Center for American Progress

EVENT ADVISORY: Ensuring an Economy That Works for Black Women
Press Advisory

Washington, D.C. — Black women play an increasingly critical role in helping to sustain and fuel the U.S. economy. They have among the highest labor force participation rates for women, and Black mothers are more likely to be breadwinners than mothers from any other racial or ethnic groups. Yet the U.S. economy does not deliver the same returns for Black women as it does for other workers, and in the national narrative about the state of the economy, they are often treated as an afterthought or left out altogether.

On Friday, the latest update of the nation’s employment situation—including overall jobs numbers and unemployment statistics—will be released. Please join CAP for an online event with leading economists to discuss the economic status of Black women as well as the devaluation of Black women’s work, the gaps in investments made during the current pandemic that have further strained Black women’s economic standing, and the need for a more inclusive economic narrative that prioritizes the challenges Black women face.

We would love to hear your questions. If you have questions for our panel, please submit them on Twitter using the hashtag #EconforBlackWomen or via email to [email protected].

WHO:

Panelists:
Dr. Rhonda V. Sharpe, Founder and President, Women’s Institute for Science, Equity and Race
Dr. Michelle Holder Assistant Professor of Economics at John Jay College of Criminal Justice, City University of New York
Dr. Valerie Wilson, Director, Program on Race, Ethnicity, and the Economy, Economic Policy Institute

Moderator:
Jocelyn Frye, Senior Fellow, Women’s Initiative, Center for American Progress

WHEN:

Friday, August 7, 2020
11:00 a.m. – 12:00 pm ET

Members of the media must RSVP by using this link.

For more information or to speak with an expert, please contact Colin Seeberger at [email protected] or 202.741.6292.

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