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The Double Tax: How Women of Color Are Overcharged and Underpaid
With a foreword by Chelsea Clinton
From a rising star in economics, the first comprehensive look at the costs women face and why the bill runs especially high for women of color.
The “pink tax” has gained widespread recognition in recent years, but what happens when you look at the costs that define a woman’s entire life, especially across racial lines?
In The Double Tax, Harvard researcher Anna Gifty Opoku-Agyeman summarizes the disparities that women face as they navigate life’s biggest moments. Not only do the numbers reveal that women incur higher costs than men, but also that Black and white women lead vastly different lives, marked by dramatic gaps in job opportunities, salaries, housing costs, childcare access, and generational wealth. She coins this gap as the “double tax,” the compounded cost of racism and sexism.
Through rigorous research and interviews with women across the country, Opoku-Agyeman calculates the extra money, time, and effort that women are expected and forced to pay at every stage of their life.
While the evidence may be discouraging, The Double Tax offers actionable solutions for how everyday people, local communities, and global leaders alike can help relieve women of these costs for good. Only by understanding where the gaps are and where the double tax arises can we begin to even the playing field for all.
From a rising star in economics, the first comprehensive look at the costs women face and why the bill runs especially high for women of color.
The “pink tax” has gained widespread recognition in recent years, but what happens when you look at the costs that define a woman’s entire life, especially across racial lines?
In The Double Tax, Harvard researcher Anna Gifty Opoku-Agyeman summarizes the disparities that women face as they navigate life’s biggest moments. Not only do the numbers reveal that women incur higher costs than men, but also that Black and white women lead vastly different lives, marked by dramatic gaps in job opportunities, salaries, housing costs, childcare access, and generational wealth. She coins this gap as the “double tax,” the compounded cost of racism and sexism.
Through rigorous research and interviews with women across the country, Opoku-Agyeman calculates the extra money, time, and effort that women are expected and forced to pay at every stage of their life.
While the evidence may be discouraging, The Double Tax offers actionable solutions for how everyday people, local communities, and global leaders alike can help relieve women of these costs for good. Only by understanding where the gaps are and where the double tax arises can we begin to even the playing field for all.
256 pages, Hardcover
Published September 16, 2025
38 people are currently reading
706 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
February 3, 2026
This is such an important read. The author is an economist, and she lays out in straightforward terms the extra expenses women of colour face, as well as the barriers that get in the way of prosperous opportunities, and what these cumulative experiences end up costing them over a lifetime. My favourite part of this book is that the author lays out very doable societal solutions that could eliminate this gap. I really look forward to reading more from her.
October 6, 2025
White women who consider themselves intersectional feminists: you NEED to read this.
Anna Gifty Opoku-Agyeman presents a comprehensive look at the “double tax,” which is the physical/emotional/financial price women of color pay under systems of BOTH misogyny and racism.
There were many stories I could relate to in this book, and the author beautifully explains how these problems compound for women of color. There are so many cited statistics and studies used, and each chapter ends with a summary and calls to action on what we can do to fix the double tax.
This was a quick and important read. I had the pleasure of attending a panel with the author at St. Cate’s recently, and she was an INCREDIBLE speaker. Now I’m off to do some more reading based on the “recommended reading” in the back of the book!
Anna Gifty Opoku-Agyeman presents a comprehensive look at the “double tax,” which is the physical/emotional/financial price women of color pay under systems of BOTH misogyny and racism.
There were many stories I could relate to in this book, and the author beautifully explains how these problems compound for women of color. There are so many cited statistics and studies used, and each chapter ends with a summary and calls to action on what we can do to fix the double tax.
This was a quick and important read. I had the pleasure of attending a panel with the author at St. Cate’s recently, and she was an INCREDIBLE speaker. Now I’m off to do some more reading based on the “recommended reading” in the back of the book!
October 14, 2025
If you, like me, are a middle-aged white woman, you have experienced some real bullshit in your life. Some. Bull. Shit. Now imagine how much worse it is for women who aren't white. The Double Tax is a clear, concise explanation of how Black women face the double tax of misogyny and racism, with ideas for actions to take to make it better (which in turn, would makes things better for people of every race and gender). This is a really good companion to Invisible Women, by Caroline Criado Pérez and Poverty, By America by Matthew Desmond.
A note on format: I guess all books now just don't have superscript endnote numbers in the text anymore. We're beyond doing that now. Anyway, it does have extensive endnotes and a bibliography in the back, so that's good. The author reads the audiobook, and she laughs incredulously in a couple spots, and it's so good. She really emphasizes the "Can you BELIEVE this???"
A note on format: I guess all books now just don't have superscript endnote numbers in the text anymore. We're beyond doing that now. Anyway, it does have extensive endnotes and a bibliography in the back, so that's good. The author reads the audiobook, and she laughs incredulously in a couple spots, and it's so good. She really emphasizes the "Can you BELIEVE this???"
November 11, 2025
I had the opportunity to attend Anna’s book tour. I think this is a super important book to read!
October 6, 2025
FANTASTIC! The author is gifted. She breaks down the economics into chunks that are understandable for non-econ majors, but without talking down to anyone. The anecdotes she shares bring the research to life, and the lengthy Notes section backs it up w/ citations.
I highly recommend the audio version -- her personality shines through. I got the hard copy so I could review the graphs & graphics.
I highly recommend the audio version -- her personality shines through. I got the hard copy so I could review the graphs & graphics.
January 18, 2026
4.75/5 - Such a sobering book. Even though I am aware of all the inequities women (especially black women) face, I am always in awe of the audacity. I swear we live in an upside down society.
October 21, 2025
Important themes but I’ve already been familiar with intersectionality since my sociology & ethnic studies classes in college. Good for the Chelsea Clinton types (who apparently also had her eyes opened from this book as she attests in her foreword). Most important takeaway is that societal economic progress should be understood from the perspective of those on the lowest economic and racial rungs, i.e. black women, but I mean obviously
January 2, 2026
Anna Gifty Opoku-Agyeman has written an incredible book. Incredible because of just how information is packed into its one-hundred and seventy-five pages, and how the work she does for readers makes advocacy much easier. If not advocacy, then challenging any would-be tech, finance, or fintech bros who are still playing devil's advocate about the conditions of lives that aren't white, cis, het, and/or male. The facts in The Double Tax may be news for some (for those folks, please don't stop talking about this book just because you've stopped reading it), but for marginalized folks, specifically Black people, this book will likely offer validation, and perhaps a sense that you're not alone. I hope it brings a sense of healing with it that I felt while reading some stories as a white trans man.
Reading this book as a trans man, I found many of the stories resonant even though I'm neither Black, nor a woman. It's a testament to Crenshaw's intersectionality that when we prioritize Black women and the issues they face, especially economically, the world is better and more equitable for everyone. One of the most important parts of the book was, for me, the general focus on policy changes. Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley once said, "Policy is my love language" and The Double Tax shows why there are few other options for Black women. It is not simply a matter of conversations that challenge perspectives, but making sure that perspectives changed also change the systems they frequent. Protecting Black vitalities through policy is the only way to uproot the tendrils of racisms (and their attendant -isms) that make thriving impossible for Black women, and many others. All of the chapters can be turned into advocacy in politics, whether that is local, state level, or federally (or in Canada where I'm reading, local, provincial, or federal). It was a beautiful gift readers were given in its contents.
There are serious facts in this book but Opoku-Agyeman recounts them with a humor that readers aren't owed, but that she graces us with. For example, "Perhaps that's why my smile is tinged with a bit of disappointment whenever I hear about another "first". It's not that I am not proud of women of color for breaking barriers. It's that being the first, the only, or the one--in the year of our Lord 2025--is not a flex. It's a sign of how little things have changed and how much further we need to go" (p.47). In the same way that I quoted Ayanna Pressley above, I can easily see Opoku-Agyeman being quoted by others because she writes so well. I read a book where a Congressman's review on the back of it said that they wished every Congressperson would read it. I feel the same about this book, but in Canada it would be MPs, MPPs, as well as Regional and City Council members.
There were a few parts of the book that I thoroughly enjoyed and want to mention here. As a Canadian reader, I was relieved to see the country mentioned in the section about unions, and pay equity. What I appreciated was not the sense of being different from the disparities she writes about in the United States. It was moreso the way she wrote about it so that we are not the exception but a note of different practices leading to different outcomes; Exception is not exemption. It denies Canadians the ability to say that on the basis of it being better here, we aren't absolved of working towards change. A final highlight (because I'm not going to spoil the contents of this really good book), is the way Opoku-Agyeman talks about days of equality being not about equality, but more about the chasm between true equity and the present status of an issue. I think that corporate leaders doing any DEI work would benefit from reading this book for that fact alone. It would behoove HR personnel and hiring managers in particular, who are not aware of the details of the issues in the depth Opoku-Agyeman presents to familiarize themselves with them. Corporate book club content where everyone comes together with an ERG (employee resource group) to write policies protecting and elevating Black people in the workplace? Absolutely worth the investment of time.
When people talk about white feminism as advocating singularly, or white 2SLGBTQ+ rights being one-dimensional (highly recommend also reading Rodrick Ferguson's book One Dimensional Queer), Opoku-Agyeman's book shows what those single-issue politics (thank you Audre Lorde) leave out in economic terms. Don't let conversations about reparations, or the contexts in which they can be brought up fool you into dissonance with equitable values. Economic parity for Black people has a long way to go. Capitalism and the economic systems as they are now are not definitive, nor are they a feature of nature. They are human creations that benefitted some in order to create wealth that accomplished a variety of economic and political ends. It is not just that change is possible, but that little by little, policy advocacy, the likes of which Opoku-Agyeman writes about is realistic. Even if someone reads this and feels that they don't owe anyone a single thing (big yikes, but some readers or interlocutors [i.e. white men in the comments living on the edge of Hanlon's Razor] may have that take), it is clear that the world as it is does not benefit everyone equally. Advocacy and change start with education. I cannot think of a better place to start learning about the economics of racism, and how to sow seeds of change, than The Double Tax.
Reading this book as a trans man, I found many of the stories resonant even though I'm neither Black, nor a woman. It's a testament to Crenshaw's intersectionality that when we prioritize Black women and the issues they face, especially economically, the world is better and more equitable for everyone. One of the most important parts of the book was, for me, the general focus on policy changes. Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley once said, "Policy is my love language" and The Double Tax shows why there are few other options for Black women. It is not simply a matter of conversations that challenge perspectives, but making sure that perspectives changed also change the systems they frequent. Protecting Black vitalities through policy is the only way to uproot the tendrils of racisms (and their attendant -isms) that make thriving impossible for Black women, and many others. All of the chapters can be turned into advocacy in politics, whether that is local, state level, or federally (or in Canada where I'm reading, local, provincial, or federal). It was a beautiful gift readers were given in its contents.
There are serious facts in this book but Opoku-Agyeman recounts them with a humor that readers aren't owed, but that she graces us with. For example, "Perhaps that's why my smile is tinged with a bit of disappointment whenever I hear about another "first". It's not that I am not proud of women of color for breaking barriers. It's that being the first, the only, or the one--in the year of our Lord 2025--is not a flex. It's a sign of how little things have changed and how much further we need to go" (p.47). In the same way that I quoted Ayanna Pressley above, I can easily see Opoku-Agyeman being quoted by others because she writes so well. I read a book where a Congressman's review on the back of it said that they wished every Congressperson would read it. I feel the same about this book, but in Canada it would be MPs, MPPs, as well as Regional and City Council members.
There were a few parts of the book that I thoroughly enjoyed and want to mention here. As a Canadian reader, I was relieved to see the country mentioned in the section about unions, and pay equity. What I appreciated was not the sense of being different from the disparities she writes about in the United States. It was moreso the way she wrote about it so that we are not the exception but a note of different practices leading to different outcomes; Exception is not exemption. It denies Canadians the ability to say that on the basis of it being better here, we aren't absolved of working towards change. A final highlight (because I'm not going to spoil the contents of this really good book), is the way Opoku-Agyeman talks about days of equality being not about equality, but more about the chasm between true equity and the present status of an issue. I think that corporate leaders doing any DEI work would benefit from reading this book for that fact alone. It would behoove HR personnel and hiring managers in particular, who are not aware of the details of the issues in the depth Opoku-Agyeman presents to familiarize themselves with them. Corporate book club content where everyone comes together with an ERG (employee resource group) to write policies protecting and elevating Black people in the workplace? Absolutely worth the investment of time.
When people talk about white feminism as advocating singularly, or white 2SLGBTQ+ rights being one-dimensional (highly recommend also reading Rodrick Ferguson's book One Dimensional Queer), Opoku-Agyeman's book shows what those single-issue politics (thank you Audre Lorde) leave out in economic terms. Don't let conversations about reparations, or the contexts in which they can be brought up fool you into dissonance with equitable values. Economic parity for Black people has a long way to go. Capitalism and the economic systems as they are now are not definitive, nor are they a feature of nature. They are human creations that benefitted some in order to create wealth that accomplished a variety of economic and political ends. It is not just that change is possible, but that little by little, policy advocacy, the likes of which Opoku-Agyeman writes about is realistic. Even if someone reads this and feels that they don't owe anyone a single thing (big yikes, but some readers or interlocutors [i.e. white men in the comments living on the edge of Hanlon's Razor] may have that take), it is clear that the world as it is does not benefit everyone equally. Advocacy and change start with education. I cannot think of a better place to start learning about the economics of racism, and how to sow seeds of change, than The Double Tax.
December 30, 2025
It appears that the elephant in the room is not exactly revealed. And, women of color who have the right attitude for a capitalistic society, are not discussed. I suggest that the author describes women of color, who bring incompatible expectations from their country of origin, or who maintain an attitude of entitlement, rather than of entrepreneurship, to mention one trait, instilled by several generations of being TOLD that that they are entitled and victims, by one of the political parties here. Those times and attitudes are long overdue to be pushed aside. Its easy to find women of color who are not victims. In fact its the largest demographic of women of color. I suggest that the time has past to read about, or to give more consideration to victimhood that has been instilled by the Left. In the very "blue: city where I live, it is perhaps one of the very few in the USA where ANYONE of color isn't motivated to simply work, and acquire marketable skills that provide moility and choice, In many decades in the workforce in this city, I never saw _any_ but MOTIVATED people of color in the workplace. That makes all the difference whether they will be "overcharged"/"underpaid". Chelsea Clinton has no credibility, since she hasn't either a good attitude nor accomplishments or skills. Here's TWO CEOS who have lots to say about the overwhelming importance of having the right ATTITUDE:
Cisco’s top exec and Amazon’s Andy Jassy share the same hiring red flag—and it’s something that can’t be taught
It’s not what you know, or even who you know. According to Cisco’s new U.K. chief, Sarah Walker, your next promotion might hinge on your attitude. ·
Orianna Rosa Royle
Amazon CEO Andy Jassy says a good attitude and enthusiasm are key to success, especially in your twenties—and Cisco’s U.K. chief exec agrees.
It’s not what you know, or even who you know. According to Cisco’s new U.K. chief, your next promotion might hinge on your attitude.
“You cannot teach positive attitudes and engagement and energy,” Sarah Walker tells Fortune. That’s the No. 1 green-flag trait she keeps an eye out for when hiring or looking to promote from within—and she says it outweighs what’s on your resume, especially early in your career.
Ask AI
The 45-year-old boss spent 25 years climbing the ranks at the Fortune 500 Europe telecommunications giant BT. In that time, Walker went from joining the sales team at the £14.21 billion British ($17.7 billion) legacy brand to leaving as its director of corporate and public sector. Following a micro-retirement, she joined Cisco as managing director before being promoted to lead its U.K. and Ireland arm just two years later.
Now that she calls the shots, the CEO’s go-to choice for her team is always the upbeat, eager-to-learn worker.
“It’s more about the person first and foremost than it is about skills or experience,” she adds.
Skills become more important with experience—but it always pays to be positive and humble
“I always try and distinguish between the things that can be taught and learnt and the things that are just inherent in somebody,” Walker says, adding that skills become more important as you climb the ladder and enter more specialist roles.
Even then, she says someone with a great attitude and willingness to learn can still bag a role over someone more experienced if they can be developed into the role.
“You don’t need to be the finished article to be promoted, but we need to know that you are in a position where within a reasonable timeframe, you’ll have invested the time to upskill and develop—so I say to people, be very focused on who you are first and foremost, because that’s the bit that makes you stand out, and can’t be taught and will be a differentiator,” she adds.
But no matter how junior—or senior—you are, she still thinks a bad attitude will make you stand out for all the wrong reasons.
“I can’t stand arrogance. Be confident, but have a level of humility,” Walker warns. “You can’t rest on your laurels because you’ve done something well in the past, you need to be thinking about what’s the next great thing that you’ll do?”
“Even at my level, you have to be open to the fact that there’s lots more yet to learn and grow and adapt,” she concludes. “I always know that I’m only as good as the last good thing that I’ve done, and I’ll only continue to be good if I continue to do good things.”
Cisco’s top exec and Amazon’s Andy Jassy share the same hiring red flag—and it’s something that can’t be taught
It’s not what you know, or even who you know. According to Cisco’s new U.K. chief, Sarah Walker, your next promotion might hinge on your attitude. ·
Orianna Rosa Royle
Amazon CEO Andy Jassy says a good attitude and enthusiasm are key to success, especially in your twenties—and Cisco’s U.K. chief exec agrees.
It’s not what you know, or even who you know. According to Cisco’s new U.K. chief, your next promotion might hinge on your attitude.
“You cannot teach positive attitudes and engagement and energy,” Sarah Walker tells Fortune. That’s the No. 1 green-flag trait she keeps an eye out for when hiring or looking to promote from within—and she says it outweighs what’s on your resume, especially early in your career.
Ask AI
The 45-year-old boss spent 25 years climbing the ranks at the Fortune 500 Europe telecommunications giant BT. In that time, Walker went from joining the sales team at the £14.21 billion British ($17.7 billion) legacy brand to leaving as its director of corporate and public sector. Following a micro-retirement, she joined Cisco as managing director before being promoted to lead its U.K. and Ireland arm just two years later.
Now that she calls the shots, the CEO’s go-to choice for her team is always the upbeat, eager-to-learn worker.
“It’s more about the person first and foremost than it is about skills or experience,” she adds.
Skills become more important with experience—but it always pays to be positive and humble
“I always try and distinguish between the things that can be taught and learnt and the things that are just inherent in somebody,” Walker says, adding that skills become more important as you climb the ladder and enter more specialist roles.
Even then, she says someone with a great attitude and willingness to learn can still bag a role over someone more experienced if they can be developed into the role.
“You don’t need to be the finished article to be promoted, but we need to know that you are in a position where within a reasonable timeframe, you’ll have invested the time to upskill and develop—so I say to people, be very focused on who you are first and foremost, because that’s the bit that makes you stand out, and can’t be taught and will be a differentiator,” she adds.
But no matter how junior—or senior—you are, she still thinks a bad attitude will make you stand out for all the wrong reasons.
“I can’t stand arrogance. Be confident, but have a level of humility,” Walker warns. “You can’t rest on your laurels because you’ve done something well in the past, you need to be thinking about what’s the next great thing that you’ll do?”
“Even at my level, you have to be open to the fact that there’s lots more yet to learn and grow and adapt,” she concludes. “I always know that I’m only as good as the last good thing that I’ve done, and I’ll only continue to be good if I continue to do good things.”
November 2, 2025
This is an economist’s analysis of the realities of navigating life and work in a systemically flawed world. An easy read as the author uses easily digestible language to highlight disparities and critique the stories of the women she interviewed. Something to return to at different life stages.
Rating system:
5 - Absolutely loved it!
4 - Enjoyed it / Interesting read
3 - Good / It was okay
2 - Could be better / Wasn’t that interesting
1 - Why did this even get published?
Rating system:
5 - Absolutely loved it!
4 - Enjoyed it / Interesting read
3 - Good / It was okay
2 - Could be better / Wasn’t that interesting
1 - Why did this even get published?
November 7, 2025
I enjoyed this! It describes concepts in an accessible way and I also appreciate that solutions for each of the challenges were presented. My only complaint has less to do with the content and more to do with the formatting of the ebook on Libby; it was really hard to read the tables, so I’d probably have to reread the physical copy.
November 18, 2025
this book proves that anna is skilled at data analysis and making that data accessible and easily understandable. i really enjoyed how she connected personal stories to the work of the text and how every chapter had a section dedicated to solutions that would impact the lives of Black women and women of color in massive ways if they were to be implemented
December 29, 2025
The receipts are in. There is no doubt that race and gender shape the experiences of today’s women. Black women pay a double tax compared to white women and it’s a massive financial and emotional bill they are not given the choice to decline. These costs are a recurring pattern across the lives of all women and it’s time for us to organize around the solutions that will make our lives better.
February 6, 2026
A non-fiction book about how black women are doubly impacted by various economic forces in their lives that cause them to make less and spend more.
I like that the book is broken down into chapters by areas of like (like employment, beauty, childcare, etc.). It's not too long and describes things well. It's not a fun read but the language is very approachable.
Read as an audiobook.
I like that the book is broken down into chapters by areas of like (like employment, beauty, childcare, etc.). It's not too long and describes things well. It's not a fun read but the language is very approachable.
Read as an audiobook.
October 1, 2025
Affirming, accessible, and astute. This book is a must read for all looking to improve conditions of women of color where we live, work, and play. Rooted in data and underscored by powerful personal stories and experiences.
December 23, 2025
The worst part about this book is that the people who need to read this book won't bother to take the time. I suggest everyone read this book to really understand something that Black and Brown women are gaslit about every single second of their lives. Just read the book and learn something.
January 26, 2026
Brought together a wealth of research and made it very accessible. The personal stories that came from the author's interviews with a variety of women provided powerful context. Infuriating data, of course, but a good read.
January 26, 2026
Good book.
There should be an Asia centric/India centric version.
That will be an interesting one since not many people write on the economics of women in these places.
I might just do it. Anna being the inspiration.
There should be an Asia centric/India centric version.
That will be an interesting one since not many people write on the economics of women in these places.
I might just do it. Anna being the inspiration.
October 13, 2025
Infuriating. Informative. Important.
October 25, 2025
Quick and accessible read. The statistics are pretty mindblowing (in a negative way). Really a just read.
November 8, 2025
This is a good primer for someone unfamiliar with the concepts of the pink and the double tax. It's an accessible and fast read.
February 1, 2026
Important political and national trends. I was looking forward to learning about potential systemic strategies for change.
October 17, 2025
A juggernaut in what should be required reading in intersectional education. Double Tax expertly outlines the pain points and gives us action plans.
December 28, 2025
The Black Tax discusses the reality of women- especially black women and women of color- navigate the intersection of racism and misogyny. The author brings facts, evidence, and quantitative data to support the reality of what is happening everyday. Her research is rigorous and includes solid reasoning why women pay extra for everything at every stage of life. One of the great things about this book is the information attached to the end of the book that outlines the research for those of us who love to travel the research path.
While the subject matter is daunting, challenging, and sad- the author provides actionable solutions for every aspect of society that can solve the double tax for good. The author also appropriately infuses humor- although sometimes she’s expressing incredulous humor at the state we find ourselves in today. She is an excellent storyteller. This is excellent reading for anyone who cares about justice, economics, and the analysis that provides a roadmap to a better world for all.
While the subject matter is daunting, challenging, and sad- the author provides actionable solutions for every aspect of society that can solve the double tax for good. The author also appropriately infuses humor- although sometimes she’s expressing incredulous humor at the state we find ourselves in today. She is an excellent storyteller. This is excellent reading for anyone who cares about justice, economics, and the analysis that provides a roadmap to a better world for all.
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews