Copyright Hartford Courant
In a recent meeting with foundation leaders in New Haven, my colleague and GWI graduate Kellie Taylor piped up: “I was one of the 300,000 women who lost their jobs.” In that moment, the statistics became personal. The impact had hit home. I had known this young woman since the age of 15, when she had to muster the confidence to enter GWI’s leadership program and finally did so at the urging of a friend. She’s gone onto college. Got a full ride scholarship, a job and was now making $90,000 at working on the development of an offshore wind project. She had even bought her first condo at the age of just 24, a milestone that gave both her and her recently retired mother, a longtime family advocate, a place to enjoy the next chapter of life. Kellie’s economic trajectory has been disrupted — just one example of what happens when Black women are left on the sidelines instead of playing a full role in our economy. As a recap, over 300,000 black women have lost their jobs since – representing about 3% of the 10.5 million employed at the start of 2025. Economists say it’s a $37 billion blow to our economy. In August, Black Americans faced the highest unemployment rate of any segment – 7.5% compared to 3.7% for whites and 3.6% for Asians. Here in Connecticut, Blacks represent about 12% of the state’s population – or about 475,000 – with an unemployment rate of 5%, higher than the 3.1% for whites. Looking at public sector employees here at home, Black women represent about 12% of the state’s workers, about equal to their share of our population. Let’s remember that government was among the first sectors to seek to diversify its workforce. For women, it was the path to the middle class with protections the private sector didn’t offer. I remember this well during my 20s, when I worked in the Los Angeles city controller’s office and then the state of California’s Treasurer’s Office, where I was joined by many female, black civil servants colleagues. For all of us as taxpayers, neighbors, and citizens who want a strong and competitive America, there are three key messages: First, if you think these cuts don’t impact you, you’re wrong. The vast majority of Black women are the primary breadwinners of their families. The economic impact ripples: When workers lose their jobs, they pull back on consumer spending and 401(K) savings to support their economic security. They may not be able to support their children’s path to college. Worse, their debt may increase, and their tax contribution to our shared costs like roads and schools drops. And the mental impact on the family can be long-term as anyone who’s lost a job knows, let alone someone under-represented. Second, let’s remember the contribution of Black Americans – from slavery to serving in our military to cleaning homes and carrying for our aging parents. For the wealthy here in Connecticut, many Blacks have been the backbone to the family. Finally, Black women in particular are part of the economic opportunity we need to harness – the $12 trillion untapped economic opportunity if women are fully engaged in the workplace at the same level as men (McKinsey). How do we do this? By giving them early and critical training that will ensure they’re ready for Day 1 in the business world and better prepare them to be tomorrow’s innovators, entrepreneurs and leaders. The lack of confidence, skills, and the old-boys networks have held all women back for too long – making it tough to raise capital or rise in our companies and get over the ‘broken rung.” Black women make up just 0.4% of Fortune 500 CEOs but the next generation needs role models to look up to. And with female founders securing just 1% of the $300 billion doled out annually — and black women securing even less — we need to re-think the power of networks and access. GWI works to address this with a training model at about 1/10th the cost of most others. Over the last eight years, as we’ve trained nearly 20,000 young women like Kellie, we’ve seen how we can fill the gap in our educational system and create a powerful, nationwide network of diverse, female talent ready to tackle our nation’s problems and economic growth. The investment in foundational business and leadership skills early on has tremendous pay-off. These young women are experiencing long-term confidence gains, improvements in skills for job success, and a support system that will carry them forward. My personal hope is that this investment will lead to decision makers who will improve our workplaces and our world for the better. When we see how far Kellie has come from student to professional leader with the entrepreneurial mindset, financial acumen, and foundational “durable” skills so critical to her success and that of America’s, we must remind ourselves: let’s widen her pathway, not limit them. We need to lean into her potential. We need to find ways to put it to positive use. Connecticut can lead, with action from the governor and General Assembly, by doubling down on readiness, strengthening the pipeline, and preparing the next generation of leaders across business, government, and other critical sectors. When opportunity is withheld, we all pay the price in lost innovation, slower growth, and untapped economic value. If we are serious about building an economically strong and inclusive future, we cannot afford to leave this talent on the sidelines. The time is now. And it remains one of the most powerful answers to America’s global competitiveness.
