Abstract
This paper discusses the underrepresentation of blacks in the accounting profession in light of the increasing demand for Certified Public Accountants (CPA). The paper ex- plores the various reasons why blacks are underrepresented in the accounting profession. Furthermore, the paper examines these reasons through the lens of race and ethnicity. The paper also synthesizes multiple sources regarding blacks’ underrepresentation in account- ing. Blacks are underrepresented in accounting because of internal and external factors linked to their ethnic identity. Many blacks feel that they do not belong to the accounting profession, and as a result, they rarely choose accounting as a career. Many CPA firms think that blacks are not capable of doing the job and delivering the superior results that clients expect.
While the demand for new and diverse accounting talents is increasing in light of recent white-collar crimes committed by Bernie Madoff, Enron and WorldCom, blacks’ representation in the ac- counting field still remains low. Research has shown that blacks are under- represented in most American Certified Public Accountant (CPA) firms. There is much speculation as to why this is so. One reason might be that blacks have some personal qualities that cause them to enter the account- ing profession at a low rate. Some people might even wonder if society is still oppressive towards blacks years after the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960’s. The reasons why blacks are underrepresented in the accounting profession include the historical exclusion of blacks from the accounting profession and the unfavorable conditions that exist for blacks. Perhaps ac- counting has not been a part of blacks’ racial formation, and some black students may have low self-efficacy, defined as “people’s beliefs about their capabilities to produce effects,” regarding accounting (Bandura,