The Mind-Awareness

Rise to the occasion, not matter the circumstances. It is in you!

“I am an accomplished woman. I started college with a full scholarship and 60 days later a full womb. I graduated on time, in the category of “thank you Lordy”, again with a full womb. Yes, there is an easy way and a hard way. One of those concepts is apparently foreign to me. I always push the pedal to the metal at home and at work. In the words of Britany Cooper, I am a professional black woman overachiever. I’ve worked in remote location across the southeast often the only person of color or woman for miles. I can channel Sofia from “The Color Purple” saying “All my life I’ve had to fight….,” at the drop of a hat.

I always push the pedal to the metal at home and at work.

Attending a conference a few years ago, I was overcome by the lack of cultural diversity in the room and awareness saved me. The only other brown woman in sight had recently declined to hire me, let’s call her ‘Alex’, and the successful candidate sat in the seat next to me. I said hi to ‘Alex’ and her minion, trying not to think about the extreme disappointment I felt previously and gathered my whole best self. I pasted on a smile, stiffened my spine, and used my charisma to introduce myself to the room. I felt alone even though I knew many of the people at the meeting. How long would it take for more people that looked like me to join the ranks? Would I be an asset or a liability to them? Did that matter to ‘Alex’? I’d recently been promoted and was so excited at the opportunity to grow my area of impact. Take that ‘Alex'!

“I can channel Sofia from “The Color Purple” saying “All my life I’ve had to fight….,” at the drop of a hat.”

All that excitement evaporated before the morning break, POOF! I felt myself breaking, ensconced in my otherness. I left the room and headed for the nearest bathroom in a state of oblivion. I hoped ‘Alex’, was none the wiser. How could it be 2017 and less than 10% of the room was from the global majority? What was the goal?

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Erika is a contributing writer for the Trendy Minimalist Magazine. The full article is featured in Issue 2 | February 2020 edition. Check out more content below.