A new report finds shocking analysis about the wear and tear Black women face in the workplace compared to other racial groups.
According to the National Library of Medicine, Black women’s loads are more unbearable and leads to health disparities that are much higher for minorities, especially those in low-income communities.
The organization has identified the load as “allostatic load,” which is the “wear and tear on the body” which amasses as a person is exposed to constant and chronic stress.
The impact can be life-threatening, the report further finds. Issues like heart disease, diabetes, cancer and mental health complications can incur and can induce stress among Black women more greatly, according to recent data from the U.S. Census Bureau.
Furthermore, the report says that the life expectancy for Black people sits at 72, much lower than the expectancy level during the top of the new millennium. The expectancy level is also lower for Black people than for other racial and ethnic groups. The recent Covid-19 pandemic has exacerbated these numbers, and allostatic load has contributed to the lower life expectancy numbers.
Author Minda Harts says she understands precisely how allostatic load can affect Black women in their careers.
“I was supposed to bring some Black Girl Magic and that was unfair to me because I was really excited about this opportunity,” she said in an interview with Fortune’s L’Oreal Payton. “But once I found out what it really entailed, I realized it was a battle I was not going to win.”
She inevitably left her career in fundraising after the intense amount of pressure placed on her. She said it led her to create her own business where she works as an equity consultant.
The report has also found that “women of color are more likely to fall into poverty in retirement because they are less likely than white women to have retirement plans available through their employer,” according to the Institute For Women’s Research and Policy.
