What society gets wrong about the ‘angry Black woman’ stereotype

As a Black woman, I am all too familiar with the racial trope of “the angry Black woman.” The misogynoir I am affronted with on a daily basis is evergreen. I’ll let you in on the private truth. We are angry. But have you ever paused to ask yourself why?

Workplace inequities like unequal pay, disparity in promotions, incidents of sexual harassment, and racism are most often experienced by women. And (you guessed it!) more egregiously so for women from historically-excluded groups. The fact remains that cis, heteronormative, white males are still the most common authority and arbiters – and beneficiaries – of workplace norms. And, should we dare attempt to disrupt these norms by bringing these inequities to the forefront, we are often dismissed as too emotional, labeled as “angry,” or subjected to workplace discrimination.

As we continue to emerge from the Covid-19 pandemic, women have been flocking to social media to share stories of the unimaginable costs of childcare. Understandably, as the accumulated cost of raising a child sits at $310,605. Among these voices is Reshma Saujani, founder of the non-profit organization, Moms First, which brings awareness to issues that impact women inside and outside the workplace. She recently said, “Mothers don’t break, but they’re broken right now. Fifty-one percent of mothers say that they’re anxious and depressed. The CDC released a study saying that the subgroup that is suffering the most anxiety and depression are working women…We are supposed to be martyrs essentially or have it all together…There’s no outlet for us…When working women make a list, it’s like their kids, their partner, their pet and then themselves. We’re last on the list.”

However, as I scrolled through the social media feeds, I noticed a predictable series of condescending voices suggesting that women ought to just shut up and be grateful. A common sentiment from women in response was “It’s 2023, can you believe we still have to deal with proving gender inequities exist?” It should be an obviously rhetorical question. Apparently, it must be asked and answered.

The basic needs of women, including access to affordable caregiving, transportation, education, housing, and economic stability – continue to go unmet, with employers yet to fulfill their role in addressing gaps in benefits and new ways of working. This lack of action is perhaps most saliently realized in the ongoing return-to-office (RTO) discussion. Mandates to RTO impact the finances of women most acutely, as the gender pay gap persists while we weather a U.S. caregiving crisis. The disparities are so engrained that a recent study by Pew Research noted that, regardless of experience or education, when parenthood is a factor, dads get paid more than moms. There are even terms for it – the fatherhood wage premium vs. the motherhood penalty.

Unfortunately, these represent only a few examples of the inequitable norms that construct the current status quo. Consider the pink tax, a phenomenon in which products and services consumed by women are more costly; the glass ceiling, the barriers women face in workplace advancement; and the glass cliff, scenarios in which women with racialized identities are placed in poorly performing companies and set up to fail, etc.

For Black women like me, or women of other historically excluded groups, these issues are all the more poignant. We have the unfortunate experience of what experts call “double jeopardy” – we experience discrimination and inequity for two marginalized identities – being women and being racialized. Dr. David Williams, a public health professor at Harvard University’s T. H. Chan School of Public Health, is best known for his work on everyday discrimination and its detrimental impacts on health. There is a physical and psychological impact on women working in unsupportive and unhealthy workplaces. This workplace-induced stress causes physiological changes to our bodies and can result in chronic changes and a shorter lifespan. For us as Black women, the repercussions of daring to emote – to “be angry” – are as consequential as those for remaining silent about our plight. Our health and literal lives are at stake.

In attempts to better our situation, women are leaving the workplace in droves, switching positions and even starting our own businesses at rates higher than ever before. Yet, we continue to be exhausted by empty promises, exploited by underpayment, and are expected to smile and look pretty while we do it. In 1981, the National Women’s Studies Association was graced by Audre Lorde’s keynote speech, during which she said that “anger expressed and translated into action in the service of our vision and our future is a liberating and strengthening act of clarification, for it is in the painful process of this translation that we identify who are our allies with whom we have grave differences, and who are our genuine enemies”. Women have learned to know our value and to demand better than suffering in silence.

Women have been unduly expected to expend emotional capital on adhering to antiquated ways of working that do not meet our needs. A recent Ellevest report on the state of women’s financial health found that women’s top financial goal is taking care of their family, while men’s is their retirement. How are we supposed to consider the future when the present is continuously at risk? Implementing equity and choice as standard workplace policy is the only way forward. Emotional? Perhaps. Angry? Sure. The challenge I would pose to all is, wouldn’t you be angry too?

Amira Barger an executive vice president at a global communications firm, providing diversity, equity and inclusion counsel to clients. She is also an adjunct professor of marketing and communications at Cal State East Bay. Follow her on LinkedIn.