The Cost of Free Labor: How Academia Exploits Black Women Scholars
Black women in religious scholarship and religious leadership are frequently overworked and undercompensated, despite their critical contributions to theological discourse and community leadership. This systemic issue devalues their expertise while perpetuating a cycle of unpaid labor. The time has come to challenge the addiction to Black women’s free labor and demand a future where their voices are both heard and compensated.
The Addiction to Black Women’s Free Labor: A Call for Change
Black women in academia in general, religious scholarship in particular, often find themselves at the intersection of underappreciation and overexertion. The narrative is familiar: talented, driven, and committed women working tirelessly for causes they believe in, only to be met with requests for unpaid labor. This dynamic is not just a series of isolated incidents—it’s a systemic issue that devalues Black women’s time and contributions while profiting from their work. It’s time to call out this addiction to Black women’s free labor and chart a path toward valuing their expertise.
A Story of Labor Without Compensation
Mo’Nique, a celebrated African American actor, publicly shared a telling experience. After completing her contractual obligations for a film, Tyler Perry asked her to promote the movie for free, suggesting the unpaid effort could lead to future millions for her. When she asked about being paid, Perry’s response was he wasn’t in the habit of giving his money away for free.
Mo’Nique’s response was pointed: “Actually, you appeared to give away $1M to T.D. Jakes for free, but that’s another story. I’m not in the habit of working for free.” Her refusal highlighted an insidious expectation placed on Black women—that their labor should be given without compensation under the guise of opportunity.
Similarly, as a rigorously trained theologian and ethicist, I’ve faced countless requests to work for free. From invitations to deliver lectures at prestigious institutions without pay to serving on executive boards and editorial teams, the expectation remains the same: do the work, but don’t expect to be compensated for it. Even in cases where the work is directly tied to financial gain—such as detailed Bible study plans for affluent churches—Black women are often met with dismissive responses like, “Why can’t this just be a love offering?”
This pattern reflects not just disregard but active hostility toward the wholeness and survival of Black women. How can a love offering, a term suggesting gratitude and appreciation, instead convey a lack of respect for the labor and expertise being offered?
The Systemic Issue: Devaluing Black Women in Religious Scholarship
In religious academia, Black women occupy a unique and often precarious position. Their voices are sought after to address critical issues, but their labor is not compensated in proportion to its impact. Executive boards, editorial committees, and research networks frequently rely on their expertise without offering financial support. These roles are framed as opportunities to create change, but they often serve as vehicles for perpetuating the exploitation of Black women.
Universities often intensify the vulnerability of Black women by putting time limits on independent scholars who need “visiting scholar” status. Doing this withdraws any basic support such as office space access, library and other resource access, and access to interlocutors who could serve as future partners for furthering their research agenda.
Religious institutions, in particular, exacerbate this problem. Churches and theological organizations frequently rely on the uncompensated labor of Black women to advance social justice initiatives, curate research, and foster community engagement.
This work is indispensable, yet it’s rarely recognized with financial support. The result is a troubling paradox: the very institutions claiming to promote equity and justice actively participate in the systemic undervaluing of Black women.
This devaluation extends beyond religious spaces. Across academia, grant applications, fellowship proposals, and research endeavors demand significant time and effort, often with no guarantee of compensation. Even when grants or fellowships are awarded, they frequently fail to account for the countless hours spent preparing applications. This creates a cycle where Black women must overperform to prove their worth, only to be met with further exploitation.
Call to Action
The systemic expectation of free labor from Black women as religious scholars is not a matter of misunderstanding—it is a deeply entrenched practice that devalues their contributions while benefiting institutions. Whether it is being asked to serve on executive boards, curate theological resources, or develop transformative social justice programs, the pattern remains: work tirelessly, but do not expect to be compensated.
This chronic undervaluation is not just personal—it is systemic, hostile, and dangerous. It robs Black women of opportunities for financial stability, diminishes their intellectual contributions, and actively undermines their wholeness and well-being. The issue is urgent, and the consequences profound.
But what if there were a different way? What if we reimagined academic and faith spaces as places where the expertise of Black women was not only acknowledged but compensated and celebrated? In the next article, we’ll explore real, actionable solutions—focusing on the Sistah Scholars Pilot Program and the ways it seeks to disrupt this cycle.
The time has come for Black women to be paid, not just praised, for their brilliance. Stay tuned.
Dr. CL Nash