Although Black History Month is almost over, educating yourself and celebrating the wins of Black women is an ongoing practice. It is so important to honor and recognize Black women that have been overlooked by our history books (check out “Black Women I Wished I Learned About in History Class”), but it is equally important to celebrate women that are making a difference —and making history— today.

Here are just a few of the many Black women making history in 2021, pushing back against systemic racism, uplifting, and empowering an entire generation.

Latina women are estimated to lose $1,163,920 over the course of a 40-year career. This means they will have to work until the age of 92 in order to earn what her white male peer earned by age 60.

We wanted to know more about the causes of this discrimination, and what Latina women can do to combat bias in the workplace. We invited 4 compelling female-founders to discuss the wage gap and how Latinas can fight for equal pay in the workplace and help narrow the wage gap. Because fifty-five cents just isn’t enough.

In 1963, the Equal Pay Act was signed into law, making it illegal for employers to pay their workers lower wages solely because of their gender. Today, 57 years later, the wage gap still disproportionately affects women but it impacts some women even more than others. Indigenous American women face the second-largest wage gap, earning only 42% of what White men make. Indigenous groups have had their own set of unique challenges over the last 200 years that have led to ongoing social problems and implications for employment and economic attainment.

We sat down with Stephanie Poston (Pueblo of Sandia), who founded her own consulting communications firm, Poston & Associates LLC, 18 years ago. We wanted to learn more about her mission, how COVID-19 has impacted Indigenous communities, and what individuals and companies alike can do to mitigate the wage gap.

Despite the fact that there are now more women than men with college and graduate school degrees today, women still face a gender pay gap. A few companies, like Microsoft, have responded to this challenge by becoming more transparent about their pay practices. But the reality remains that most companies are not ready to make drastic changes to their policies. Therefore, each of us has to take responsibility for narrowing our own pay gap.

Here are some tips for how to narrow your pay gap.

While women are slowly climbing the corporate ladder, barriers still exist for many women in the workplace. There is still a shortage of women in leadership positions and for women of color, the numbers are even smaller. As many companies strive to create a more inclusive culture for women, core to this issue is the unconscious bias that occurs throughout the hiring (and promotion) process.

There’s a troubling pattern where women’s and minority’s competencies and experiences are consistently being overlooked. Efforts to diversify workforces has proven to be difficult.

We sat down with Cherise Bernard, the Campus Team Lead at Spotify, to uncover what other companies can do in order to help eliminate bias and create a more inclusive culture.

Negotiation is not easy, especially when it comes to pay. But coming prepared with your outlined goals, and having done your research, will put you in a stronger position and help you feel more confident. Here are five tips to arm you for your next salary negotiation.

Workplace changes have placed new pressures on how we communicate. It is important to find ways to deconstruct those pressures in a positive, deliberate manner to help improve your virtual relationships and work environment. Improving our emotional intelligence is key.

As we continue to grow and adapt to working remotely (and with the additional challenge of masks when face to face), emotional intelligence can feel elusive but that is what makes it so critical. Emotional Intelligence is most commonly defined as the ability to 1) recognize, understand, and manage our own emotions, 2) perceive and influence the emotions of others, and 3) cope with challenges, manage stress, and make decisions. In more practical terms, it means being aware of how our emotions can drive our behavior and impact people (both positively and negatively).

We all walk around with our own set of limiting beliefs. Like your “mean girl” high school friends, who are exceptionally adept at projecting their own insecurities onto you, leaving you feeling lousy and dejected but unsure why.

These limiting beliefs are often sneaky — working on a subliminal level or just under the radar, masquerading as logic and rationale. They beg to be thrown in as justifications or excuses and are closely linked with fear of failure and rejection. We discuss how to identify and overcome these beliefs that continuously hold you back.

One hundred years ago, in August 1920, the 19th Amendment was passed in the United States. Experts would argue that the 19th amendment "does not give women the right to vote," it rather prohibits "any discrimination based on sex." The historic Seneca Falls Convention of 1848 was a small spark to what would soon be a blazing fire. And just like any other movement in civil rights history, it took years of hard work and push back.

This year, August 13th is recognized as Black Women’s Equal Pay Day. This day symbolizes how far into the year, Black women must work to earn the same as her White male counterpart in the previous year. The wage gap can be attributed to a number of factors, but bias is one significant hurdle. Black women are unique as they rest in the intersection of gender and racial discrimination. On average, Black women earn 62 cents for every dollar their white non-Hispanic male counterparts earn. If nothing changes, the pay gap won't close for more than 100 years for Black women and women of color.

We sat down with 6 powerful Black female leaders, from diverse backgrounds and industries to discuss corporate bias, to see if the Black Lives Matter movement had shifted perspectives in the workplace, and seek their advice to help rising young Black female professionals.

Since the introduction of pay history bans across the United States, recruiters have been looking for new ways to ask the old question, “What is your current compensation?” Although it is illegal in many states for employers to pay different wages to men and women for the same work, and even to ask the question about past salary benchmarks, there is still a significant pay gap between genders. Discover why this question is asked and the best ways for you to answer it.

Child care challenges have always been a barrier to work, especially for mothers. With all the uncertainty caused by COVID-19, parents are struggling to find child care solutions. Here you can find options for child care solutions and ways you can negotiate with your employer to subsidize this care.

With the unemployment rate at an alarming 11.1% as of July 2, 2020 (According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor and Statistics) and over 16 million people out of jobs, the idea of being furloughed, laid off, or fired is a looming reality for many Americans. But in this case, misery does not like the company. Being faced with a possible layoff, all you can think about is how your own little world is collapsing around you.

Before we dive into how to handle the conversation, should it arise, there are some ways to protect yourself and minimize your chances of a layoff before even facing downsizing or company cutbacks.

Virtual negotiations have been on the rise since the advancement of technology in the workplace. But with COVID-19 forcing business and other operations to scramble for at-home solutions, online negotiations increased by the tenfold. Technology, with all of its conveniences, can also complicate things during a negotiation.

With all of its challenges, virtual negotiations also come with its advantages. The distance can create a greater chance of a win-win. If the other party is perceived to be far away (by several thousand feet), perspective changes to encompass the needs of the bigger picture. Here are some tips to improve your performance in your next virtual negotiation!

Many people, especially women, find negotiations to be stressful conversations. It’s easy to become overwhelmed by the challenges you could encounter when faced with an upcoming business deal or negotiating your salary. Yet, the art of negotiation is a skill anyone can master, at any age.

It can take a long time for discussions to reach a deal, which is why it’s important for you to do your research on what pitfalls to avoid so you can get the most optimal outcome and not leave money on the table. If you avoid the following ten mistakes, you're sure to gain advantages in your next negotiation.

When you are Designed Differently you approach business, conflicts, life, and work creatively, optimistically, positively, and head-on. As a matter of fact, the present times make it clear and evident that leaders must lead differently, reframe their business stance, policies, procedures, and protocols, and embrace the Un-. Many people dislike being “Un” anything. No one wants to be uncertain, unprepared, unprofessional, unrealistic, unsettled, or unsure.

In the United States public school system, anti-racist pedagogy is a concept barely put into use. As a person who attended public school for the majority of my life, I have seen and experienced this first hand. The failure to incorporate African American figures, especially women, into the curriculum has left students with little to no knowledge about the actions of empowered women of color throughout history. While we do learn about major historical figures such as Sojourner Truth and Harriet B. Tubman, history largely overlooks women and especially women of color.

While there are countless others who deserve to be taught, here is just a shortlist of 10 African American women I wished I had learned about in class.

“The Overdue Awakening” is what Time Magazine has titled their cover spread in their latest issue and rightly so: racial justice is making major headlines these days. Although discrimination and bias are not new things, it seems there is a hopeful promise that we as a country are finally waking up. In order to address systemic and deeply embedded racial discrimination however, we need to gain awareness towards its byproducts of implicit and explicit bias. This effect trickles down from the price paid for a new car to how we are perceived during a salary negotiation. It is a known fact that the gender pay gap for women of color is even worse than the average gender pay gap at 63 cents on the dollar according to the US Census Bureau.

Over the last few days we have been collectively searching for the right words and the right actions, for a path forward, questioning, how can we do better than we have in the past? How can we turn this pivotal moment into one that has lasting impact? There is so much justified pain out there, and we acknowledge that there is no easy fix for the racial bigotry and systemic bias that has plagued our country for generations. Additionally, set against the backdrop of a global pandemic, it is especially hard not to feel hopeless and helpless about the future.

At WIN, we are committed to disassembling implicit (and explicit) biases, cultivating diverse leadership, and empowering women from all backgrounds.

We’ve assembled a list of resources to help support the Black Lives Movement from home or better educate yourself about racism and bias in America.

For parents stuck at home with their children over the last few months due to COVID-19, you may be feeling like you are in your own real-life version of a hostage situation. Here is what we can learn from real hostage negotiation that might help us navigate our own versions playing out every day with our children.  The Behavioral Change Stairway Model was developed by the hostage negotiation unit of the FBI and it outlines 5 steps to getting your opponent/hostage/counterparty or in this case child to see your perspective and change their course of action.