Intersectionality and the journey to the top
The pathway to the top is challenging, as it should be. It requires courage and ambition. However, ambition is not always welcome, especially when you are standing in the intersection between race and gender as a black woman. Be aware of that, turn it around, and change the world.
This article is about black female empowerment. To all those ambitious black ladies out there: keep up the pace, fight the good fight, we need you to*.
The path to success seems to reward narcissistic and aggressive behaviours. But only when it comes from certain people. Those behaviours are by no means a recipe for success. In fact, the same behaviours coming from non-white-male are perceived as threatening and unacceptable. Your race and gender are either a barrier or an advantage, and they play an important role in your chances of success.
Intersectionality looks at the ways race, gender and other forms of social identities (a.k.a. forms of oppression) intersect and create barriers to advancement. Black female stereotypes are typical examples of intersectionality. Associations that go from the nurturing servant figure at best, to the hypersexual, or “angry black woman” at worse.
Black women are often undermined as competent professionals. According to research they are perceived to have less leadership potential, and are often not taken seriously on the workfloor. These assumptions, and the condescendent treatment associated with them, end up preventing high-performing, black female leaders from advancing. This is a waste, not only for them, but for society as a whole that needs diverse talent and leadership to build a more equal world.
How do you raise above these oppressive and dominant patterns, turn them around and get to the top?
Fight the good fight
Courage is an important trait of leaders. Build it up by pioneering. Dare to be the first to pick something up and make it happen. For that, you don’t need to have many resources (mainly time, probably), but you do need to have a strong sense of purpose.
Transform your environment so that it becomes yours, don’t wait around for your environment to adapt to you. Think about the initiatives you can take to bring about the change you want to see in our environment. Take the risk and persist. Avoid the need to be perfect or to overcompensate. Your sole presence in the room proves that you have the ability and the skills, because you’ve overcome structural disadvantages that others didn’t have. Embrace them and use them to make an impact.
There are other ways to empower yourself in your environment: find your voice. Be assertive, but balance the timing and the content. It is a process, and a difficult one. When you think you are being enthusiastic you come across as aggressive, and when you think you are being assertive you come across as threatening. But it is very important to keep thriving. Challenge the status quo. Ask questions and give your opinion. It can also be liberating to speak up your truth, even quietly. Be ready to take the punch, being slowed down, or not being included. Just make sure you go back into the ring.
Don’t overestimate stereotypes, but don’t underestimate them either
Stereotypes are strong. That is one of the challenges that intersectionality brings. Black females end up prioritising other people’s feelings to not make them feel uncomfortable with their (female) blackness. Often black women end up constraining themselves to not fall into stereotypes, which in turns lead to creating facades. These facades should be avoided by all means, because they tend to lead to work dissatisfaction and employee turnover. What to do then?
Start by self-knowledge. Define yourself in your own terms and be aware when you are being reduced by other people’s stereotypes. Make self-awareness the protective layer that reassures you about your beliefs, value, and purpose.
Once, you have looked inside, look outside: find allies and build a network. This is a collaborative enterprise. By supporting each other and building bonds, we contribute to our advancement. Black (female) representation is as strong as our networks are.
Networks are particularly important for black females because it allows them to get in contact with mentors. Having an influential mentor or sponsor can gain you access to the challenge you may be looking for. However, as many other things, finding a mentor is more difficult for black women. Take that into account, but don’t let it constrain you from raising your hand or taking the step forward. The brave will conquer the world.
It is already an important step for black women to be ambitious and to dare to look at themselves beyond society stereotypes. That’s the first step. The next step is to thrive: start small, where you are, with what you can do. Invest in yourself and take on activities where you can lead. Pick up the challenge, embrace the journey, and be the change you want to see in the world.
*Inspired by my learnings from the book by: Morgan Roberts L., Mayo A.J., and Thomas D.A., (2019). Race, Work & Leadership. Harvard Business Review Press.
