More Than Ready
As women of color, we are among a
generation accomplishing “firsts”—
whether the first in our families to
attend college, enter a traditional workplace,
or embark on a nontraditional path. There
was nobody that looked like us or who grew up
like us taking on these roles before we did. Our
stories have largely not been written because they
are still unfolding.
Just as we are often “firsts,” it’s not unusual for
us also to be “onlies:” the only woman in the room;
the only person of color; and the only one bringing
our particular set of experiences and expertise to our
workplaces, our classrooms, our and teams—the
various circles in which we conduct our lives.
Sometimes being a “first” or an “only” means that
we doubt ourselves. We wonder if whether we really
belong in these spaces, and whether what we bring
to them is really enough.
I know this because I hear it all the time.
Whenever I’m speaking in public, recounting my
experiences as a woman of color who has spent a
life in public service, the first Latina to lead the
Domestic Policy Council for the President of the
United States, I hear from women of color, seek me
out afterwards to say things like, “Thank you for
raising what it’s like to be the only woman of color
in the room. I’m that person all the time, and you
named what I feel.”
It was those women that persuaded me to start
writing. I hoped to engage with a lot more women
creating their own paths through a world that they
will change just by virtue of their presence. The world
doesn’t make it easy—there are obstacles—but
maybe sharing what I have learned will help to
reduce obstacles of our own making. That’s the
insight that led to More Than Ready: Be Strong and
Be You… and Other Lessons for Women of Color
On the Rise, coming from Seal Press in April. It’s an
honest look at what I have experienced and
overcome as a Latina in arenas dominated by white
men.
Weaving together stories from my decades of
work in the Latins civil rights movement and my
eight years on the senior team of the Obama White
House, I draw lessons from some of the challenges,
large and small, that are both part of my story and
yet not at all unique to me.
I have been the short woman literally elbowing
her way into a circle of tall, male colleagues; the
target of criticism from within my community; and
the Midwestern Latina patiently explaining my
community to the senator who complimented my
English. I have discovered that other women were
watching out for me while I wasn’t looking, and I
have learned how to pay it forward.
I wasn’t always sure of myself. Many times, I
hesitated to put myself forward, wondering if
whether I would get it “right.”
I wrote in the hope that you will hear a
different voice—your own, strong voice—and to
remind you that what you bring into any room is
valuable. We can —and must— be seen and
heard. For too long, decisions that affect every
aspect of our lives have been made by others who
often don’t understand us or what we know about
the world. The world really needs what we bring.
was
About the Author
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info@latinastyle.com
By Cecilia Muñoz
LS
Cecilia Muñoz served for eight years on President
Obama's senior staff, becoming the nation’s
longest-serving Director of the Domestic Policy Council.
Before the White House, she served for 20 years at the
National Council of La Raza (now UNIDOS US) and
earned a MacArthur Fellowship for her work on
immigration and civil rights. She is the Vice President
for Public Interest Technology and Local Initiatives
at New America.
22 www.latinastyle.com LATINAStyle Vol. 26, No. 2, 2020
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