by Marlette Jackson and Paria Rajai

Harvard Business Review | February 08, 2024

SUMMARY: Despite advancements in understanding intersectionality — or overlapping forms of discrimination — in legal theory, its integration into corporate workplace initiatives is lagging. By 2044, half of all Americans will identify as a racial or ethnic minority, and recent data revealed that 7% of U.S. adults identify as LGBTQ+, including a notable 21% of Gen Z adults — a substantial increase from previous generations. These changing demographics and their connection to the workplace experience underscore an urgent need for organizations to evolve language, policies, and processes to embrace intersectionality. In this article, the authors explore how intersectionality shows up in recruitment, retention, and promotions through the lens of Black employees’ experiences, as well as explore talent-management strategies and real-world examples.