2025 has been a tough year, especially for Black women in the workforce. Since spring, estimates show over 300,000 of us have either left or been pushed out of our jobs. That’s a major shift with real consequences for our lives, our families, and the whole economy.
What’s going on? It’s a mix of things: inflation hitting hard, student debt, program cuts, and still not enough of us in growing fields like tech. And let’s be real, the professional support and mentorship that used to help Black women climb the ladder? That’s been fading too.
LinkedIn’s Meg Garlinghouse points out that a huge percentage of jobs are found through connections. But too many Black women are still on the outside looking in, dealing with these “network gaps.” The gutting of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs across industries has only made things worse. It’s cut off access to mentorship, sponsorship, and opportunities for advancement. And now AI is changing the hiring game, making it even harder to get our foot in the door.
The backlash against DEI has been swift and brutal, rolling back the very policies that helped Black women make gains in workplaces that weren’t built for us. The current administration wasted no time eliminating DEI positions in federal agencies, impacting a significant chunk of the Black female workforce.
In the private sector, those “DEI-adjacent” initiatives – inclusive hiring, mentorship programs – are quietly disappearing. Job postings for DEI roles dropped big time. Employee resource groups (ERGs), those vital support systems for Black workers, are shutting down left and right. And all this is happening when we need connection and advocacy more than ever.
The impact is huge. From February to June 2025, our labor force participation rate dropped, costing the U.S. GDP billions.
Why Mentorship Matters More Than Ever
Mentorship is still a game-changer. For Black women, having a mentor can open doors, build confidence, and provide crucial advice for navigating the biases we face at work.
And for companies, supporting mentorship is a smart move. It reduces turnover, strengthens company culture, and keeps valuable knowledge from walking out the door. When mentors share their experience and values, they help build stronger, more resilient workplaces.
Reclaiming Support and Building Back
If you’re a Black woman dealing with job loss or feeling invisible in this post-DEI world, know that you’re not alone. There are organizations ready to help you rebuild and thrive:
Black Career Women’s Network (BCWN): They offer coaching, leadership training, and career development specifically for us.
The Sadie Collective: This group supports Black women and nonbinary professionals in fields like economics, finance, data, and public policy, providing mentorship and a powerful network.
Don’t forget to tap into your own network: former coworkers, college friends, Black women business owners in your community. These relationships can spark new opportunities and give you that confidence boost you need. And get inspired by the stories of Black women leaders who’ve already broken barriers.
We’ve got the wisdom and strength within our own communities. To rebuild, we need to lean on each other, invest in mentorship, and make sure Black women reclaim our rightful place in the workforce.
Kiersten Brown is a freelance writer and coach, uplifting through words at Travel Noire, Passion Passport, BAUCE mag, and more. As a coach, her goal is to empower women to be their most authentic selves. In her free time, you can find her dancing to any song any where.
