Sophie Williams - Millennial Black

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First published in Great Britain by HQ in 2021

Copyright Sophie Williams 2021

Sophie Williams asserts the moral right to be identified as the author of this work.

A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.

This novel is entirely a work of fiction. The names, characters and incidents portrayed in it are the work of the authors imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or localities is entirely coincidental.

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Ebook Edition March 2021 ISBN: 9780008401900

Version 2021-03-29

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For young Black girls everywhere.

I hope that by the time you grow up theres no need for this book.

Until then, just remember its not you. You are magic.

If theres a book that you want to read, but it hasnt been written yet, then you must write it.

TONI MORRISON

W elcome! Its so good to have you here, were going to have such a good time together! But its important that Im honest with you from the start were also going to have a really hard time together, because understanding the deep-rooted structures that have kept Black women out of top positions and limited their career and earning potential can be pretty heavy. Were going to get into the weeds of how things are and have been for Black women in the workplace, and look at what needs to happen for things to improve. But its not all doom and gloom, in fact, far from it. Along the way we get to talk about Oprah, make new professional networks based on Lizzo lyrics, and have conversations with really phenomenal Black women who are bossing it in every way. I was going to say bossing it every day, but no one is superhuman, and the rise and grind daily hustle mentality is, well, a lot.

Please hear me loud and clear when I say this book is not just for Black women. It is for Black women, but its also for supporters, employers, and anyone who runs a business that theyre hoping will continue to be successful and relevant. The book does not say, Black women, here are the things about yourself that you have to do, or change, or be, in order to be successful. Black women no longer expect to work for organisations where they are forced to fold themselves in half, underline one part of their identities and erase another, or contort themselves to fit into workplaces and structures that never had them in mind when they were built.

Within many business sectors there is a lot of talk about diversity (though not enough about inclusion or representation), especially in the wake of the Black Lives Matter movement that galvanised so many in 2020. But all too often, when it comes down to it, the pressure to make any real headway is put back onto the shoulders of marginalised groups, who are expected to pull themselves up by their bootstraps (more on that later) and find their own ways out of problems that they didnt make, and that theyre not in positions empowered enough to change. That is not only not fair, its not possible. As a doubly marginalised group, we dont, for the most part, have the resources to single-handedly fix the system and educate the world whilst doing our day jobs, being a part of our communities, and trying to stay sane.

I wanted to write Millennial Black to highlight the workplace issues that disproportionately impact on Black womens careers, and offer methods and solutions to overcome them. In a lot of ways these overlap with the barriers women of all races and backgrounds face, and in other ways they overlap with the roadblocks that come up in the careers of Black people of all genders, but they are never just that. They are always only the starting point for Black women. Their struggles are the struggles of all women, compounded by anti-Black racism. Their struggle is also that of the anti-Black racism that Black men face compounded by sexism, which come together to make the unique misogynoir experience (a term originated by queer Black feminist Moya Bailey) a combination of racist and sexist prejudices faced by Black women on a daily basis in and out of the workplace.

In 2020 many have become more familiar with intersectional feminism the recognition that the layers and tones of peoples overlapping identities impact on their lived experiences, and that one area of marginalisation doesnt cancel out another. Instead, they pile on top of one another, creating a reinforcement of both facets. But we have yet to acknowledge that this is also true of peoples experiences of work.

Black women are centred in this conversation and so are their experiences. But this book also includes advice and strategies that would be useful for those from any background facing the frustrations of feeling invisible, being overlooked for promotions, and relentlessly hitting their heads against a concrete ceiling, all whilst being told they should be grateful for even having been allowed in the building.

Pointing out the barriers is not enough, Millennial Black is a part of finding solutions. Sometimes the solutions are for us to action as Black women, but most of the time they are for business leaders, senior managers, gatekeepers and allies to action, because this is all of our problem, and were all going to need to take active, and regular, steps in order to be a part of the solution. Even when it feels risky. Especially those of us who havent suffered generations and centuries of discrimination.

If theres anything that Ive learned its that we can only fix this world together. We cant do it divided I cannot emphasise that enough. We cant let the desensitivity seep in the If its your problem, then its not mine. Its a womans problem. Its a Black people problem. Its a poor people problem. I mean, how many of us in this room have colleagues and partners and friends from other races, sexes, religions? Well then, you know they want to break bread with you, right? They like you? Well then, this is their problem too. So when were marching and protesting and posting about the Michael Brown Jrs and the Atatiana Jeffersons of the world, tell your friends to pull up We have been denied opportunities since the beginning of time, and still, we prevail. Just imagine what we could do together.

Rihanna, acceptance speech for the Presidents Award at the 2020 NAACP Image Award

After brief stints as an events planner in Leeds, and an English teacher in Paris, my career has been spent working in advertising agencies in London a traditionally very white and male industry. I started as a runner, before becoming a project manager, producer, head of production and then taking the position of chief operating officer, all at breakneck speed. At the start of my career I thought the burden was on me to work out how to position myself for success to be as non-threatening and compliant as possible, to keep my head down, work hard and hope for the best. Now that Ive become more senior, Ive learned that a lot of responsibility lies firmly in the hands of those who shape the businesses, who define their culture and values, and create the systems that everyone else works within.