Among the 500 companies represented in Fortune’s flagship ranking, Black executives only lead eight of them. That’s 1.6%, a figure that is as microscopic as it is nearly record-breaking: Last year there were nine Black F500 CEOs, which set the record.
The numbers have improved since 2020, when widespread social justice movements led to companies pledging to improve their diversity efforts. Back then, there were only four Black CEOs; two years later, six; in 2023, nine, and now back down to eight.
