Reflections of Black Married Working Mothers Managing Occupational Roles and Racism

Abstract

Black married working mothers encounter forms of racism, on the job and in society. However, little attention is given to how these experiences affect their work and family lives. Qualitative thematic analysis was used to examine the narratives of 91 Black women, aged 20 to 55 years, to explore the effects of racism on their key occupational roles of wife, employee, and mother. Four major themes emerged for being a Black employee. Two themes were linked to Black mothering. Five themes were identified for being a Black wife. Also, two new culturally derived occupational roles emerged: advocate and pioneer. Findings suggest that Black married working mothers have unique transformative experiences in their occupational roles solely due to their minoritized status, which impacts their wellbeing. Occupation-based research should focus on racism’s impact on the wellbeing of minoritized groups as they engage in desired and meaningful occupational roles.

Plain Language Summary

Black Working Mothers Manage Racial Stressors

Black married working mothers encounter chronic forms of racism on the job and in society. However, research on how these experiences impact their work performance, family lives, and overall wellbeing remains limited. This qualitative study reviewed the interview narratives of 91 Detroit-area Black women to discover important themes about the effects of racism on their key occupational roles of wife, employee, and mother. Four major themes emerged for being a Black employee, including the need to be better than White employees while also managing discrimination. The two Black mothering themes focused on safeguarding their children and preparing them for the future. Five themes for Black wives included facing systemic stress and sustaining a marriage while preserving their autonomy. Although the results of this non-random sample cannot be generalized beyond the participants, the findings are instructive and provide a foundation for more comprehensive studies in the future.