BETTER IMPACT BOOK BITES: I Said What I Said: An Anthology of Black Women in Nonprofit

Why This Book:

I chose this book simply because I like to support colleagues in the profession. After reading it, it validates and confirms exactly why I support colleagues in the profession. This collection of stories will make you laugh, cry, cheer, empathize, shudder and most importantly remind us of the ultimate goodness and triumph of humanity against what may seem to be unsurmountable odds.

Whether people realize it or not, negative stereotypes of Black women are riddled throughout our culture. This book is chapter after chapter of Black women portrayed in a positive light and, I have to say, it was very refreshing.

What I love the most is many of the stories can be related to, even if you are not Black. Nonprofit work is hard. Being a woman in business and industry is hard. This book beautifully elevates voices of women in nonprofit while highlighting the strength of Black women that is often gone unnoticed or misunderstood.

You Should Read This Book If:

• You work in nonprofit, regardless of being a Black woman or not, and appreciate stories of triumph.
• You are a Black woman in nonprofit who needs someone to relate to.
• You want to move into a leadership role in nonprofit.
• You want to learn to overcome challenges.
• You want a mentor.

Who Should You Gift This Book To:

• Yourself
• Anyone who works in nonprofit

This book is a culmination of twenty-five chapters of varied stories. I won’t recap each chapter, but instead will highlight recurring themes that manifested throughout the collection.

Theme 1: Characteristics Unique to Black Women

Although the stories are so different, there are some things that I related to in such an intrinsic way. The stories about our hair, pronouncing our names, and code switching invigorated my soul. One story reminded me of the day I was walking with my aunt, and I was telling her the story of a girl who had “good hair.” She stopped me in my tracks and set me straight. “You have good hair too.” Our hair is a glorious story in and of itself. Lastly, the all too familiar phrase that many of us were taught when we were young, “You have to be twice as good as your white counterparts to get ahead.”

Theme 2: Mentorship

This theme permeates through the entire book. Stories of women who have risen to the top and are reaching back to help others up. There are various stories of women who found mentors, advice on how to find a mentor, and why having a mentor is vital to moving forward in your career.

Theme 3: Self-Care

We all know self-care is important. This book gives so many different examples from different perspectives on what it means and HOW to do it well.

Theme 4: Leadership

This book oozes of leadership advice. From “don’t question or compromise your knowledge or expertise” to “substantiate your stance and increase your validity in proving your point” (thank you Severina). From “learn from those who went through hell before you,” to “be woman enough to deal with the consequences of your decisions.”

The Last Bite

As a Black Latina, I was able to relate to a lot of the stories. On the other hand, there were some stories I couldn’t relate to at all, but I learned from them. It reinforces the fact that not one race is a monolith but a beautiful conglomeration of human experiences. This is exactly why on a recent podcast episode, Severina Ware, CVA (one of the authors of the book) says this book really is for everyone. I agree with her. You can see yourself in some stories, you can relate to some stories and the rest, you can simply learn from.

Enjoy!

Other Related Links

• Click here to purchase I Said What I Said
• From the Suggestion Box Podcast
• Nicole's Blog