Workplace Trauma Is Pushing Black Women Out Healing Is The Way Back

(MENAFN- EIN Presswire) EINPresswire/ -- More than 300,000 Black women left the U.S. workforce last quarter. On top of that, 518,000 never returned after COVID-19. Together, these numbers tell a story that goes beyond economics. That story is about workplace trauma.

For many Black women, leaving a job is deeply personal. It's shaped by years of being overlooked and undervalued. Research from Lean In and McKinsey found that more than 60 percent of Black women faced racial trauma at work last year. They also experience microaggressions at three to four times the rate of white women. And they're the least likely to feel supported by their managers.

"These women aren't lacking desire or motivation. They're exhausted," said Arecia Hester, a certified life coach and owner of Taking First based in Los Angeles. She works with women navigating burnout, self-doubt, and big life transitions. "They deserve real support as they figure out what comes next."

Hester believes healing starts from the inside. "For Black women who've spent years shrinking themselves, healing is the foundation. Everything else gets built on top of that."

Hester, as part of her personal development coaching practice, is hosting The Journey this June. It's a one-day coaching and community experience. Ten women from diverse backgrounds will come together for a day of guided reflection, connection, and forward movement. It's the kind of space that corporate America has yet to build.

As DEI rollbacks and economic pressures grow, voices like Hester's matter. She's part of a broader effort to keep healing and forward movement at the center of the conversation.

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