Picture of 3 generations of Rice women taken in 2018. Left to right my sister, daughter, mom, and me, the author/picture taker. We are all wearing Black, smiling, and staring directly into the camera.
Check-In:
I don’t think about my gender as a singular, separated identity. It has always been and is interwoven with my race.
I remember the comment from my math high school teacher. He told my parents “Mary is Black and a female so don’t expect her to be good at math.” Well, thank you Usher for decades later providing the perfect meme that was my response to that comment or every other comment made that implicated my identities as a deficiency.
I remember taking a feminist class in college and reading Ms. Magazine in the mid-1990s and not feeling represented in the text. At the same time, I was taking Black studies classes and learned the role of white women’s fears and tears in cultivating oppressive and deadly situations. Being a Black woman, I believe, is in a different category than being a “woman.” There’s an added layer of assumptions but also history and expectations that cannot be denied.
In 1962, Malcolm X said, “The most disrespected person in America is the Black woman. The most unprotected person in America is the Black woman. The most neglected person in America is the Black woman.” There have been decades of how this example still rings true today. Yet, we consistently prevail. I don’t like the term “Black girl magic” because, to me, it feels like it does not allow us to be human. It is as if, for us to prevail, we cannot be of this universe. However, I do know that as a Black woman, I am part of a lineage that cultivates social movements, saves elections, nurtures brilliance, and just gets sh*t done. Who wouldn’t want to be a part of that crew?
I love being a Black Woman.
How does gender play into how you see yourself and interact with those around you?
#mondaymotivation: “Ain’t I a woman?” -Sojourner Truth
Interview with a Leader of the Global Majority:
You first met Angela Ward in Issue 14 when she spoke about Love and Rage. Dr. Angela Ward was in various equity-focused positions during her 17 years of service in Austin Independent School District, TX. She is currently the Founder and CEO of 2Ward Equity Consulting. These comments are the personal reflections of Angela and her experiences, they do not reflect the opinions of her former district.
Mary: So tell me about challenges that you face as a Black female district-level leader in a white space?
Angela: So I faced the challenge of proving myself worthy of promotion daily. I faced the challenge of holding the weight of the Black race on my shoulders. I faced the challenge of the side-eye from Black people whose lived experiences are different from mine.
Angela: There are assumptions made that because I have an education and walk the world through different shoes I forgot where I came from.
Angela: If I did, I wouldn't be able to sleep at night or stand by myself. It would make me sick to my stomach if I was that person because I know who I am. I'm a Southern Black woman raised in inner-city Houston near the current Minute Maid Park which was not there.
Angela: I grew up with my maternal and paternal grandmothers living 10 minutes apart yet most of my upbringing is with my mother's family because she raised me alone.
Angela: So I've not forgotten where I came from.
** **HELP! HELP! Please let me know if you would like to be interviewed and/or recommend someone to be profiled in this section. I need new interviews! ****
What I’m Reading, Watching, and Listening To:
READING: Hanif Adburraqib’s new book is coming out soon so I needed to make time to finally read his first essay collection, They Can’t Kill Us Until They Kill Us. There are a lot of essays on bands I don’t know but the writing still makes the topics interesting. The essays: “Nina Simone Was Very Black”, “Blood Summer, In Three Parts” and “Serena Williams and the Policing of Imagined Arrogance” are my favorites. You can find a full list of my book recommendations here. Please note that I am an affiliate with Bookshop.org and receive a small compensation for your purchase when you use the book links provided.
WATCHING: LADIES FIRST: A Story of women in Hip-hop is a Netflix documentary that taught me many things about what these mostly Black women had to endure to pursue their musical passion. I grew up on hip-hop (90s hip-hop was the best decade in my opinion…) and still love it to this day so it was fascinating to me.
LISTENING: Part memoir, part manifesto, Viral Justice is a sweeping and deeply personal exploration of how we can transform society through the choices we make every day. The book is unpacked in the latest episode of The Stacks.
Upcoming Events:
THIS WEEK at SXSW EDU in Austin, TX:
Why Do Principals of Color Need Affinity Spaces? with Surge Institute’s TaraShaun Cain: March 4th from 1pm– 2pm
Book signing of Leading Within Systems of Inequity in Education: A Liberation Guide for Leaders of Color, on March 4 from 2:30pm-3pm
Supporting the Equity Officer in K-12 Education with Chicago Beyond’s Maurice Swinney: March 6th from 4pm – 5pm
March 23rd at ASCD Conference in Washington, DC:
Liberating and Empowering Leadership to Support Every Student with Dr. Tanji Reed-Marshall
March 26th-28th at Deeper Learning Conference in San Diego, CA
How to Continue to Support Leading-Within:
Go to Amazon and rate or review the book there! Reviews are a great way for others to see that this book is worth the time to read.
Post about the book on social media using the hashtag #leadingwithin. Even better if it includes a picture of you WITH the book!
Host a book club with your affinity/ERG group. Two study guides are also available on the ASCD website - one for leaders of color and one for white co-conspirators that are perfect for starting a group conversation. For book clubs with participants who have purchased and committed to reading the book, please reach out to me so I can support your journey!
Connect with me to speak to your organization or group about topics covered in the book, like ‘practicing love and rage’, ‘building a coalition’, and ‘taking a stand’.
If this is your first time reading, please go back and read my Introductions post.
Thanks for reading! Let me know what you think. If you like it, please share it with your network!