for the glass ceiling — and the gender pay gap
White women account for 30% of entry-level jobs and women of color account for 18% of entry-level jobs, according to one 2019 survey
Political strategists are gauging what will happen in the presidential race, now that presumptive Democratic nominee Joe Biden has tapped Kamala Harris as his vice-presidential running mate.
But Latesha Byrd is thinking about what it means for her own work helping women of color advance their careers — and she’s excited.
The Charlotte, N.C.-based career and talent development consultant often hears from clients who are hesitant to apply for more senior, executive roles “because they don’t want people to say, ‘Who does she thinks she is?’” The doubts are both internal and external, coming from peers and bosses, Byrd notes. But here comes Harris, the 55-year-old Senator from California, who is the first Black woman and first person of Asian descent to run on a major presidential ticket. The former California Attorney General joined Biden after her own unsuccessful presidential run, even as some observers have misgivings because of Harris’ “ambition.”
“It’s a good case to look at where women of color are being told they are ‘too ambitious.’ ”
— Latesha Byrd, CEO of Byrd Career Consulting
So the next time Byrd hears a client with doubts about her own climb up the corporate ladder, and she said it’s a common occurrence, she can point to Harris. “It’s a good case to look at where women of color are being told they are ‘too ambitious.’ ”
“Seeing someone that reminds me of me, that I see myself in, is definitely inspiring and motivating,” said Byrd, who also helps companies foster inclusion.
Harris is the third woman named as a vice-presidential candidate. Congresswoman Geraldine Ferraro ran as Walter Mondale’s vice-presidential pick in 1984 when Mondale lost to Republican incumbent Ronald Reagan. Sarah Palin, then Alaska’s governor, unsuccessfully ran with Sen. John McCain in 2008 against Barack Obama, who tapped Biden as his vice president.
Hilary Clinton unsuccessfully ran against incumbent Donald Trump in 2016 and Shirley Chisholm, a Black congresswoman, unsuccessfully sought the Democratic Party’s presidential nomination in 1972.
Like Byrd, others see Harris and her predecessors as symbols in the fight for workplace gender equality. The ongoing question, they add, is how much real-life force symbols have to crack glass ceilings and equalize pay.
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