Black Women Lost 106,000 Jobs Last Month. The 92% Pay Gap Is a Call to Build Differently.
The Layoffs Are Loud. So Is the Pay Gap.
Let’s get into the receipts.
According to AfroTech, Black women lost 106,000 jobs in April—more than any other group. Our unemployment rate now sits at 6.1%, the highest across all demographics.
And to make it worse?
Many of those cuts came directly from the federal government—an institution that was supposed to represent stability.
So what does that mean for us?
It means relying on the traditional economy is no longer enough.
And when we pair that with the 92% digital pay gap Black women face in the creator and digital entrepreneurship space, the message is clear:
We’re not just underpaid—we’re being systematically undervalued.
So What Do We Do With That?
We stop waiting to be invited and start building our own.
We stop thinking of “side hustles” as optional and start treating them as essential.
We create digital assets, build community, and find ways to get paid that don’t require permission.
Because let’s be honest:
We’ve done the degrees. We’ve done the 9-to-5s. We’ve done the showing up and doing the most for the least. And yet here we are—watching Black women be the first to go when systems crack.
It’s Time to Talk About the Digital Economy—for Real
That’s why I created the Digital Pay Gap Conversation Hour—a Juneteenth event hosted at The Plug ATL, one of the leading Black-owned production studios in the country.
This is not another hashtag panel.
It’s a real conversation with real people who are tired of being underpaid for over-delivering.
We’re bringing together creators, corporate leaders, and brand builders to talk about:
How to navigate this economy with strategy—not survival mode
What the 92% pay gap actually looks like in numbers
Why DEI rollbacks are hurting more than headlines
And how we create wealth in a system that was never built for us
🎥 We’ll be streaming it live.
🍸 Cocktails and conversation in ATL.
🔥 Receipts and resources in real time.
Here’s the Bottom Line
We don’t just need jobs.
We need leverage.
We need income that moves with us—not just systems that leave us behind.
And if you’re a brand, creator, or leader who wants to be part of the solution?
This is your chance to show up in a room that’s building differently.
🔗 Join us → askardenia.co/juneteenth-event
Because 92% is not our finish line. It’s our fuel.