on Dec. 17.

At present, Council President Nikki Fortunato Bas is serving temporarily as mayor.

Lee is already meeting with city leaders and learning more about the major issues facing the city. In a social media post on Dec. 20, she released a statement clarifying her timeline for making a decision.

“The decision to run for Mayor of Oakland, a city that I have long called home, is not one I take lightly,” she said.

“As my time in Congress wraps up, my current priority is navigating the crisis before us in DC. I am working around the clock to reach a deal that will keep our government open and provide crucial resources for my district,” she continued.

“I will announce my intentions in early January,” Congresswoman Lee said.