Today, the single highest educated demographic in the US—Black women—are being laid off in government and corporate jobs, and finding doors suddenly closed to opportunities they’ve worked hard to earn. Yet they aren’t playing competitive hardball or hiding away behind closed doors. They’re reaching out—tending and befriending—as women do in times of crisis, sharing information and cheerleading one another on into that next interview or network opportunity.
In her New York Times article, “Black Women Turn to One Another as Their Career Paths Suddenly Recede,” Jordyn Holman wrote about Nneka Obiekwe launching “Black Women Rising,” a WhatsApp group chat in September to help her out-of-work friends. “Within 24 hours, more than 500 people joined. Most were midcareer or senior professionals who had been laid off in the previous few months.” After moving the group to the messaging platform, Discord, the group shared job updates, posting such things as: “I have a screening call with a recruiter tomorrow. Wish me luck!” or lamented about getting “ghosted.”
As Dr. Nancy often says, “It’s about relationships.” Seanna Leath, Ph.D., agrees and wrote for Psychology Today about how supportive friendships can reduce our social isolation, increase our sense of well-being, and build our sense of belonging in workplace and community settings. In her article, “I See You, Girl: Why Black Women’s Friendships Matter,” Leath points out how Black women must actively negotiate their sense of identity in relation to society’s biases about them, including “negative stereotypes of Black women as hypersexual, angry, or superhuman.” That last description may actually be true, considering the systems stacked against them.
As their jobs and opportunities disintegrate, Black women have become the fastest-growing group of entrepreneurs in recent years, despite receiving the least capital investment. With a strong history of imagining creative solutions, advocating for themselves when others would not, and finding resources within their community, Black women excel in the superwoman category, whatever their financial level. For example, in Mississippi, Aisha Nyandoro wrote that Black women rank at the bottom of the pay scale nationwide at $.56 for every dollar made by a white man.
In her article, “How Black Women in the South Are Protecting Each Other in a Time of Crisis” for Nonprofit Quarterly in November 2025, Nyandoro said the disparity in pay is such “that the cycle of poverty is nearly impossible to break without support, and with a federal minimum wage of $7.25, even working overtime is not enough to cover basic living expenses.” She stressed the need for community solidarity and uplifting initiatives while pushing for systemic changes. “As Black women in the South, we have always relied on one another for support—whether through family ties or community networks. In light of recent political shifts, it is vital that we continue this tradition by investing in each other’s well-being.”
Talented Black women are reaching out from every quarter, offering tips and advice to navigate these uncertain times. In her “Change-Maker Weekly Newsletter,” financial journalist and CEO of Mind Money Media, Stacey Tisdale, wrote, “This isn’t random. This isn’t imagined. And it’s not because people suddenly stopped being talented or qualified. We’re living through a moment where decisions made at the top — political, corporate, and cultural — are actively reshaping who gets access to opportunity and who doesn’t. If you don’t name that, it’s easy to start questioning yourself.” She titled her January 28 newsletter, “It’s not in your head,” and went on to list practical steps Black women can take to stay engaged and continue to make career moves past this uncertainty, including making a list of what you do well, “not for LinkedIn, just for yourself,” and “separate your self-worth from your résumé.” Most important, she advised, “Stay connected on purpose…stay visible and grounded in community.”
Hanging onto that community, offering strength and support to one another, and focusing on inclusion, not diversity, is where we must all stay focused to rise out of these unstable times. We must all gather together, tend and befriend, call out how policies designed to write the wrongs of oppression against others, like affirmative action and DEI, are being twisted in our perspective as though they were enacted to harm those with the most privilege and opportunities.
If we stay silent, who will notice when people disappear from our workplaces and communities? Actually, we all will. We need to include everyone in the mosaic of our world. Inclusion makes us stronger, smarter, and more successful. Let’s all follow the leadership of Black women’s support for each other, enact our personal affirmative action policies, and walk the walk of inclusion this Black History Month and all of the months to come—together.