#GBEF: Inequities Run Rampant

At The Global Black Economic Forum, we shine a light on the inequities that persist in work, wealth, and health for BIPOC Americans.

Jul 11, 2023

Right before our company-wide vacation, Lauryn Nwankpa and I spoke at the Global Black Economic Forum on the state of equity in work, wealth, and health. Thank you, Alphonso David, for the invite! We were in good company with Vice President Kamala Harris and Secretary of the Treasury Janet Yellen, among many other dynamic speakers.

💡Highlights

Global Black Economic Forum Presentation: Grounded In Truth

What:

As covered by Melissa Noel for Essence, "There’s A Sense Of Allyship, But Little Action” our recent data shows the compounding impact of racism and discrimination in America across wealth, work, and health.

“The way to right wrongs is to turn the light of truth upon them.”

Ida B. Wells said in her social justice/anti-lynching speech in 1892

This quote speaks to the intention of the presentation, which was to set a foundational grounding in what’s happening in society so that companies, leaders, and citizens can address it. In a post-truth society that lives in TikTok and cable news subcultures, how do people ground themselves in facts and validate their lived experiences? Data is one answer.

What the data tells us:

Here is the full presentation of our conversation at #GBEF. The data in this presentation is primarily from June 2023, sourced from The Harris Poll’s ‘America This Week’ tracker, and includes two fantastic reports from our partners Hue: The State of Inequity and The Skimm: State of Women reports.

Majorities believe there is systemic racism in America, yet White Americans are less likely to think we need to act on it. Only 37% of White Americans strongly agree that “it’s important for society to address the impacts of discriminatory practices (v. 61% of Black Americans)”
Nothing has changed at work- nothing! HR directors think they’ve implemented change, but employees say they don’t see any change.
Economic headwinds are more severe for BIPOC Americans. Side note: as of June 2023, 61% of BIPOC Americans are worried they will lose their job (v. 41% of White Americans).
Black Americans are losing their access to healthcare (at higher rates than White Americans).
Black American rank corporations as dead last in advancing equity.
There are simple things Black employees report that would have a significant impact on their lives if corporations prioritize them.
White Americans are the least likely to “go out of their way to support Black-owned, or minority-owned businesses”, a key signal of allyship.
The future: Hispanic and Black Americans turn their attention to systemic racism education, intentional voting, and ‘no harm’ buying

What to think about?

'You have to act as if it were possible to radically transform the world.

And you have to do it all the time.’

-Angela Davis

We cannot get weighed down by the difficult realities this data reflects; we must leverage it as a springboard toward action. The point of this data is to remind leaders and citizens we cannot afford to be complacent. Instead, we need to tackle each intersection where inequities persist and radically rethink how we can transform it, from the ways we build wealth to the ways we access healthcare, education, and the foundations of safety and security.

Lauryn had some fantastic points about how despite the challenges, Black Americans “continue to carve out spaces for themselves, create boundaries, lean into rest culture, and teach their children about issues like systemic racism and equity so that they can be equipped and adequately informed.”

DM me if you want the entire presentation. Also, hit up Lauryn if you are a brand that wants to create meaningful change in this space; that is core to her work at Brand Citizens.

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Penned by Libby Rodney and Abbey Lunney, founders of the Thought Leadership Group at The Harris Poll. To learn more about the Thought Leadership Practice, just contact one of us or find out more here.

The Next Big Think!