09 Nov Women of Color and Our Quest to Rise Above

By Tiffany Rucker, MBA

Women and girls around the globe have had to fight for the right to receive an education. In some countries, the fight continues, as girls as young as 10 are married off too much older men for financial gain. Common wisdom once held that education would make a woman unfit for marriage, as too much knowledge would cause her to rise above her husband, the “head” of the family. Women and girls of color, however, have had an even more prolonged fight. Not only has our fight included lack of education but also the right to be treated as a human being in society. A few decades ago, Black and brown girls were primarily groomed to work in the fields or become housemaids, so higher education was not required.

Fast forward to 2020, when research showed that Black women are the most educated group in the United States. This narrative is so different than what we usually see in mainstream media. Typically, women of color are represented as undereducated and financially dependent on the welfare system. Despite this narrative, Black and brown women excel. For many women of color, we are the first ones in our family to attend college. The idea of wanting to attend college is not a topic of conversation within the home. When I was growing up, my mom’s only concern was that I finish high school and secure a full-time job. The topic of college never came up. It wasn’t until I entered the 12^th grade that a teacher asked me about my college options. Honestly, I did not know that I had college options! When I asked my mom about potentially attending college, she was immediately concerned about the cost. For many women of color, college is not even a discussion because of the financial strain that the family is already facing.

As Black and brown women continue to excel in education, there are still areas within the traditional workplace that lack diversity and inclusion. Although women of color are not always given the opportunities to display our knowledge, we have recently started to push our way through to achieve higher heights. In 2020, Kamala Harris became the first female Vice President and the first woman of color to hold such a position. This was a monumental testament that women of color are breaking through the glass ceiling and rising above.

As more and more female leaders of color step onto the scene, we motivate and inspire young girls everywhere. Although there is still work to be done, women of color are finding our voices and using them to create change, pouring our knowledge and expertise into the younger generations.

Here are a few ways to ensure that young girls of color are seen, heard and validated for generations to come:

• Create space for us to be ourselves. Women and girls of color need space to be ourselves and a community of women who look, think and experience life the way we do.
• Create opportunities specifically for women and girls of color. Give women and girls of color the opportunity to showcase their skills, talents and expertise without unfair competition.
• Reward us. When a woman of color makes an accomplishment or excels at a new task, we should all clap loudly for her without comparison to anyone else. Allow her the opportunity to feel genuinely appreciated!

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Tiffany Rucker is a small business and financial literacy coach as well as wife, mom and special needs advocate. She lives in Tampa, Fla.