Mental health challenges facing upwardly mobile Black women
Black women in the U.S. face a special set of circumstances when they experience the increased incomes and newly acquired wealth that come with upward mobility. While many effects of these financial shifts are desirable, some are considerably more difficult than might be expected. For context, consider the following:
1. Black women continue to have the highest rate of participation in the U.S. workforce compared to other groups of women. They were also noted to be the fastest growing demographic amongst emerging entrepreneurs at the end of 2021, even with the pandemic.
2. Despite all this, women of color continue to be less supported than other groups, and can face more daunting odds to success, whether in their own business or in larger, well-established organizations. The access to high quality mentorship, legacy networking, venture capital, or the automatic privilege of assumed competence is either severely limited or entirely absent for BIPOC women seeking higher levels of leadership. These factors and more compounds to create an unequal burden of racial stress that can take its toll over the course of a woman’s career, from hiring to funding, etc.
3. The lifestyle shifts that come along with experiencing greater financial success requires you to confront your own biases around money and people who are wealthy. Black women in this position can fear the judgments of others who think the way they used to think about the effect of money on one’s values and morality. When your family or peer group perceive you in a new light, based on how much you make, it can feel both vulnerable and frustrating to lose control over the narrative of who you used to be versus who you’ve become. Not to mention the loneliness of being seen as someone who is no longer on the inside; an outsider by (financial) circumstance.
4. Others, whether strangers or family and friends, may start to relate to you primarily in terms of what they can get from you instead of who you actually are. This can be particularly problematic for you if you are looking to date as either a single black woman or a single working mother. You may not know who to trust, and you may not know if you should allow someone into your inner circle. This causes stress and suspicion that can make previously enjoyable social interactions feel draining. And there is the risk that you will put up your protective wall with someone who actually doesn’t deserve it.
5. An admirable quality of black women to consider the greater good of the wider community, and the next generation, can sometimes be its own challenge. Having been socialized to be caretakers, women who are on the rise in their careers are expected to always make choices that will bring benefit to others, not just themselves, in a way that is not required of their cis-male counterparts. So beyond the often natural tendency to want to take care of everyone else first (a wonderful theme to work on in therapy!), there is the threat of being dismissed and cast aside as a selfish, unfit woman if one does not self-sacrifice as a regular practice. This giving behavior means that women tend to provide more support to the teams they lead at work than male counterparts, as well as engaging in diversity and inclusion efforts that often go uncompensated. All while experiencing higher levels of burnout than male peers.
6. Another result of being trained as givers is that black women can be uncomfortable and unfamiliar with allowing themselves to receive support and service in the areas where they so desperately need it. Sometimes described as difficulty receiving, or a receiving block, the false belief that it is always better to give than receive can stand in the way of asking for help or easily allowing the full scope or extent of help that is needed. Successful black women are more vulnerable to burn out because they feel they are expected to handle everything on their own plate, as well as help others with the items on their plate, too! This is, of course, unsustainable, and can lead to all manner of health problems that increase with stress, as well as create strains in intimate relationships that can feel overwhelming to resolve.
While I’ve highlighted many of stressors that exist for my fellow black women who experience financial success, the news is not all bad. Wealth in the hands of women has far greater reach in terms improving the health, educational attainment and overall well-being of families, while also being more intentionally directed towards philanthropic programs across society. When black women have wealth they are also better able to take care of their personal needs, experience new things, travel, leave an inheritance and develop the confidence that they can take care of themselves, if and when they need to. This can sometimes even enable them to leave abusive marriages and relationships, thereby saving themselves and their children years of distress.
The brave ones that move forward in growing their financial legacy, despite the risks, are often motivated by healthy ambitions and a desire for excellence in their professional life. As a black woman you are also considering the impact of your journey on the black women who will come after you, and you desire to make the way smoother and more accessible to those younger women in the future. In general, you seek ways to keep your focus on all the good that can be gained, not only for yourself as an individual, or your immediate family, but for your community and kinfolk as well.
If you find yourself running into any of the common problems that can come up for women who are increasing their net worth, absolutely consider if it is time to explore and work through these issues in therapy. Finding a counselor who can understand your background, your cultural context and support you in your current dreams and ambitions can make a world of difference. For your own sake, and the sake of those who love and depend on you, make it your goal to gain success while also getting free of the unnecessary stress it can often bring with it.
Linda Sanderville, LCSW is a psychotherapist with over ten years experience in effective trauma treatment and training and supervision of other mental health professionals. Currently, she provides speciality services to adults seeking recovery from stressful life events and those who desire to optimize their wellness and the health of their relationships.