By Vanessa Williams

The report, which draws heavily on data from the U.S. Census Bureau, was prepared by the Institute for Women’s Policy Research, a nonprofit organization affiliated with George Washington University.

The National Domestic Workers Alliance, which released the study last week, made a number of recommendations to improve the lives of black women. The progressive group called for higher minimum wages, Medicaid expansion, mandatory paid leave and affordable child care, among other proposals.

Patrice Onwuka is a senior policy analyst with the Independent Women’s Forum, a conservative think tank. Onwuka, who is black, argues that some of the report’s suggestions could hold black women back by making it harder to save money and open businesses. We asked her to respond to some of the key findings of the report via email and make suggestions for addressing the challenges black women face.

Her responses have been edited for length.

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