It's important to be an ally. You don't have to be a black woman to think we should have more black women in tech.
Bozoma Saint JohnRead
Because my husband, Peter, died young, I've already faced the scariest thing in my life. Now I live out the dreams for both of us.
Interpretation
Facing loss can be terrifying, but it can also empower us to pursue dreams that honor those we've lost.
This quote expresses the profound courage that comes from experiencing the death of a loved one, in this case, a spouse. The speaker, having confronted the ultimate fear of losing her husband, has resolved to live fully and chase the dreams they both held dear, turning her grief into motivation and strength to honor his memory.
In practice
In a speech about resilience, this quote could inspire others dealing with loss.
It's important to be an ally. You don't have to be a black woman to think we should have more black women in tech.
The number of African Americans in Silicon Valley is dismal. It's not up to one company - it's up to the entire industry to make sure that we are moving the conversation forward. Sometimes those walls of competition need to come down so we can move the entire industry forward.
Being a black woman in America and the world and in corporate situations is something to be celebrated.
Bring your whole self to work because, that way, you can bring full ideas and the wholeness of your unique abilities.
Even though society has come a long way in correcting the inequalities between men and women in the workplace, it still has to be said that women are oftentimes subconsciously playing to the gender roles which we are taught from birth.
Live today as if you don't have tomorrow: my husband was diagnosed and killed by cancer within six months.
Here stands a girl clutching a knife. There is grease on the stove, blood in the air, and angry words piled in the corners. We are trained not to see it, not to see any of it. . . . Someone just ripped off my eyelids.
Fear is a greater evil than evil itself.
If some among you fear taking a stand because you are afraid of reprisals from customers, clients, or even government, recognize that you are just feeding the crocodile hoping he'll eat you last.
Of whatever class or nation, however, all successful participants in the repetitive and unrelenting stress of aerial fighting came eventually to display its characteristic physiognomy: skeletal hands, sharpened noses, tight-drawn cheek bones, the bared teeth of a rictus smile and the fixed, narrowed gaze of men in a state of controlled fear.
Once we know of atrocities we cannot remain silent, and knowledge inevitably leads to an urge to protect the innocent.
There's nothing wrong with being afraid. It's not the absence of fear, it's overcoming it. Sometimes you've got to blast through and have faith.
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