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POVERTY & OPPORTUNITY

Black Women experience poverty at higher rates than Black men and Women from all other racial/ethnic groups except Native American Women. Nearly one fourth of Black Women live in poverty in California.

 

Their quality of life is compromised by living in a high cost state. To afford rent in California, a resident needs to make approximately $30 an hour. Only 23% of Black Women have a Bachelor’s Degree or higher and many graduate with significant college loan debt. Dropout rates are far higher for Black students than for other students, and conversely, graduation rates are lower. Black students — both those who struggle academically and those who are high performers ready for greater challenges — are among the many children who stand to benefit from extended learning during the summer and after school.

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The forum attendees felt there wasn’t enough attention being paid to those with the highest need. There was recognition that there are community resources. However, Black Women who are eligible for benefits are often not accessing those benefits. One of the issues was that they don’t believe that these resources focused specifically on the needs of Black Women and their family structure. The attendees felt there was an immediate need to develop wrap around services and programs that support economic stability specifically for Women. In addition, utilizing the existing community resources and venues to access benefits was recognized as an opportunity. There was also conversation on developing political literacy and power around early childhood education, which includes free universal pre-school.

 

Although Black Women are attending college, there was recognition by attendees that they took longer to complete and came out with significant debt. Black Women do not earn equal pay for equal work regardless of educational attainment.  Another issue that was brought up was that asset tests prevent low income families from building net worth through homeownership and savings.

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In regards to entrepreneurship, Black Women represent a little over 7% of Women owned businesses in the state. Many of these businesses are micro enterprises, which depend on unstable contracting work to survive. Black Women who own businesses need support resources and education on sustainability. Black Women are the least likely to receive start-up capital. They have the lowest average per business sales and receipts than any other group of business owners. There are opportunities at the local level to create loan programs that could benefit small businesses. In addition, local government must look at second and third tier procurement opportunities to capture smaller businesses that do not meet prescriptive requirements for larger city contracts.

Black Women entrepreneurs struggle with access to information that is needed to thrive and grow their business. There is a California Black Chamber of Commerce along with city level Black chambers. In addition, Black Women can also participate in Women specific chambers. There are several local level commissions focused on the status of Women throughout the state. These are all resources that Black Women entrepreneurs can tap into as a resource.

 

There is an immediate need to address the state of Black Women in California. When you elevate the status of Black Women, you elevate the Black Family, which elevates the Black Community and therefore elevates the whole community. The conversation and efforts must focus on equity…not equality. These recommendations outline this direction.

RECOMMENDATIONS

  • Require policymakers and workforce development leaders to adopt strategies that promote gender and racial/ethnic equity in access to higher-paid career training opportunities

  • Push for economic development investments at every level

  • Develop workforce development programs that recruit and train Black Women in specific skills to help them gain access to career ladders and services

  • Create a California focused digital solution to provide resources and training on economic planning, credit counseling and wealth building

  • Support equitable access to affordable and high-quality early learning opportunities (e.g. universal preschool)

  • Advocate for breaking the relationship between ZIP code and school performance, so that a child’s address does not determine his or her educational destiny (Ed Trust West)

  • Push for more public resources to provide economic literacy in targeted communities and for groups

  • Get involved in the fight for fair and just 2020 Census

  • Establish partnerships to implement Independent Development Account programs

  • Capitalize on Opportunity Zone investments

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