Tunua Thrash-Ntuk, a Dynamic Thought-Leader

2.07.2022 — LISC StoriesAffordable HousingEconomic DevelopmentFinancial StabilityHealth

Black women are often not given a chance to be heard, understood, or respected – even in leadership positions. With this in mind, The State of Black Women in CA 2022 and Beyond – Essays from Black Women Thought Leaders was released on Monday, January 31, 2022. This report provided a platform for Black women leaders across various sectors to illustrate their concerns, predictions, and thoughts on their industry and the state of Black women in general. LISC LA Executive Director Tunua Thrash-Ntuk was one of the contributing authors in this latest report.

That same day (January 31st), a forum was held where Tunua Thrash-Ntuk and fellow authors discussed the report along with important issues affecting the community. "I'm honored to be alongside this group of incredible Black women authors," Tunua stated.

Tunua is a community development professional whose public service career spans more than two decades, leading racial equity initiatives and billion-dollar governmental programs to build better communities for those in greatest need.

As the Executive Director of LISC LA, she is responsible for helping to advance equity and economic inclusion for diverse communities in the region. At the height of the COVID-19 crisis, she oversaw the distribution of more than $130M in grants and loans to microentrepreneurs, small businesses, and nonprofits throughout Los Angeles County. Tunua holds an undergraduate degree from the University of California, Berkeley, and a master's degree in city planning from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). This Black History Month, we want to highlight this dynamic thought-leader in the LA area.

As Tunua states in the report, Black working women are critical breadwinners for their families and communities. Yet they are often paid less than their white male and female counterparts and are more likely to be concentrated in low-wage jobs. Additionally, Black households, more often headed by Black women, are two times more likely than white parents to have to quit, turn down, or make a significant change in their job due to child care disruptions. Therefore, bold action must be pursued to ensure that Black women can access high-quality, low-cost child care, affordable long-term care, living wages, affordable housing, and a more equitable economy.

Health disparities also start early for Black women. For example, 45% of Black women aged 20 years and older have high blood pressure; this is a rate that is 60% higher than white women.

While our country relies on women of color to care for everyone, they aren't paid well and often live at the poverty line themselves. Black women should therefore call upon lawmakers to decrease and/or subsidize the cost of home-based care and increase the wages of home care workers.

In California, the Black community is overrepresented in the homeless population. Significant, meaningful investment in affordable housing is called for by lawmakers to address the disparities experienced by Black people and Black women.

The COVID-19 pandemic has had devastating impacts on the economic stability of many, not the least of which are Black Women. Earning only 62 cents to every dollar earned by a white man, Black women's wages and asset accumulation have not kept pace with their productivity.

The report outlines the impacts of years of policies that ignore Black women and their well-being.