The Impact of Black Women in Coaching: Paving, Repairing, and Innovating the Industry

In an era where professionals and organizations are taking more proactive approaches to building awareness and creating psychologically safe, inclusive environments, the research continues to indicate that identity differences can mean experiential differences on the journey to success. It is not a secret that there is a stark racial gap of visibility and leadership in the coaching industry. The scant statistics that do exist around racial demographics in the coaching industry indicate that black coaches make up approximately 8% of the executive and life coaches in the United States. Becoming a psychologically safe and inclusive profession calls us to reflect on important questions: What does this gap mean for coaching industry leaders of color? How do these leaders navigate the intersectionality of race, gender and profession while pushing for change in the theory and practice?