Washington, DC (August 7, 2025) – Today, the Institute for Women’s Policy Research (IWPR) is proud to announce the launch of its new Advancing Black Women in Leadership initiative—a bold effort to address the systemic barriers Black women face in their leadership journeys while filling a critical research gap on the unique challenges they encounter.   

Dr. Jamila K. Taylor, president and CEO of IWPR, released the following statement in response:   

“At a time when our leadership is being questioned and our progress is under attack, Black women leaders are not deterred. We are clear-eyed about the barriers—because we’ve lived them—and just as clear about the possibilities when we lead. We’ve never waited for permission to step up, and we’re not starting now. 

In 250 years of US history, there has never been a Black woman president or governor. Black women hold just 5 percent of congressional seats and only 3 percent of roles in state legislatures. In the private sector, just two Black women currently serve as Fortune 500 CEOs. These figures don’t reflect a lack of talent or ambition, but mirror systems that were never designed with us in mind.  

The challenges we face today aren’t new. They are part of a long legacy of exclusion, underinvestment, and erasure. We know the weight of that history because we carry it. But we also know what happens when Black women are empowered—not just to sit at the table, but to build it, own the room, and set the agenda. 

That’s why IWPR’s Advancing Black Women in Leadership initiative is both urgently needed and long overdue. It’s about more than research—it’s about changing who gets to shape the future. We’re investing in the brilliance, expertise, and transformative leadership of Black women across sectors. 

We’re committed to closing data gaps, centering lived experiences, and building a policy agenda driven by Black women on our terms. This is a defining moment. And IWPR is proud to meet it by standing with Black women leaders and working to build the future with us at the helm.”  

Relevant IWPR resources/data tools: 

• Across Degrees, Titles, and States, Black Women Earn Just 64 Cents on the Dollar 

• Black Women Need Better Access to Leadership Positions—and Equal Pay When They Get There 

• Abortion Restrictions Cost the US $64 Billion a Year—With Black Women Bearing the Brunt 

Media Contact: 

Chandler Rollins, rollins@iwpr.org