Justine's Reviews > I’m Not Yelling: A Black Woman’s Guide to Navigating the Workplace

** spoiler alert ** I want to acknowledge before writing this review that I am not a black women. I have not faced the injustices that many black women face everyday nor will I. This was a compelling book that describes how Elizabeth Leiba navigated being a black woman in the corporate world and her struggles living in a world that tries to diminish her qualities because of her race. Not just that but she tells of situations where she was discriminated against because she was black. Specifically when she was arrested for stealing a $2 pack of batteries from a store in her college town’s mall (she couldn’t find the receipt during the accusation but after she was released from jail she then found it. She went on to file a lawsuit against the store and won). It’s absurd to realize this is what everyday is like for many black women having to handle racial and gender discrimination. Throughout this book Leiba conveys the stereotype that black women tend to yell in certain situations is false and a way to silence their voices. Leiba encourages black women to build their confidence to “speak their truth” in order to become one’s authentic self. And with the help of social media Leiba has been able to reach an audience of more than 100,000 people. Because of this she has been able to uplift black women and speak on her professional life such as battling micro aggressions and individuals not viewing her as qualified, even though she is well educated.

I could continue with my review however I feel Leiba speaks for herself. I can not emphasize enough how important it is for everyone to read this book. This is an eye-opening book that details the struggles of black women navigating the corporate world. It puts into perspective various topics of work based discrimination but also detailing personal experiences and also providing a guide to help other black women find their voices. Even if you don’t take anything away from this book you should take away the fact that whenever you’re at work and in room with many people to make sure that black women’s voices are heard and if people are speaking over allow them to find the power to speak up for themselves but if they don’t try to be a supportive coworker because it can help build their confidence in knowing they have an ally.