CONCRETE CEILING
A framework for understanding Black women's unique workplace barriers
The concrete ceiling describes the distinct, compounding barriers Black women face in the workplace when racial bias and gender bias intersect—creating experiences that neither "glass ceiling" frameworks (designed for white women) nor general "racial barrier" frameworks (often centering men) adequately capture.
Unlike glass—which is transparent and allows you to see what lies ahead even when you can't reach it—concrete is opaque and specifically constructed at the intersection of race and gender.
Concrete Ceiling Awareness
Campaign
The Concrete Ceiling Awareness Campaign is BlackFemaleProject's national campaign to make "concrete ceiling" as recognized as "glass ceiling"—transforming how America understands and addresses Black women's unique workplace barriers.
For 27 years, the term has existed in academic research, but most people have never heard of it. Meanwhile, Black women—the most educated demographic in America (38% hold degrees)—occupy just 1% of C-suite positions and earn 64¢ per white male dollar.
YEARS 1-3
Collect 3,000+ stories, create evidence-based toolkit, engage 300+ organizations
YEARS 4-6
Saturate media with PSAs, documentary, campaigns in 10+ metros
YEARS 7-9:
Transform workplaces through accountability systems, policy wins, educational integration
YEARS 10+
Measure the breakthrough—is the framework embedded in how America works?
SUCCESS MEANS
Black women's workplace conditions measurably improve. Organizations routinely track concrete ceiling metrics. The term becomes permanent part of workplace equity infrastructure.
Invest in making workplaces better for everyone
BlackFemaleProject seeks initial funding of $5 million over three years to scale our proven methodology documenting Black women's workplace experiences to shift cultural narratives and catalyze systemic change. This project elevates women's power and status by changing culture through evidence-based narrative change.
Despite being the most educated demographic group in America (38% hold degrees vs. 30% of white women), Black women occupy just 1% of C-suite positions and face a persistent wage gap. Scholars have documented this as the "concrete ceiling"—a barrier distinct from the glass ceiling (white women) or general racial barriers (men of color), where race and gender biases compound uniquely at the intersection. Traditional workplace interventions designed for white women or Black professionals broadly miss Black women's specific experiences entirely.
OUR COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE
Our Hewlett Foundation-funded Teacher Truth Initiative (2020-2025, led by Dr. E'rika Chambers) proved our trauma-informed narrative collection methodology builds sustained community trust: 6,000+ educators engaged through 60 events, 77% of survey participants willing to continue engagement, and 900+ educators participating in our 2025 survey—demonstrating growing reach and sustained community connection.
Invest TODAY
Your support will enable us to scale our proven approach nationally, engaging 3,000+ Black women professionals across STEM fields and select industries including: technology, healthcare, finance, and professional services to create evidence-based toolkits that transform systemic barriers into organizational solutions.
Biased attitudes are a primary barrier to women's advancement and it directly intersects with our work to elevate the stories and share the experiences of Black women in the workplace. The Aspen Institute's commitment to "inclusive prosperity" recognizes that removing barriers for the most marginalized creates universal benefit. When workplaces are designed to support Black women's needs, they become better places for everyone to thrive—catalyzing the $300 billion GDP [1] opportunity that full Black women's workplace participation represents.
BlackFemaleProject's national narrative change campaign that makes "concrete ceiling" as ubiquitous as "glass ceiling" requires large investments over 10+ years, with an initial $5M serving as the critical evidence-building foundation that makes the larger investment fundable.
[1] Goldman Sachs Global Investment Research. (2021). Black Womenomics: Investing in the Underinvested.