June 19, 2024
Happy Juneteenth!
Today isn’t just about marking the end of slavery, it’s a celebration of Black freedom.
At Paradigm, we’re celebrating Juneteenth by digging deep to challenge the racial inequalities that still thrive in workplaces today.
And even though I’m not an expert on anti-racism, I’m here to learn and grow. I’m here to do my part to ensure that those facing injustices aren’t also burdened with educating the rest of us about why it matters and what we can do to right these wrongs.
So while I’ll stay in my lane when it comes to speaking about lived experiences that aren’t my own, pushing for racial equity is absolutely what drives Paradigm’s work. To that end, we want to use today to spark meaningful conversations about how we, as leaders, can either prop up or tear down systemic barriers.
Join me today to explore some key statistics and lessons I’ve learned on being true allies in the fight for racial equity.
Listen Now:
Key Statistics Highlighting Racial Inequity In The Workplace
76.5 Percent of the U.S. Workforce Is White
76.5 percent of the U.S. workforce is made up of white people. Hispanic or Latine people make up 18.8 percent of the workforce, Black people make up 12.8 percent of the workforce and Asian people make up 6.9 percent of the workforce, as of 2023.
8 Fortune 500 Companies Have a Black CEO
As of 2024, eight Fortune 500 companies have a chief executive officer who is Black.
People of Color Are More Likely to Experience Workplace Bias
About 40 Percent of Black Workers Report Experiencing Discrimination at Work
About 40 percent of Black workers report experiencing discrimination at some point in hiring, pay or promotions due to their race or ethnicity. This compares to 25 percent of Asian workers and 20 percent of Hispanic or Latine workers who report discrimination.
Candidates With “Distinctively Black Names” Are Less Likely to Move Forward in Interview Process
Researchers found that job candidates who have “distinctively Black names” have a lower probability of hearing back from companies they applied to in comparison to candidates with “distinctively white names”.
Works Cited
Built In. “Examples of Unconscious Bias in the Workplace.” Accessed June 17, 2024. https://builtin.com/diversity-inclusion/unconscious-bias-examples.
Bureau of Labor Statistics. “Labor Force Statistics from the Current Population Survey.” Accessed June 17, 2024. https://bls.gov/cps/cpsaat11.htm.
National Bureau of Economic Research. “Paper w29053.” Accessed June 17, 2024. https://www.nber.org/papers/w29053.
Pew Research Center. “How Americans View Their Jobs.” March 30, 2023. https://www.pewresearch.org/social-trends/2023/03/30/how-americans-view-their-jobs/#:~:text=Black%20workers%20are%20the%20most%20likely%20to%20say%20they%E2%80%99ve%20been%20discriminated%20against%20in%20the%20workplace%20because%20of%20their%20race%20or%20ethnicity.
Yahoo Finance. “Black CEO Representation in Fortune 500 Companies.” Accessed June 17, 2024. https://finance.yahoo.com/news/black-ceo-representation-fortune-500-103000820.html
