Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion have been topics of interest for corporations for many years. Senior leaders within organizations express the importance of diversity, equity, and inclusion in the workplace and share their goals to improve. However, the lack of diverse presence and talent in senior leadership and executive roles still persists when organizational structures are reviewed.

Research suggests various factors that negatively impact the development and advancement of Black employees, specifically Black women in Corporate America. There are misconceptions and racial biases associated with the intersectionality of being Black and a woman; Black women are treated differently from White women and non-Blacks as a result of their gender and race. The physical traits, including cultural insignias and hairstyles, present in Black women have been considered unprofessional in the workplace environment. Furthermore, Black women are sometimes considered aggressive and overbearing because of their tone and confidence when presenting and engaging with others in the workplace. It is apparent that Black women experience challenges in Corporate America that adversely influence their trajectory to become leaders within their organizations.

Addressing Racial Disparity

Dr. LaTonya Stewart has created a plan to address the racial disparity issues in Corporate America so that Black women are afforded equitable opportunities to advance and become senior leaders and executives.

As a native of the Midwest, Dr. Stewart has always been driven to lead with passion and execute results. The racial disparity Dr. Stewart observed throughout her career inspired her to become a scholar and influencer of social justice, which led her to expand her geographic location to the South.

Dr. LaTonya Stewart’s Research

Dr. Stewart recently earned her Doctorate in Leadership for Organizations (Ed.D.) from the University of Dayton. Her research consisted of a Critical Action Research (Hesse-Biber, 2017) study utilizing the sequential mixed method to examine the experiences of Black women leaders in corporate spaces in the U.S. by situating their experiences in national and local Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) data. Her research delved into the nuanced experiences of Black women previously employed at the organization of interest (Mertler, 2020). The study focused on researching the problem of practice regarding the disproportionately low number of Black women in leadership roles in an organization that professes to value inclusion, diversity, and equity (IDE) in the workplace.

Photo Courtesy: Dr. LaTonya Stewart / Nina S.

Action Plan and Objectives

The study results indicated an urgency for senior leaders to commit to increasing inclusion, diversity, and equity, as well as creating a space for Black women to be their authentic selves. The themes derived from Dr. Stewart’s research inspired her to create an action plan to address the problem. The objectives of the action plan are to:

1. Increase the recruitment and retention rate of Black talent within the organization.

2. Improve opportunities for success and advancement of Black women.

Meeting these objectives better aligns the organization with its mission and minimizes the disproportionately low number of Black women in senior leadership and executive positions, as reflected in the EEO reports.

Partnering with Corporations

Dr. Stewart is excited to partner with corporations and market her strategic plan to CEOs and other executive leaders to bridge the racial disparity gap among Black women in Corporate America. She understands the importance of using her voice to break down barriers by having “courageous conversations” (Singleton, 2015), which is key to promoting social justice and equity.

Dr. Stewart recognizes that increasing diversity, equity, and inclusion is a sensitive topic and can create controversy. However, her passion for enacting change and challenging racial biases drives her purpose. She believes that “The POWER within must be ignited by PASSION and Driven by PURPOSE” – Dr. Stewart.

References:

Hesse-Biber, S. N. (2017). The practice of qualitative research (3rd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications. ISBN-13: 978-1452268088.

Mertler, C. A. (2020). Action research: Improving schools and empowering educators (6th ed.). Sage Publications, Inc.

Singleton, G. E. (2015). Courageous conversations about race: A field guide for achieving equity in schools (2nd ed.). Corwin.

Published by: Martin De Juan