Stella Nkomo and Ella Bell Smith tried to publish their book on the experiences of Black women and white women in corporate America 20 years ago. It was so controversial it threatened their academic careers.I was repeatedly told, You won't get tenure. You won't get there with this book. Other articles are required. Smith said that you can finish your book later in your career. People don't realize that we had to fight.The authors can feel a sense of satisfaction with the forthcoming reprint of Our Separate Ways. Black and white women and the struggle for professional identity. The book is scheduled to be published on August 10, with an updated preface, epilogue, and new cover.Stephanie Creary, a Wharton management professor and a diversity/identity scholar, signed petitions for the book to be reissued. In a segment of her podcast, Leading Diversity at Work, she spoke with Smith and Nkomo about their contributions to organizational behavior. Listen to the podcast below. More episodes can be found here.Creary stated that a lot of my work as a scholar as well as a professor is influenced by the fact that Creary and Creary have shared insights in research and practice for many years. Your work in academia, especially this book, has influenced my interest in understanding the role of race in organizations.Ella Bell SmithCreary stated that the book was ahead its time in 2001 and is even more relevant today. The killings of George Floyd in 2001 and Breonna Taylor last year rekindled America's discussion about social justice, racial equality and how it looks at work.Creary stated that I wanted to get this book back because I believe so much of it, including the premise, is timely.Recognizing Gendered RacialismThis book focuses on the experiences of 120 Black and White female managers. It shows that gender is not the only thing that can define a woman's career. The outcomes are heavily influenced by race, gender, class, and culture.Smith, a professor of Business Administration at Dartmouth's Tuck School of Business, and Nkomo at the University of Pretoria were both aware of the differences, but they weren't something anyone in academia or industry wanted. It was assumed that all women were in the same struggle and that women would support each other in a mythical sisterhood.Smith stated that we all know this is not true for any group of women. The divide between black and white women was evident in both our careers and our relationships with white ladies.Both authors are now in their 70s. Both authors are in their 70s and have lived through Civil Rights movements. They are also well-acquainted about resistance and are blunt. Smith calls herself the troublemaker, and Nkomo is the nice one. They are Black female scholars who have lived through Civil Rights movement and were able to fight for gendered racism research to be recognized by others. They encountered resistance from the companies when they tried to collect data on female managers at companies. They decided to go straight to the women.White women's eyes lighten up when they start talking about gender. Nkomo stated that people become dimmed when they talk about race. It was about people not realizing the intersectional space. If you want to improve the lives of Black women and women of color, then you need to talk about what it means to be at the intersection of gender and race. Both identities can lead to invisibility.Stella NkomoNkomo cited the events of last January as an example. George Floyd's murder has been more prominent in the public eye that the shooting of Breonna Taylor.She said that it is still a challenge to make visible the plights of Black women and women of color.Blurring the linesProfessors spoke out about cultural barriers that women of color can cross when they enter a predominantly white workplace. They choose to change their lives and adopt a more acceptable persona. This is part of America's history as a segregated nation, in which even worship places are divided by race.The women stated that the lines are blurring which is good for everyone. As evidence of the nation's progress, they pointed to the large number of people who took part in the last year's widespread social justice protests.This is a new historical moment. Smith stated that Smith was unsure if we would get a different result. The world is becoming blurred, which I believe is a good thing. That is a good thing. On the other hand, it is important that we go back to our homelands and they are very, very different.Nkomo encouraged corporations to follow the lead of protesters and make fundamental changes. The participation of Black women in C-suite was only 1% when the book was first published. This number has remained steady at 1.4% twenty years later.Nkomo stated that it kind of means we haven't come a long way. This is an opportunity for companies. We remind companies that if they are serious about understanding systemic racist behavior, it is important to look at gender and race. You can't end racism without looking at the lives of Black women and other women of color.
