American Women Lost More Than 5 Million Jobs In 2020 | Apple Launches Major Racial Justice Initiative

Plus: Good News For Minority-Owned Businesses: Community Banks Get First Crack At The New Round Of PPP Loans

On the eve of the birthday of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., a week after watching rioters ransack the nation’s Capitol, it’s hard to deny that we are still a nation divided and that Dr. King’s words are still as relevant today as they were when he marched from Selma to Montgomery. 

This week, we march forward. 

Toward January 20, when Kamala Harris will become America’s first woman and person of color to be sworn in as vice president.

Toward the confirmation of Georgia’s first Black U.S. Senator Raphael Warnock. Toward Sarah McBride taking her seat as the first openly transgender state senator, and Ritchie Torres and Mondaire Jones making history as the first openly gay Black men elected to Congress. 

This week, the corporate push for racial justice also moved forward, as Apple unveiled the latest round of its $100 million Racial Equity and Justice Initiative and Sephora announced it will use data to eliminate racial bias and foster belonging in its customer experience.

Yet, among these wins for diversity, let’s not lose sight of the massive amount of work ahead, including that for American women, who lost more than five million jobs in 2020, according to the latest report by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, with Latinas and Black women hit the hardest.

Quiz Yourself

Women accounted for____% of December job losses:

A) 70%

B) 80%

C) 90%

D) 100%

(Answer located at the bottom of this newsletter.)

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Up Ahead

Quiz Answer: (D) Women accounted for 100% of December job losses.