On March 9, 2010 the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette published an article that found that the median wealth for a single black woman is $5. The article states that the income of all women is lower than their male counterparts, however that of the black woman is alarmingly low. The study determined that “single white women in the prime of their working years (ages 36 to 49) have a median wealth of $42,600 (still only 61 percent of their single white male counterparts), the median wealth for single black women is only $5.” There seems to be many factors that contribute to this financial plight of the black woman, however one of which seems to be that the “high unemployment and high incarceration rates for black men also lower the likelihood of single black women finding a partner to help build a more secure financial future.” This is also contributes to the number of black women who are raising families alone, thus leaving them to take on the financial encumbrances that accompany that life.
This article may sum up the financial burden that black women experience, but somehow it also serves as a subliminal message that is parallel to the societal value of the black woman. If her net worth is determined to be $5, what more does that say about her worldly significance? Perhaps the notion of “intersectionality” explains this disparity. Maybe her gender and race, and their intersection, influence how she is treated in society. Are her needs and/or abilities considered when new jobs are created? Is her financial debt more than that of her black male counterparts? Is she less educated on assets and liabilities than her white female counterparts…or much more, is the black woman herself considered to be an asset…or a liability?