Startups have become increasingly popular in recent times.
Have you ever woken up one day and thought, “Enough is enough?”
At some point, many people must have been in this situation, especially regarding employment.
The corporate world is fast and crazy, even dizzying for some.
Why More Black Women Are Considering Startups
People look at Steve Jobs and think, “Hmm, maybe I should quit my job and try my hand at a startup.”
The corporate world can be stressful and a minefield of sorts to maneuver.
And as a Black woman, it reaches a point where change is necessary.
So, why do Black women become tired of the corporate world and resort to engaging in a startup?
Let’s check out the reasons behind this growing trend.
You Can Be Black, But Not Too Black
A significant number of Black women have worked for multinationals for years.
Most of them think that they will move up the ranks towards a managerial position by passion, dedication, and hard work.
However, a dream and reality are two entirely different things.
Despite the existence of racism in the workplace, this practice is overshadowed by microaggressions, where Black women are forced to tolerate insults, put-downs, and indignities when they interact with their colleagues at work.
Black women complain of being misunderstood in the workplace.
For example, a calm personality is taken for unfriendliness and rudeness when a Black woman tones down her personality so that she can’t offend her colleagues.
An outspoken or Black woman can be regarded as too aggressive.
On the other hand, a quiet Black woman is seen as having an attitude.
For Black women, it isn’t easy to be themselves because society has already set specific standards.
Black women tend to stick to themselves and others of a similar nature.
This act of being secluded and shut out forces them to seek a place to thrive, hence the gravitation toward a startup.
The Concrete Ceiling
Successful Black women have often talked about their struggles in their books and on TV shows.
The book Slay In Your Lane perfectly surmises the glass ceiling that Black women face in their careers.
It is not to say that the glass ceiling is a challenge faced by women of color alone, just that there is a complex nature when it comes to Black women.
Everyone has heard companies talking and bragging about their diversity and inclusion culture.
However, the number of women in leadership positions outside startups is poor.
There have only been two Black female CEOs of a Fortune 500 company, which says a lot.
The reality is Black women work twice as hard but get less than half of the rewards.
They are still getting paid less than men, which begs the question, “Why not a startup?”
Double Standards
Black women have always faced double standards throughout their lives.
The same case applies in the corporate world, where they are more likely to be punished or criticized.
The blame always lands at their feet, even though they may not have been part of the project or even had a direct hand in it.
The corporate culture allows for double standards to exist because it has been the norm for a long time.
It is surprising that their attire mode gets called into question.
There is an expected dress code when working in the corporate world.
However, for Black women, it is either they are showing too little or too much skin to potential investors.
Getting gawked and groped at as an object is disgusting, at the very least, which forces them to seek alternative employment.
Black women tend to change the way they eat, talk, dress, and interact with their colleagues at work for fear of being ostracized and shunned.
There is no win-win situation for them, but rather a stop-gap measure for a never-ending problem-discrimination.
Black women are tired of the corporate rat race, of being let down, and being undervalued.
It is a tiring reality of being Black and woman.
This fear and bias of Black women tend to manifest as a false sense of superiority, denial, and anger, showing corporate America the truth, which is people need to be put in their place.
Black women have concluded that engaging in startups allows them to be expressive, free from the shackles of society, and be able to be their bosses, which has become incredibly difficult despite the notion that “we are woke.”
The writing on the wall is clear: Black women are launching startups to change the narrative and conquer the world.
