December 9, 2025
Confronting the Black Women’s Employment Crisis: YW Boston and Congresswoman Pressley Lead a Community Call to Action
Earlier this year, YW Boston raised the alarm on the sudden and devastating rise in joblessness amongst Black Women in the United States. Since the president began enacting sweeping orders aimed at dismantling diversity, equity, and inclusion, and rescinding the rights of women, LGBTQ+ individuals, and immigrants at the beginning of this year, YW Boston has used its unique position in the community to convene partners, elected officials, and allies to gather and listen to Black women who have lost their jobs because of cuts to diversity, equity, and inclusion programs and initiatives.
“What those in power are counting on is that society will ignore and dismiss the injustices of black women, because we are Black women, not realizing that those same injustices are at everybody’s doorstep and already at the table for some.”
On Monday, November 24, YW Boston continued shedding light on the Black women’s employment crisis by organizing and hosting a roundtable conversation alongside Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley, impacted women, community leaders, friends, and concerned allies. Senator Liz Miranda, Boston City Council President Ruthzee Louijeune and other representatives from the City of Boston, UMass Boston, the Massachusetts Commission of the Status of Women, the Massachusetts Municipal Association, the State Treasurer’s Office, Associated Industries Massachusetts, and Harvard University were in attendance, among other organizations and officials.
Congresswoman Pressley started the conversation with an overview of the crisis, revealing that the unemployment rate for Black women rose from 5.4% in February to 7.5% by September. Pressley called upon her colleagues at the federal level to face this crisis for what it is: racist and dangerous.
Following up, YW Boston President and CEO Aba Taylor compared Black women to “canaries in the coal mine” –the popular idiom for an early warning sign for danger. “We the canaries ask you to look at who is struggling and who is thriving right now? Who [is] getting bigger paychecks and who [is] living check-to-check? Who are remodeling their big houses and who are trying to figure out how to get food on the table?”
Taylor continued by pointing out the critical fact that when Black women pay the price for a harmful economy, it creates harmful outcomes for everyone, stating, “What those in power are counting on is that society will ignore and dismiss the injustices of black women, because we are Black women, not realizing that those same injustices are at everybody’s doorstep and already at the table for some.”
As round table participant and award-winning economist Anna Gifty shared, “Black women are ecosystems.” If one loses her job, then the dominoes collapse for an entire family, caregiving system, neighborhood, city, state, and country.
You can read Aba Taylor’s full remarks here.
Related Links:
‘A five-alarm fire’: Pressley demands federal action as job losses among Black women rise
Why are so many Black women losing their jobs? An expert blames three factors.
Aba Taylor of YW Boston on unemployment crisis among Black women
US citizens of color on high alert after Supreme Court allows racial profiling by ICE
YW Boston CEO Aba Taylor on recent race-based jobless trends
