Somatically Focused on Millennial + GenZ Diverse Voices • Speaker • Founder and Generational Leader
If you are in leadership and you are interested in becoming an Ally to Black Women, this post is one you should read. Leadership can sometimes be a catch all term for “do everything that someone else doesn’t want do.” For Black Women, it’s so much more than this. There is a societal role that has been ascribed that often becomes conflated with one’s view of leadership. This means that as an Ally, you may have subconsciously decided that Black Women are best suited for leadership roles that involve care-taking. You could also be an Ally that sees Black Women in roles where there are multiple roles that are required to be assumed, in one position, with zero guarantee for promotion or pay increase. Be open to recognizing your blind spots. And, if you are in a position of power, do something different and address this issue with your peers directly.
Psychotherapist | Clinical Supervisor | Racial Equity Consultant | Speaker | Trainer | Mentor
Let’s talk about the ‘Mammyfication’ of Black women leaders… …because it is a very real phenomenon. My amazing sis DeLisha Tapscott, Ed.D defines ‘Mammyfication’ as the idea that Black women’s ‘place’ is to ‘save’ and ‘fix’ things in crisis mode. Instead of Black women being honoured for their skills, they are used in ways to ‘hold’ the organisation, but the organisation doesn’t honour these skills. DeLisha also looks at the concept of othermothering and how Black women often use tenets of community building to create culture and safety. When Black women are hired in these roles and asked to use these skills, they are often ‘boxed in’ and our power limited because it becomes ‘too much’ for those who seek to promote and upkeep ⚪️ supremacy. DeLisha’s book chapter ‘Beyond The Veil: The Black Girl I Could Be’ will be coming out in early 2025, where she explores the lack of agency that Black women have in these leadership roles from the perspective of DEI and People & Culture/HR roles - and I can’t wait to read it! Make sure that you follow her to stay tuned for further updates. Since DeLisha dropped the mic after her last sentence, I’m picking the mic back up to repeat it: 🎤”The bottom line is that the Mammyfication of Black women in leadership roles happens because they were never seen as true leaders equal to their counterparts - instead they are used, abused and dismissed until the next crisis”… …and the lowest line needs to be paid the HIGHEST attention. #BlackWomenLeaders #BlackWomenAtWork #Misogynoir #Mammyfication #SystemicChange
