Soulful Strides to Promotion & Tenure (Mar. 2024)
Herstory
March is Women’s History month. Or perhaps we can just say March is Herstory Month. A month that focuses on the accomplishments of women. A celebration of our stories and our unapologetic baddassness (is that a word?). An acknowledgement and uplift of our intersectionality. As I think about the word herstory, it is not about a pronoun - a his or her; it is about presenting a historical context that focuses primarily on the contributions of women, and in this case, Black women.
Last year we witnessed perpetual attempts to rewrite history & herstory - a blatant discounting and erasure of the contributions from both Black American men and women. Are we surprised? As the saying goes, history and herstory are entirely created by the person who tells the story. So, what is your story and more importantly, who is telling it?
Just as in American history, much of your professional herstory has been and will be retold by someone other than you. Thus, it is vitally important that you show up and move through life the way you want to be remembered. I am not advocating working yourself to the point of mental health challenges or a breakdown, but I am asking you to consider your story.
Is it a story about audacious and transformative leadership? Teaching the next generation of environmental social justice advocates? Or securing funding to change the lives of marginalized students in STEM? Your story should not be grounded in what others want you to do, it should be grounded in what you want to do – that thing that you do that sets you apart. Your story should be one that people want to share when you are not in the room - a story so impactful that it compels them to sponsor you. A story that transcends time. A story about a woman that puts herself first and embraces who she is with confidence. A story about a woman who understands the power she holds and how it can help others. A herstory.
The beauty of herstory, is that we all have one regardless of the discipline or profession we choose. We are all put here to leave something behind.
So tying it back to your professional journey and more importantly, promotion and tenure, I challenge you to begin thinking about the herstory are you leaving for someone else to tell?
This March, be intentional about contributing your voice and experiences to the ongoing tapestry of Black herstory. Seek ways to honor the extraordinary legacy of Black women and ensure your own herstories continue to shake the earth and spark positive change.
““The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step.””