Alyssa Dituro IMH-E ®, M.ED.’s Post

As a black woman formerly in executive leadership, the role is challenging, and we later realize that systemic oppression is a disease with no relevant cure. A wise man once told me that when you begin dismantling a system that wasn’t set up for you to WIN, expect adversity. But no one is there to help guide us when the odds don’t weigh in our favor and we’re forced to walk away from the assignment or purpose we were prepared to pursue. We rarely receive support, necessary tools, and resources for the position in which we hold. Then we encounter oppression, systemic racism, microaggressions, discrimination, etc. Black women are overworked and underpaid for the careers we choose based on our passion, but it should not be subjective to low wages because we love what we do. As disappointing as this news is, black women leaders deserve more than what we give. We’re constantly forced to show up in a world that didn’t expect us to thrive. Our work ethic is never challenged because we consistently outperform. Instead, we’re conspired against based on our characteristics, skin color, belief systems, etc. We don’t obliterate our experiences in the workspace because it makes us stronger professionals, but that’s exhausting, too. So understand that when you see black women step away from leadership, it doesn’t mean we’re incompetent. It demonstrates that our black excellence is no longer relevant because we were just a check box needed. Therefore, we would rather protect our integrity than stand in a fight because the battle is a burden we can no longer carry.

This article speaks volumes. As someone who was just fired by a board after nearly nine years of dedicated service just 3 months before my planned departure, this article speaks to me. The author talks about how Black women leaders are "expected to turn a blind eye to the presence and implications of institutional racism and its impact on herself and other Black people, both within the organization and without." https://lnkd.in/edccCqA8

[ looks at his watch ] Oh, looks like it's time to kick another hornet's nest. I'm sitting here reading this post and all I'm asking myself is WHY? Why is it that people keep insisting on defending bad actors simply because they're POC? Why is it that they all too often get support and weak "justifications" to try and obfuscate their bad acting as simply a syndrome of some perceived slight or "injustice"? They are referred to colloquially as "trap cards". Racist. Fascist. Homophobic. Islamophobic. Ageist. Ableist. Sexist. Discrimination. Oppression. Misogyny. Generational (whatever). And a much longer list yet than I'd care to go over. They're all trap cards. The FIRST thing people will try to use when another bad actor is exposed. Almost exclusively without fail. It's bound to be the first thing you see or read about. They try to weave some narrative whereby this person or that person was actually the victim, and not the perpetrator. A method of trying to erase any and all accountability for one's decisions made. The attempted removal of ANY consequence for one's own actions. The trap cards. They get used more often than debit cards these days. Personally, I care not if you're white, black, Asian, green, male, female, other, old, young, rich or poor...if you are a bad actor you warrant all the derision and mockery and finger pointing headed your way. No one gets a free pass "because trap card". No. Unacceptable. And yet we live in a society that seems to exist for the sole purpose of deploying those trap cards liberally, including this case. She stubbornly refused to provide a coherent, hardline stance on the rampant Anti-Semitism that was taking place on campus. It was further discovered that she has multiple instances of plagiarism (47 at last count), verified and exposed, and people STILL write posts like the one below almost defending her actions and conduct "because black woman", and deploying the trap cards as one now comes to expect. Her conduct at the hearings would be enough for literally anyone else to be held accountable. They didn't. The fact that it took plagiarism of all things to finally oust her is laughable on its face. That society needed "something else" when her conduct at the hearings was more than sufficient. POC privilege is real. This is only another shining example of that very thing, for all to see. It's disgusting that people are still trying to defend this person and her actions, and trying to bury it under trap cards. And of course, she failed upwards, as they tend to do. Reprehensible. Here's the article detailing her 47 (and counting) plagiarisms: https://lnkd.in/guNg2mnV.

This is another important piece worth reading. The Impossible Dilemma of Black Female Leadership: The Tragedy of Nobody Seeing Us Even When Everybody’s Watching By Dr. Shauna D. A. Knox "We are overwhelmingly present in low-wage, inflexible service work, but there is a small contingent of Black women who have somehow transgressed this universal sentencing to unprotected, low-wage oblivion, and have beaten the odds only to find that the reward for their efforts is an impossible dilemma—a choice to drown or to disappear." #leadership

6 harsh realities of being the only Black woman in the team… 1. Battling the stereotypes of the angry or aggressive Black woman. 2. Difficulty visualising a higher career path due to lack of representation. 3. Feelings of isolation because no one truly understands your experience. 4. Often feeling like you're under a microscope and needing to perform perfectly. 5. Having to deal with the paradox of hypervisibility and invisibility at the same time. 6. Facing defensiveness or dismissal when speaking up about racism in the workplace. The intersection of race and gender mean that Black women are facing unique complexities and challenges every day. So how can organisations support Black women in the workplace? 1. Address systemic and institutional racism by actively working to identify and eliminate biases in policies, practices, and cultures. 2. Colleagues and leaders need to actively listen and educate themselves about the experiences of Black women without placing the burden of explanation on them. 3. Hold leaders accountable for creating and maintaining an inclusive culture through measurable goals and regular reporting. 4. Establishing strong sponsorship programs which actually help Black women navigate their careers and feel supported. 5. Create safe and supportive environments where Black women can share their experiences and challenges without fear of retribution are crucial. Listen...Black women are over tired and misogynoir is real! It’s time to move beyond words and take meaningful action to ensure a truly inclusive workplace. A place where Black women feel valued, supported, safe and empowered to succeed. And represented across ALL levels of the organisation So that being the only one becomes a thing of the past.

"Many Black women in positions of leadership earnestly believe that they cannot afford the luxury of a more integral moral ecology because they are being made to choose between their livelihoods and their ideals." It is imperative that we make professional space for Black women to share their collective abuse. I can only hope to be of support as I continue to advocate for those who work directly and indirectly with me. I live at the intersection of anti-Black maleness in a field that views my peers as vectors and villains while Black women live in a wholly different place where they are expected to bring #BlackGirlMagic to fix decades-long internal abuses without support to dismantle to status quo. And if they ever do that nearly impossible work, they will pay a dear price...often with public admonition. To address these issues takes transparency and higher levels of support. It was nothing but shocking to see first-hand the professional abuses that a Black woman in leadership faced at an org that I led. 1) Staff openly questioning her academic credentials (read: Black women don't/can't earn doctorate degrees) 2) One individual stating that they did not want to report to her but to a white leader who didn't even have her skill set (read: I prefer reporting to someone who looks like me) 3) A Black woman peer who sent numerous threatening text messages if she preformed corrective action on her due to her egregious and demeaning behavior with staff and peers (read: Not all skin folk are kin folk) 4) A white man who was being investigated for improper behavior who was immediately terminated for attempting to destroy evidence who then became verbally & physically aggressive which led to her locking herself into an office and having to call the police (read: Black women must already know their place on society's Privilege Flag Pole) 5) Being told by staff that she should not have called the police and that she must have done something wrong to make the white terminated employee so upset (read: Be prepared to die and then have people say you were complicit in your own death) Too many Black women have these and worse experiences on a habitual basis. Systemic violence is putting your head in the sand and hoping that well-meaning "Allies" who have no history of openly supporting Black women will suddenly do so when faced with their daily realities. We must do better. #iSupportBeverly #TrustBlackWomen

To all my fellow CEOs and black women: let us celebrate each other while we break down barriers; it gets easier because of you! As a CEO and black woman, I have had to navigate a unique set of challenges throughout my career. From balancing the expectations of my past superiors to dealing with microaggressions and discrimination, it has not been an easy journey. However, I am proud to say that I have not only overcome these obstacles, but I have thrived in spite of them. One of the keys to my success has been a commitment to authenticity and confidence in my abilities. I learned early on that I could not be all things to all people, and that trying to conform to others' expectations only led to frustration and burnout. Instead, I made a conscious decision to be unapologetically myself, even if that meant standing out or challenging the status quo. This confidence in my own voice and vision has allowed me to build a strong personal brand and lead with conviction. Another important factor has been the support of other black women in my life. Whether it's through mentorship, networking, or simply commiserating over shared experiences, having a community of like-minded individuals has been invaluable. I am continually inspired by the brilliance and resilience of black women, and I am grateful for the ways in which we uplift and empower one another. In short, being a CEO and black woman is not always easy, but it is always worth it. By staying true to ourselves and supporting one another, we can achieve greatness and make a positive impact in the world.

Rest in true Peace Queen. Too often some companies look to us to hold our head up and just get it done but the challenges, the struggles and the obstacles we face at work and every day life go unaddressed and ignored, much less understood. We try to have conversations but it does not help. The only time it makes a difference is when they’re ready to “let you go” or your performance comes into question and they choose to bring in the HR rep who presents as your advocate but the reality is that they are there to protect the company. So what needs to change? Access to workplace counselors, leader training in people skills including empathy, DE&I actually having a REAL seat at the lead table??? The list goes on. Something has to change.

First, my prayers are lifted high for Dr. Antoinette "Bonnie" Candia-Bailey's spirit and her family. It is hard to put into words the impact of her loss, especially as someone who did not have the pleasure of meeting Dr. Candia-Bailey, however, her story is familiar and frequent. Black women are often tasked with being the peacekeeper, even though peace is often the first thing taken from us in unsafe work environments. It is hard to be a Black woman in Academia. It is exhausting to show up and want to do good work, but face microaggressions, targeting, favoritism, bias, nitpicking, gaslighting, exclusion, removal of professional autonomy, gossiping, etc. I used to want Black women in academia/higher education to feel safe, be supported in all their identities, and benefit from the opportunities that are afforded to their non-Black, female counterparts. Now, I want that, but not more than I want Black women in academia/higher education to choose themselves-and to peacefully LIVE! Rest in Power, Dr. Candia-Bailey.

"Many Black women in positions of leadership earnestly believe that they cannot afford the luxury of a more integral moral ecology because they are being made to choose between their livelihoods and their ideals. Many also feel that rather than an act of self-betrayal, it is an act of resigned fatalism—one that simply acknowledges that the fate of Black women will never change, and thus self-sacrifice is as meaningless as it is costly and therefore not worth the bargain. They have observed the many Black women champions who have carried generations of racial turmoil and harm on their backs only to be put out to pasture and labeled “indefensible,” and they have decided instead to survive an ugly system the only way they see possible: in hiding." Whew, this paragraph alone caught my eye. Black women in leadership positions have been hiding large parts of themselves to survive and make a livelihood and to what end? They have decided to survive instead of thrive. They have decided to survive instead of thrive. They have decided to survive instead of thrive. Those are the options they are left with. #BlackWomen #Leadership #BlackWomeninLeadership