Do We Really Have a Choice?
Carmella Glover, President, Diversity Action Alliance
In my close circle of sorority sisters, conversations about the situations we deal with sometimes end with Sofia's quote in Alice Walker's The Color Purple. "All my life, I had to fight." Typically, the anecdote preceding Sofia's truism is one in which vivid details are rarely needed. When someone ends or begins their story with this piece of Sofia's now-famous line, it means:
- We are exasperated by the predicament.
- We are just about ready to give up because the fight is exhausting and ongoing.
- Despite our exasperation, we know giving up is not an option.
- The circumstance is attributed to being a strong woman (as was Sofia in the Color Purple).
Yes, we get all of that from one of our sisters turning to us and saying, "All my life, I had to fight."
As women of Alpha Kappa Alpha, Sorority Incorporated (AKA), we reflect on our organization's history to remember just why we must continue to challenge the status quo. In 1908, the founders of our beloved sorority attended segregated public schools and institutions in the U.S. where civil rights were not a given but a luxury; women couldn't vote. There was no protection against discrimination; there were no protected classes. Choosing to challenge is and was the only way to bring about progress. Someone had to counter the patriarchal system for us to get even where we are today. I say "even" because we have come a long way but still have quite a way to go.
Pressure and fatigue set in from always having to be up for the challenge. That is juxtaposed with the reality that if we are not up for the challenge, circumstances will not change. When I was becoming an AKA, we learned the importance of having a sense of urgency. One mantra that we often recited when faced with an obstacle that we needed to collectively and quickly overcome was, "We say what needs to be said, and we do what needs to be done. If not us, who? If not now, when? If not together, how?" As an engineer by education, my philosophy is that disagreement is a logical result of no two persons being exactly the same. Difference, disagreement, challenges – however you want to characterize it –is commonplace, healthy and yields the best solution.
Being one who loves healthy conflict, I never saw sense in picking our battles. What if all the battles are worth fighting? True: in life, not all of them are, but when it comes to equality and equity for women, actually - they all are; Every instance of micro-aggression, of bias (conscious or unconscious), of a snide sexist remark, every pay gap and every stolen idea credit – they are battles all worth fighting. The best way I can challenge is to not be oppressed by fear or the desire to be perceived as agreeable and not angry. Today, in 2021, I have friends who still face diminishment at work simply because of their gender. I will fight every battle worth fighting, even if it feels like it is all of them.
In accepting the call to action, I #choosetochallenge by:
- Continuing to be outspoken, using my platform as a tool for amplification.
- Advocating for policy changes in our workplaces and in society.
I will choose to challenge until there is no more reason to do so; until the sage words of wise woman poets are archaic and no longer relevant, but until then:
"And still I rise." – Maya Angelou
"I get angry about things, then go on and work." – Toni Morrison
"We will not be turned around or interrupted by intimidation because we know our inaction and inertia will be the inheritance of the next generation." – Amanda Gorman
