Sister Table Talk Blog

Since 2017, Black women’s labor market experience has reflected both deep systemic inequities and the fallout from significant policy shifts. Our analysis of employment trends, using data from the Department of Labor and the Bureau of Labor Statistics, reveals a nuanced picture: Black women made pre-pandemic employment gains but suffered greater economic losses during the COVID-19 pandemic, followed by an uneven and incomplete recovery. Key Trends: Occupational Segregation: Many Black women remain in underpaid, undervalued roles in caregiving, retail, and service industries—jobs most vulnerable to job cuts and instability. Policy Rollbacks: The erosion of DEI programs and worker protections has closed off paths to career advancement. Childcare Crisis: The lack of investment in affordable, accessible childcare has forced many women to reduce hours or leave the workforce entirely. Persistent Pay Gap: Black women earn just 66¢ for every dollar earned by white men—a figure that h...

Society has long conditioned women to subtly and overtly regard daily survival as sufficient. Many women live minimally and celebrate getting through the day rather than striving for personal growth and achievement. This mindset often leads to feelings of guilt when desiring more from life. However, operating in survival mode is not a natural state; it restricts our true potential and possibilities for a fulfilling life. Embracing the idea of thriving can unlock opportunities for spiritual, emotional, and financial growth and fulfillment as a daily practice, not as a once-a-year vacation. The Survival Trap Many women who feel like they are simply existing often prioritize the needs of others above their own. They may experience guilt when taking time to rest or believe that struggling is a virtue. Survival mode can deceive them with messages like, "You should be grateful for what you have" when they dare to dream, or "That's selfish" when they try to prior...

An analysis of recent policy changes and their implications for economic equity, healthcare access, and opportunity Since returning to office in January 2025, the Trump administration has implemented several significant policy changes that directly impact women of color across multiple dimensions of economic and social life. This analysis examines these policies through the lens of pay equity, career advancement, childcare access, healthcare, and affordable housing. Pay Equity and Career Advancement The administration's approach to workplace regulations has raised concerns among equity advocates. In March 2025, the Labor Department suspended the implementation of pay data collection requirements intended to identify wage disparities based on gender and race. This rollback of transparency measures could make it more challenging to identify and address systemic pay gaps that disproportionately affect women of color, who continue to experience the widest wage disparities in the Am...

I’ve been thinking about Marian Wright Edelman’s reminder that “you can’t be what you can’t see.” Those seven words sit at the heart of our C1B1 Summit, and if I’m honest, they sit at the heart of my story, too. A Moment of Recognition When I was a young girl thumbing through social-studies textbooks, powerful Black women were footnotes at best; however, I felt an unmistakable tug inside: One day, I’ll help women like me step onto bigger stages. Fast forward to today, that tug has a name inspired by Marian Wright Edelman: The C1B1 Summit. From Conference Ballroom to Congressional Floor At each summit, we spotlight women who have overcome barriers in tech, finance, health, and public service. However, in the current political climate, I find myself drawn to one arena in particular: Congress. Congresswoman Shirley Chisholm - was not supposed to win in 1968, yet she became the first Black woman in the House. Representative Ayanna Pressley - said she ran “not to make history but to...

The unique ache that comes from knowing your calling and feeling like you can't afford to answer it is a raw, painful space between knowing what you're meant to do and having the resources to embrace it. This is where many brilliant women find themselves today, and where I found myself just this week. The Confession No One Expects from a Leader I woke up feeling stuck, overwhelmed, and unsure about my next career move because I know my purpose and love what I do through my nonprofit, The SOFEI Group. Bills, burnout, and lack of support felt heavier than my vision, and the thought that "my time on this earth is running out, and I still haven't made it", crept in before I could stop it. This harsh thought motivated me to share this blog post with you today. If you feel like you're racing the clock while running on empty, this message is especially for you because the world needs your purpose-driven work, even though you need a sustainable path to deliver...

In many faith practices, "submission" holds deep spiritual significance. It can represent humility before the divine, mutual respect between partners, and the voluntary yielding of one's will as an act of devotion. However, this beautiful spiritual principle becomes contorted into something unrecognizable, a tool of control, limitation, and inequality. The Distortion of a Sacred Concept When examining religious texts across traditions, submission is not considered a gendered subjugation. Instead, it is a mutual spiritual practice, a reciprocal dance of respect and consideration. In Christian contexts, for example, while Ephesians 5:22 instructs wives to submit to their husbands, the preceding verse (oftentimes overlooked) calls for mutual submission: Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ . The distortion occurs when submission becomes one-directional, demanded from women while exempting men from the same standard. This selective application transforms a s...

Every dream delayed, goal abandoned, or vision buried often traces back to a quiet but powerful source: self-limiting beliefs . These are not merely passing doubts but deeply rooted thought patterns that persistently whisper: "I am not smart enough." "I missed my moment." "People like me don't get ahead." "I'm too old to start now." "My past disqualifies my future." The Divine Call to Freedom God did not create us to live small, silenced, or stuck, but for renewal, empowerment, and freedom. John 10:10 reminds us, The thief cometh not, but to steal, kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life and more abundantly. The beautiful truth is this: God's Word equips us with everything we need to challenge the thoughts that try to keep us bound and embrace breakthrough thinking instead. Four Divine Tools for Transforming Your Mindset Let's explore how four powerful verses can help us overcome self-li...