Help Young Women & Girls of Color in the Workplace

 

 

It all started many years ago when I decided to quit my job. I was the only Black woman at my place of work. Experts call this being the “only.” Being the only describes an individual who finds themself in a space where there is no one else like them. Being the only one can lead to feeling excluded if one’s coworkers have a different gender, race, culture or other social classification. Since experts say people are more likely to build relationships with others like them.

 

I felt like I did not belong at my place of work because I did not know how to build relationships with my coworkers. Nor did I feel valued by my team. To make matters worse, I was underpaid. Eventually, I decided to quit.

 

Things only worsened after I left my job. I decided to stay home to raise my child since he struggled at school. There was a gap in my employment, and the years of skills I developed started to dry up because I was no longer using them. In the end, I was cornered into making a different career choice. It took some time before my situation got better.

 

Many women of color find themselves landing their first job, hoping that they secured a great opportunity. Yet, they can get lost without the ability to negotiate their pay, advocate for themselves, or without the proper support at work. This can lead to women of color leaving their workplaces. There is no winner when women of color opt out of the workplace.

 

Companies lose tremendous talent and miss out on the diversity needed to perform at their best, while women of color lose the ability to grow their skills. Women of color also miss out on being leaders at their workplaces who can reach back and hold the door open for others. No one should have to be the only one in their workplace.

 

Because we want women of color to be in the driver's seat of their future, I am raising funds for a program to train 100 young women and girls of color on how to succeed in the workplace.

 

This campaign will fund a program to help young women and girls of color learn strategies and self-advocacy tips. Once they secure an interview, they will know how to vet a future employer and how to negotiate successfully upon receiving a job offer. Our students will learn to be stakeholders in the mission for diversity and inclusion in their future workplaces, so no one else gets left behind.

 

Your donation will help us fund the following:

 

1,000 sponsors a student. Donations of any level will help reach our goal of ensuring that every eligible student can participate.

 

See the breakdown below:

 

Fundraising total: 115,000