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Why Black Women Are Tired Of The Corporate Rat Race And Are Going To Startups
We’ve all read, witnessed, or experienced the challenges Black women face in the workplace. The impact is evident, whether it’s the super-successful entertainers we love, our “rich aunties” holding it down while still sacrificing to work hard and maintain the so-called “soft life,”moms juggling overtime, date night, and household responsibilities, or single women managing teams and traveling the world while unapologetically maxing out their PTO.
Some Black professionals have said enough is enough and there’s now a trend of exodus, with many leaving Corporate America to venture into the startup life. In a 2020 report, the Working Mother Research Institute found that 52% of Black women were debating leaving their companies after working there for just two years. In 2021, we led during the Great Resignation, reclaiming our time during the pandemic and finding out how we could truly pursue the lifestyles we wanted without settling for less.
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Women Leaving Corporate America for More
In 2022, almost 50 percent of entrepreneurs were women, a number well above the number of women entrepreneurs pre-pandemic (29%). Five percent were Black women, a rise from the 3 percent share reported in 2019, representing the fastest-growing population launching and leading businesses. (And if that percentage seems small, to give you a bit of context, that’s nearly 2.7 million new U.S. businesses.)
Another recent report, by Gusto, a payroll and benefits firm, shows that professionals aged 25 to 34 are most likely to quit their jobs for the possibility of making more coin running their own business, and mid-career professionals aged 35 to 54 are taking the leap because they feel burnt out from their jobs (46%).
Even if there are no plans to start a company, leaving a corporate job to work for a startup has been a strategic move for flexibility and autonomy that can be elusive at many larger companies or corporations. I left the 9-to-5 life for good several years ago, then went back to work for a larger publishing company only to quit and go back to the full-time freelance life, and I haven’t looked back.
All of the companies I now work with are small businesses or startups. While working with startups, I’ve been able to not only show my leadership skills a bit more, but I also have a hand at learning multiple aspects of the business I’m in, all while negotiating better pay and working with amazing women entrepreneurs in their own right.
Why Startups Are Favorable for Black Women
So what’s the draw? Well, startups often are places, where the company culture is more relaxed, innovation and creativity, are welcomed and oftentimes rewarded, and they often are launched by millennials or forward-thinking CEOs who value flexibility and vision. Some are even able to offer six-figure salaries that larger companies, for the same role, are not able—or willing—to offer.
With the mass tech layoffs—which made a diversity problem even worse, especially in regard to Black women in tech—smaller tech companies are tapping into a larger pool of candidates, presenting opportunities for growth there.
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Weighing the Pros and Cons of Leaving Corporate America
Working in startups—or launching one—is certainly not for the faint of heart, as there are very real and unique challenges (i.e. inconsistent or lack of funding, slow or reduced resources, and what some might consider a lack of job or salary security when compared with working for a corporation that’s been around for 20-plus years and has shareholders, global influence and international reach.)
Also, when thinking of lifestyle and financial obligations, especially when you have children, large-company advantages like the availability of robust benefits packages, industry prestige, and more options for upward mobility, are all very valid concerns for women who pause when thinking about leaving their corporate jobs.
While it's vital for Black women to, if passionate and led, to remain in Corporate America to fight further for inclusion, equal pay, and advancement opportunities—not to mention the unique and valuable talent and experience Black women bring to any business—startups present exciting and welcome opportunities for others to thrive, figure out their unique role in the business world, and learn skills they might not cultivate in a sea of corporate workers.
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Featured image by Alverez/Getty Images
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This article is sponsored by Hulu.
UnPrisonedhas returned for its highly anticipated second season, delving deeper into the complex dynamics of the Alexander family.
The series premiere comes a year after its debut season garnered rave reviews from fans and critics and earned record-breaking ratings for Hulu's Onyx Collective brand. UnPrisoned's success can be attributed to its raw, relatable themes and comedic appeal.
Inspired by creator Tracy McMillan's life, the show follows Paige (Kerry Washington), a therapist and single mother whose life takes an unexpected turn when her father, Edwin (Delroy Lindo) --who was released from prison-- moves in with her and her teenage son, Finn (Faly Rakotohavana).
Throughout UnPrisoned's first season, viewers witnessed how Edwin's incarceration deeply affected Paige's life and relationships. In the series, Paige unpacks her trauma through interactions with her inner child and her online followers. Meanwhile, Edwin is overcoming specific struggles with his own past that led to his life of crime, including a dysfunctional upbringing and his mother's arrest. As the Alexanders attempt to reconcile, new challenges arise.
This new season promises to further explore their unconventional family dynamic. Here are several compelling reasons why season two of UnPrisoned should be on everyone's watchlist.
The Alexander Family Life Is Still In Shambles
UnPrisoned's second season resumes where the series left off, with Paige grappling with the fallout from her troubled therapy practice and Edwin navigating life independently after moving out. Meanwhile, Finn faces his own challenges. The teenager is battling anxiety and seeking information about his father—a topic Paige avoids discussing.
The Alexander Family Are Attending Therapy To Resolve Their Underlying Issues
Amid the chaos in their lives, the Alexander family decides to mend their bond by confronting their past traumas. They seek professional help and attend therapy sessions with a “family radical healing coach,” played by John Stamos, a new cast member. This collective effort aims to unravel the complexities of their shared history and strengthen their relationships.
The process of unraveling each character's internal conflicts and their potential impact on future relationships may clash with Paige's textbook therapy approach. While Paige is used to being in the therapist's seat in both career and family, this forces her into the unfamiliar role of a patient during therapy sessions. This shift would compel her to look in the mirror and try a radically different approach.
The Alexander Family Learned A Big Lesson During A Therapy Session
In therapy, the Alexanders are tasked with addressing their individual traumas to salvage their remaining relationships. One of the family therapist’s eccentric suggestions was an exercise involving a family wrestling match. During this session, Paige faces tough questions about her refusal to share information about Finn's father.
While it's unclear whether this scene is reality or fantasy, the image of the family duking it out in the ring certainly makes for hilarious yet compelling television.
Paige Tries Dating Again Following Failed Relationships
Amid her life's chaos, Paige decides to step back into the dating field. However, her many attempts have left her with mixed results. The dating apps have turned out to be a fail, and an outing with her ex Mal (Marque Richardson), who is also her father's parole officer, doesn’t go quite as expected after he brings an unexpected guest – his new girlfriend.
The situation takes an awkward turn when Mal's new partner learns why the former couple split, partly due to Paige's self-sabotage.
UnPrisoned Is A Perfect Balance Of Comedy And Drama
As a dramedy, UnPrisoned takes a comedic approach to its heavy subjects. The show takes us on a ride with Paige's dating misadventures and navigating a friendship with her ex.
Other lighthearted moments include Edwin's attempts at CPR based on online videos and, of course, the antics of the Alexander family's unconventional new healing coach.
The second season of UnPrisoned is now available on Hulu.
UnPrisoned | Season 2 Trailer | Hulu
Feature image courtesy
Blair Underwood Initially Turned Down 'Sex And The City' Because 'It Was About How Samantha Was Fascinated By Dating A Black Man’
Actor and heartthrob Blair Underwood is opening up about why he turned down Sex and the City the first time he was offered a role. Many fans of the HBO series may recall Blair's time on the show in which his character was dating Miranda (Cynthia Nixon). However, he was previously offered another role where his character would date Samantha (Kim Cattrall).
During his interview with AV Club, the Set It Off star revealed that he was uncomfortable with the initial offer due to the character's fascination with him being a Black man.
“I actually did say ‘no’ the first time,” he said. “The first time they had offered the role, to be honest with you, it was about how Samantha was fascinated by dating a Black man and wanted to know if, uh, all of the rumors were true about our anatomy! And I said, ‘Listen, I’m honored, thank you, but I just don’t want to play a character based on race, on curiosity about a Black man.'”
But that didn't stop them from reaching out again. This time he was offered to play Dr. Robert Leeds, the love interest to Miranda and he decided to go for it. "So they were nice enough to call about a year later, and I said, 'Well, is it gonna be about race?' And they said, 'No, no, no, we’re not even gonna mention race!' And I think it really did only come up maybe once," he recalled.
"It did five episodes, and I think Samantha mentioned it once, saying something about 'a Black doctor' that Miranda was dating. And that’s really been a consistent thing in my career: not wanting to be boxed as 'the Black guy.'
"I’ve had that conversation with many producers along the way, and they were so great. They said, 'No, he’s just a doctor who Miranda meets in the elevator, and they have a nice little fling.' And it was amazing."
Blair has had a wide-ranging career playing everything from a lawyer on L.A. Law to playing Madame CJ Walker's husband on Self Made: Inspired by the Life of Madame CJ Walker. And during his interview, he revealed another role that he initially turned down, Set It Off. The movie, which is considered a classic in Black culture, stars Queen Latifah, Jada Pinkett Smith, Vivica A. Fox, and Kimberly Elise. Blair's character, Keith, played a banker and love interest to Jada's character, Stony.
He explained why he said no at first and eventually accepted the offer. "I had initially said “no” to that. Because I was playing this historic, iconic African-American historical figure in Jackie Robinson, and the time, y’know, there was Boyz N The Hood, and Menace II Society was out there, and I’d finished playing this noble Negro… [Laughs]," he said.
"And I’m reading the script, and there’s a scene where Jada Pinkett’s character—Jada Pinkett-Smith now—was going to sell her body so she could make some money to send her brother to college. And I remember, honestly, I threw the script across the room. I was, like, “I don’t want to do this. I want to do something uplifting for the Black culture and Black characters, and I don’t know if I want to see this.”
After a conversation with the movie's director F. Gary Gray and the actor's manager encouraging him to finish reading the script, Blair had a change of heart. What he first thought about the movie turned out to be totally different.
"So I finished the script, and I saw that the character they were asking me to play was really the love story in the midst of all of this turmoil of all of these characters, the four ladies: Queen Latifah, Vivica Fox, Kimberly Elise, and Jada," he explained.
"It was so well-written, it was such a great platform for them. And to be able to play the love story and the storyline that gave Jada’s character a leg up and a way out of this world, something to hope for, to wish for, someone to love her… I said, 'You know what? I’d like to be a part of that.'
"And I’m so glad I did, because that film resonates to this day. People all the time come up to me and say that they love that movie. So I’m glad that I did it."