For Immediate Release
Contact: Jeyandini Fernando ; Jodi DavisCTI office: 929-999-6109
New Study Takes an Unprecedented Look at Being Black in Corporate America
Despite billions spent on diversity and inclusion, new research from the Center for Talent Innovation finds thatblack professionals face prejudice, a lack of support from managers, and a cycle of exclusion that keeps themfrom the C-suite
NEW YORK, December 9, 2019—Corporate America needs to awaken to the challenges faced by black
professionals, according to a new study published today by nonprofit think tank the Center for TalentInnovation (CTI). In the workplace, black professionals are more likely to encounter prejudice andmicroaggressions than any other racial or ethnic group. They are less likely than their white counterparts tohave access to senior leaders and to have support from their managers. Yet few white professionals see what
their black colleagues are up against. Sixty-five percent of black professionals say that black employees have towork harder in order to advance, but only 16% of their white colleagues agree with that statement. Using awealth of quantitative and qualitative data, featuring findings from a national survey, Being Black in Corporate
America: An Intersectional Exploration delivers a multifaceted analysis, including solutions, for creating
workplace cultures where black employees can do their best work and succeed.
“This report sounds the alarm that, despite many good intentions, companies are falling short of creating
equitable workplaces for black employees,” says Pat Fili-Krushel, CEO of CTI. “We hope that business leaders
will respond to these findings by making a serious assessment of their own workplaces and creating acomprehensive plan of action,” says Fili-Krushel. “We are especially concerned about the lack of awareness we
discovered among white professionals. This report gives business leaders a path for moving forward.”
The study finds that black professionals are more likely than white professionals to be ambitious, and they are
more likely to have strong professional networks. Despite these assets, black professionals hold only 3.2% of
all executive or senior leadership roles and less than 1% of all Fortune 500 CEO positions. The report lays out
the systemic racial prejudice in the workplace that underpins low representation at the top, with the following
findings:••••

Black professionals are nearly four times as likely as white professionals to say they have experienced
racial prejudice at work (58% versus 15%). Regional differences are stark: 79% of black professionals in theMidwest say they have experienced racial prejudice at work, compared to 66% of black professionals in theWest, 56% in the South, and 44% in the Northeast.
43% of black executives have had colleagues use racially insensitive language in their presence.
Nearly 1 in 5 (19%) black professionals feel that someone of their race/ethnicity would never achieve a top
position at their companies, compared to only 3% of white professionals who feel this way.
Black women are less likely to have access to the same support and advocacy as white women. For
instance, 35% of white women have individuals in their networks who have advocated for their ideas andskills, compared to 19% of black women.

“We can only create change and impact when we fully understand how systemic prejudice andmicroaggressions play out in our workplaces,” says Julia Taylor Kennedy, executive vice president at CTI.
“Right now, it’s a lose-lose situation. Companies are missing out on amazing talent at the top of theirorganizations, and black professionals are not given the opportunity to fulfill their aspirations. This reportdelivers the facts and, in doing so, will spur conversations that move companies, and society, forward.”
Only 40% of all employees of all races think their companies have effective diversity and inclusion programs.
Black full-time professionals are also more likely than white full-time professionals to say white women are theprimary beneficiaries of diversity and inclusion efforts (29% versus 13%).

“Companies often use the phrase ‘diverse talent’ to describe underrepresented groups, but they need tounderstand the diversity within their diversity,” says Pooja Jain-Link, executive vice president at CTI. “Blackprofessionals have a different experience in the workplace than professionals of other races. If companies
want to truly engage and retain black talent, they need to be courageous and design targeted interventions
that take these unique experiences into account. With this report, we are calling upon leaders to think big andstart a new movement that reimagines diversity and inclusion in ways that have not been done before.”
In addition, the report finds that talented black professionals are much more likely than white professionals toplan to opt out of their corporate jobs to start entrepreneurial ventures. Black professionals who have worked
at both large and small companies are also more likely to find an environment of trust, respect, and a sense ofbelonging at small companies, compared to large companies. Corporations that wish to retain black
professionals should offer the same. The report delivers a roadmap that calls upon leaders to audit theirworkplaces, and to create conversations that awaken white employees to the workplace prejudice that their
black colleagues face.
“Study after study has shown that black executives perform as well as or better than other executives but are
not advanced to the highest levels,” says Skip Spriggs, president and CEO of The Executive Leadership Council,
a research partner on the report. “The roadmap offered by CTI as a result of this study could make a difference
because it is rooted in intentional, results-oriented actions designed to effect measurable, positive change.”
Methodology: The national survey was conducted online and over the phone in June 2019 among 3,736
respondents (1,398 men, 2,317 women, and 21 who identify as something else; 520 identify as Black, 1,783 as
White, 549 as Hispanic, 674 as Asian, 135 as two or more races, and 75 as another race or ethnicity) between
the ages of 21 and 65 currently employed full-time or self-employed in white-collar professions, with at least abachelor’s degree. Data were weighted to be representative of the U.S. population on key demographics (age,sex, education, race/ethnicity, and census division). The base used for statistical testing was the effective base.
This survey was conducted by NORC at the University of Chicago under the auspices of CTI. NORC wasresponsible for data collection, while CTI conducted the analysis. The research also includes in-person focus
groups and virtual focus groups with more than 150 participants; a qualitative questionnaire of nearly 200
participants; and one-on-one interviews with more than 40 people.
Research Partner: The Executive Leadership Council. Research Sponsors: Danaher, Interpublic Group, Johnson& Johnson, KPMG, Morgan Stanley, Pfizer, Unilever, The Walt Disney Company.
Research Advisors: Dr. Ella Bell Smith, Professor, Tuck School of Business, Dartmouth College; Trudy Bourgeois,
Founder and CEO, The Center for Workforce Excellence; Dr. Katherine Giscombe, Founder, Giscombe &Associates; Skip Spriggs, President and CEO, The Executive Leadership Council; Dr. Adia Harvey Wingfield,
Professor of Sociology and Mary Tileston Hemenway Professor in Arts & Sciences, Washington University in St.
Louis.
About the Center for Talent Innovation: The Center for Talent Innovation (CTI) is a nonprofit think tankdedicated to helping leaders design diverse and inclusive workplaces where every person belongs. Founded in2004, CTI has produced dozens of research reports and hundreds of best practices on cutting edge topics. CTI’swork is regularly cited by elite media, such as the New York Times, Harvard Business Review, and theWashington Post. Its Task Force and consulting practice serve multinational corporations that impact millionsof employees globally. For more information, visit www.coqual.org.
Please contact Jeyandini Fernando or Jodi Davis for interviews with CTI executives, advisors, or sponsors.