Why the f*ck am I still the only black person in the room?
Reblog from the original posted on Amplify by The Reclaim
Why the f*ck am I still the only black person in the room?
Even more so – why am I one of the few women in the room on top of that?
If you’re a woman, and especially a woman of color, you’ve been in this moment before. You walk in and heads start to turn, you do a quick scan, and quietly to yourself say, ‘F*ck,’ because you realize you are the ONLY minority in the room.
My most recent experience was at a journalism event, which is still an extremely white male field. I walked into the press conference and I was actually the only black person in the room. It’s been a while since that’s happened to me, so the lack of diversity was startling. It was like I was living inside a SNL skit, but without the punchline.
There’s truly nothing like being in a room full of white men to spark your inner black goddess to say, ‘hey sis – it’s time to wake up.’ A ton of emotions pass through you in that moment; it’s daunting, overwhelming, and isolating at times. I often feel as if I need to be on high alert because anything you do will be taken as reason to dismiss not only your own credibility, but anyone who looks like you’s credibility.
We still talk about representation in a high-level way, about how it impacts the organization, creates better ideas, and affords more learning, but we can’t and shouldn’t stop there. We need to focus on inclusion, and more so, checking all our biases that make places inaccessible for more folks.
I often hear a lot of excuses on why diversity and inclusion are ‘difficult,’ but here’s a few ways to make events more inclusive. When choosing panelists, ask the question, ‘Are there women, people of color, or other minority groups represented?’ If the answers is no, then seek out experts who do fit that criteria – and beyond just the moderator. It’s 2020 – no more #manels please! When outreaching for attendees, tap into professional groups that champion for diversity in your industry. If it’s a conference, make sure to include a talk or session that highlights the need for representation.
We’re at a point where I should no longer walk into a room and feel like I am not meant to be there. So to close out this Black History Month, I challenge everyone to think about how they can do more to be inclusive in their everyday.
Chanda Daniels is a co-founder of The Reclaim and is busy smashing the patriarchy in Washington, D.C. Read more here.