“Based on our interviews, we saw Black women have an appetite to change the world, to uplift others and make contributions to their community, so they’re more likely to seek a powerful position — but those 44% report feeling like they just can’t get there. And they’re right. Just look around: If you do see a Black woman at the top at work, she’s viewed as somewhat of a Black unicorn.” I may not be Beyoncé, but I know this feeling well. At just 29, I've already made some incredible accomplishments. I'm a features writer at one of the most innovative media companies in the world, I've broadcasted live from an awards show red carpet to more than 1 million people, I've interviewed the queen of interviewing, Ms. Oprah Winfrey herself. And yet, no matter how many accolades I receive, or how proud my parents tell me they are, or how much encouraging feedback I get from colleagues, lying just beneath the surface of my ambition will always be the unshakeable feeling that thanks to the colour of my skin, I will never be seen as equally successful or capable as the white woman next to me. For as long as I’m working, no matter how high up I skyrocket or how quickly, I will always have to wonder if my white boss or co-worker or friend sees me slightly differently because I’m Black. (Not to mention that the higher I am in the hierarchy, the less people I’ll see who look like me.) But Beyoncé, arguably the most recognisable face on the planet, the woman who has the power to “stop the world” with one surprise album, the woman who just won her 22nd and 23rd Grammy Awards, she can’t possibly feel like her career is stalled just because of one little award show loss, right? Not necessarily, says Marshall. While one award can’t measure an entire career, for most people, validation of their work is important. “Think of feeling stalled in the context of getting credit for your ideas or creativity or innovation,” she says. “How can someone as credentialed and capable and productive as Beyoncé still be invisible to people at the top? She’s in the entertainment world, but we see that in the corporate sphere as well. Another study we did found that Black women are 20% less likely than straight white men to get their ideas endorsed in the workplace. It'll come out of their mouth, but until a white person echoes it, that’s when people pay attention.” Beyoncé’s own sister Solange shares a similar sentiment. In a since-deleted tweet posted the day after the Grammys, she pointed out that [sic] “there have only been two black winners in the last 20 years for album of the year there have been over 200 black artists who have performed.” Technically, she was wrong — there have actually been four Black winners over the last 20 years. But still, essentially, according to the Grammys, the work of Black artists is good enough to be entertainment — a tool to draw in viewership and controversy, which equals money in their pocket — but not good enough to be honoured. And looking at women in general at the Grammys isn’t much better — in the past two decades, only seven women have won Album of the Year (with Adele taking the trophy home twice, this year, and in 2012).