Black Women’s Equal Pay Day: Commanding a Shift in Wage Inequity
Candice L. Dixon
Command Shift: Accelerating More Women of Color in Tech| Atlanta Business Chronicle 40 Under 40| PRovoke Media Innovator 25
"Employers must recognize the institutionalized barriers women of color face, including anxiety, self-doubt, and more, set from when they were raised." - Kim Davis
An Advocate and Champion of Command Shift: Kim Davis, Senior EVP, National Hockey League
It was an honor to welcome Kimberly Davis as a keynote speaker at our recent retreat, hosted by our founding partner Citi .
There is so much to say about this brave, brilliant and dynamic woman. She is a highly respected and renowned leader in the corporate and philanthropic communities and has motivated several of the country’s most prestigious organizations, including JPMorgan Chase and the National Hockey League, to initiate the changes necessary for inclusion of underrepresented populations at all levels in their business ecosystems, including women of color from non-traditional backgrounds.
Kim’s presentation inspired a dynamic discussion around the challenges and opportunities for women of color in entering, persisting and thriving in the tech workforce and achieving the economic mobility they deserve.
We are grateful and humbled that Kim is a friend, ally and advocate of Command Shift, and our work together is just beginning. Thank you, Kim!
Candice L. Dixon, Coalition Director
September 21 - Black Women’s Equal Pay Day
While wages for some Black women have increased, deep gaps still remain in pay equity.
According to the Center for American Progress, women of color earned just 64 cents for every $1 earned by white, non-Hispanic men in 2020. And, according to LeanIn.org, Black women in the U.S. are paid 36% less than white men and 20% less than white women.
It’s clear that much more work needs to be done on this critical issue, and September 21st -- Black Women’s Equal Pay Day -- is a reminder to us all that this is an issue we must strive to correct each and every day. Our work must focus not just on the wage inequities experienced by Black women in the US workforce, but the structural barriers and biases that prevent Black women from attaining good paying jobs, such as tech positions, and persisting and thriving for long-term economic mobility and growth.
At Command Shift, we believe it’s the responsibility and obligation of the business community, along with public and nonprofit sectors, to continue pushing the initiatives, policies and reforms necessary to right this wrong.
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Activating the Equation for Equality: Broadridge , A true champion of the Command Shift movement enabling better financial lives.
Broadridge is a global Fintech leader providing critical infrastructure that powers investing, corporate governance, and communications to enable better financial lives. As a global leader, Broadridge is “Ready for Next” with an approach to talent, culture, and the marketplace that remains equipped for innovation. Broadridge believes that for their company culture to succeed, they must implement strategies, policies, and practices that increase the inclusion and belonging of associates across level, department, tenure, social identity, and background. These practices include DEI-focused learning and development, DEI champion and advocate development, and associate engagement. In the marketplace, Broadridge designs strategies, processes, and systems to leverage their commercial ecosystem to advocate for DEI with clients, suppliers, advisors, investors, and surrounding communities.
As a true advocate for NPower and the Command Shift Coalition, through our partnership, they have invested in empowering military veterans and young adults from underserved communities with the skills and access they need to break into the digital labor market. In keeping with their corporate purpose – to strengthen and enable better financial lives and futures – their work with NPower has resulted in successful careers in technology, transformed lives, and systemic change in the most vulnerable communities where we live and work.
Broadridge has also been a true leader within the Command Shift Coalition, where their Vice President of Talent Management & Development, Judy Winter-Giella , serves as a Steering Committee Member.
“As a leading provider of technology, communications, and data and analytics solutions, Broadridge recognizes that investing in diverse talent provides opportunities and clears the path for the next generation of leaders. Increasing and advancing young women of color in technology careers will breed innovation, promote digital inclusion and close the gender gap in a field where women have been consistently underrepresented. I firmly believe that enabling diversity in tech requires leadership commitment and strategic focus, which is why I am proud to be a part of NPower’s Command Shift coalition. We cannot affect change without real, measurable action. Especially today, on Black Women’s Equal Pay Day, we must advocate and commit to making a more inclusive space in the tech industry and ensure all women of color have a seat at the table.”
We are fortunate to have members like Judy and partners like Broadridge to uplift this movement, champion women of color, and push us toward achieving our goal of pipelining more women of color into tech careers. We know that support from committed partners and advocates will activate new champions ready for a seismic shift that will create a more inclusive and diverse tech workforce.
The Equation in Action: In Celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month (Sept. 15 - Oct. 15)
Luisana Estevez, Data Center Product Operations Engineer, Meta
After moving from the Dominican Republic to New York at the age of 14, Luisana felt the tremendous responsibility of fulfilling her mother’s dream of her having access to opportunities to pursue higher education and further develop her passion for tech. Taking a robotics class in high school and interning in roles that provided network support and data center maintenance, she quickly became aware of the crucial role technology plays in our lives. Luisana was very interested in learning more about how to help others understand how to integrate technology into their day-to-day activities. She was introduced to NPower through a friend and decided to join. Upon graduating from NPower, Luisana launched her tech career at Bank of America as an IT intern and was soon promoted to a full-time position in Operations Support. Continuing to make her path in tech, she joined Google as an Information Technology Resident and transitioned into a Technical Solutions Engineer.
Currently, she is a Data Center Product Ops Engineer for Meta and the opportunities are endless as she continues her journey in tech. Serving as an Alumni Board Observer, Luisana is a crucial part of the NPower community.
“At NPower, I met extraordinary young adults who were just as eager for a change and knowledge as I was. I felt at home. I have memories that I will continue to cherish forever.”
Command Shift and NPower - Event Recaps | News
I was honored to participate in Black Enterprise Magazine 's “Women of Power TECH” conference as a panelist during the conversation, Black Women in Tech: Can’t Keep a Good Woman Out. Thank you to Alisa Gumbs at Black Enterprise for the invitation and curation of the panel and Kim Jackson at UnitedHealth Group for providing a powerful insight into her experience as a Black woman entering, persisting, and thriving in the tech industry.
During the final day of the Black is Tech Conference 2022, I had the pleasure of amplifying the work Command Shift is doing to advance women of color into the tech industry during the session, The Equation for Equality: Accelerating More Women of Color in Tech. The engaged audience found the stories shared highlighting the barriers and opportunities women of color in the tech industry experience relatable and agreed that there is still much more work to be done to ensure young women of color thrive in the tech industry. For a limited time, purchasing access to session recordings can be made here.
As seen in Forbes: Three Lessons Nonprofits can Teach Business by ☀️Bertina Ceccarelli , CEO of NPower.
Globant Awards - Women That Build Edition
NPower is thrilled to support Globant's Women That Build Awards once again this year.
While we know there is a gap in the tech industry for women, we can do our part to spotlight, recognize, support, and promote outstanding female leaders in technology. Be part of the Women that Build Awards and help build a more diverse tech industry. Take a moment to vote for a woman that builds, inspires, and is creating change in tech.
Voting open until September 23rd. Vote Today
Join us in October to celebrate Cybersecurity Awareness Month with the 5th #ShareTheMicInCyber campaign on Friday, October 21st, a day-long social media event on Twitter & LinkedIn where prominent voices in cybersecurity (Cyber Allies) share their platforms with Black Cyber Practitioners in this field to amplify their voices and bring the community together.
This year’s theme is #BelongingInCyber — honoring the role of psychological safety & anti-racism in the workplace recognizing the need to build diverse teams & also create the conditions for them to excel.
NPower 2022 Gala
The premier tech networking event of the year in New York City, the NPower 2022 Gala, will take place on Tuesday, October 11 at 5pm ET and we are very excited to be connecting in person. This event will be hosted by Maurice DuBois, WCBS-TV and we will be honoring Thomas Kurian, CEO of Google Cloud, and giving special recognition to Anne Chow, Former CEO of AT&T Business. We hope you will join us to unpack how we collectively can advance diversity, equity, and inclusion in tech and support the work of NPower.
Candice L. Dixon thank you for pointing out the stark salary differentials that continue to persist for Black women. We gotta get that date to Jan 1! I know the work you are leading for #CommandShift will make a meaningful difference.