The Greater Cincinnati Foundation grant will help Black Achievers create a leadership academy and workforce training program to help Black women obtain upward economic mobility. This will be a two year program that will impact the lives of hundreds of local women and their families. Many Black women feel isolated, alone and unsupported in their careers especially as they try to move up in an organization. There are documented barriers that hold Black employees, especially Black women back, from reaching management and upper level positions. According to USA Today, Black women are less likely than their white coworkers to have a sponsor from upper management. Even worse, many Black women do not know that they need a sponsor to help navigate their career or how to go about getting one. Obtaining mentorship and sponsorship is a skill that has to be taught, not something that can be left to chance encounters in order to be impactful for Black women. Also the cost of many existing leadership programs cost thousands of dollars and are not feasible for young professionals just starting out in their careers. The Black Achievers Leadership Academy is free for our members.
Black Achievers has created a Leadership Academy for Black Women. We will equip women leaders with actionable strategies to overcome the hurdles women often face in the workplace. We will offer an immersive leadership development experience designed to drive results and accelerate the advancement of Black women. We will offer (8) week-long sessions of networking, team-building activities, and in-depth programming to be successful in their career. Sessions will include workshops, discussion groups, and classroom-style learning.
“Once I saw the statistic that nearly 35% of Black women with a college degree earn less than $15/hr I knew we had to do something. Our team will help provide the training, support and network connections to help women in the Black Achievers network obtain the skills needed to obtain higher paying careers,” said Michael Moore, President & Founder of Black Achievers.
In a recent article by Movers & Makers Magazine the following information was stated:
“By 2040, people of color will be the majority in Hamilton County. Unlocking the potential of this diverse workforce will be a boon to our regional economy,” said Ellen Katz, President and CEO of GCF.
Adding to the reasons why GCF has chosen to focus on helping Black women, other data from credible sources shows that:
Nearly half of employed Black women make less than $15 an hour compared to 27% for white women and 24% for all women.
Black women are not seeing the economic returns for increased educational attainment, as 32% of employed Black women with a bachelor’s degree are making less than $15 an hour compared to 13% of white women, 10% of Black men and 11% of white men at the same education level.
With the highest unemployment rate of the gender-racial cohorts, Black women have a disproportionately harder time gaining employment.
26% of Black women have annual earnings below the federal poverty level.
Black women are predominantly in jobs that do not pay a living wage.
Within occupations that employ the highest number of Black females, there is a high concentration in health care, retail, administration and food service support, which are four of the five top industries in our region by number of employees.
### About Black Achievers
Black Achievers, Inc. was founded in 2018 by Michael R. Moore. Black Achievers is now one of the largest Black Professional organizations in the state of Ohio. With over 4,000 members in Cincinnati and over 30,000 members nationwide. The organization's mission is to connect, educate and economically empower African Americans. Serving as a pipeline of diverse talent for nonprofits and corporations. For more information visit: www.blackachievers.com.
About Greater Cincinnati Foundation
As the region’s leading community foundation, Greater Cincinnati Foundation (GCF) connects people with purpose in an eight-county region in Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana. We are nimble, resourceful, and community driven. We are leading the charge toward a more vibrant Greater Cincinnati for everyone — now, and for generations to come. For more information visit: www.gcfdn.org