ENSPIRE MAGAZINE |
Can you give our readers a quick synopsis of your book , Awakening : Ladies , Leadership , and Lies We ’ ve Been Told ?
This book focuses on society ’ s discrimination against women , specifically women in the workforce , and ways to solve the problem . I lay out the five lies that women have been told consistently throughout the ages , and it ’ s not an exhaustive list , but I feel like they ’ re the ones that we hear most often . And I present those lies with stats and stories and figures . I approach the dialogue in a way to be a mentor . I offer many stories of real-life situations of women , and in doing so , I help them understand centuries of old stigmas , like the lie of women not being equipped for leadership roles , which for many of us , is a hot button .
I cover many hot-button controversies , like men being allies to women and what allyship looks like . So the book is really about acknowledging the century-old structures that have prevented women from achieving their highest levels of success . Even when they are equally qualified as their male counterparts , the opportunities aren ’ t equal . I offer some solutions to what both women and men can do to address the structural barriers we face , whether in government or private entities or the nonprofit sector .
You talk about an awakening . Can you explain why the awakening is necessary ?
Whether you ’ re talking about racial or gender bias , it ’ s hard because you have to recognize your own biases when acknowledging your role . Then you have to be willing to commit to change . And we , as humans , don ’ t like to see flaws in ourselves . We ’ ve gotten so comfortable in the places and the spaces that we occupy , and when change comes along , and we have to acknowledge that , part of the
|
problem is that it is painful for us . After George Floyd , Trayvon Martin , Michael Brown , and Breonna Taylor , we got close in this country . These big media-driven stories started talking about race in ways that we don ’ t ordinarily . And then we get right up to that point where maybe we ’ re going to make a breakthrough , and it gets really uncomfortable . And we pull back ; we retreat ; we go back to our corners and say , that ’ s too tough . The awakening happens when you get comfortable enough not to retreat .
Why is it essential that you be the voice for women fighting for gender equality , bringing these matters to the world as a call to action ?
I was inspired to write the book during the last two years as we had this national reflection , this national conversation about structural racism and systemic racism . And so many of the issues we talked about have parallels related to gender and gender bias . At this moment , I thought about how society has prevented African Americans from succeeding and having the same opportunities and access as white people . At this moment , we should also talk about the double whammy that women , particularly women of color , face in trying to succeed in the same way we spoke about African American race equality . We have recently seen some perfect examples of why this book is urgent and why this conversation is critical . There have been situations like the Texas abortion law , where , essentially , men have made decisions about what women should do concerning their reproductive health . Then the young gymnast testified before Congress , dismissed when they brought forth allegations of sexual assault . Rape is what we should call it . Hearing how the men who handled their complaints ignored them and later even lied to them in reports they wrote . That ’ s heart-wrenching .
|
Why do you believe gender equality hasn ’ t been at the forefront of politics and laws passed or considered ? And why is there often opposition to these calls for equality ?
Because the people in charge of making those laws for decades have been men . They have perpetuated this white male heteronormative patriarchal system , which values men over women . Historians have written about it , and they ’ ve talked about it . And unfortunately , we are still in 2021 in some ways having conversations that we were having with women trying to get the right to vote . We are constantly seeking equality , like getting equal pay for women ; we have a system backed by structural barriers and built on the notion that men are superior to women . And it deepens , dating back to slavery and postslavery and how we were chattel to men . This country has consistently devalued women .
There are so many successful women in the United States . Why don ’ t we see many of them speak up for equality ?
Awakening is a complex process ; both men and women have to do the awakening equally . But , unfortunately , I think you don ’ t see successful women beating this drum as loudly as I wish they would because they haven ’ t entirely accepted the reality of it . And there ’ s always a risk — a risk of becoming targeted , a risk of being labeled . We know when black women in particular speak up , we get the angry black woman label . And I hope that with the publishing of this book and the conversations I ’ m going to be having with individuals like yourself and the media , we start to have this conversation and that more women begin to speak out . This book is their guide to being awakened , to opening their eyes , and a way that they reflect and contemplate and reevaluate and re-examine and start to speak truth
|
56 |