"Playing to win requires an understanding of the game, knowing who the star players are, and developing and executing a playing strategy."-Brenda Harrington
In Access Denied, Brenda Harrington addresses what it takes to pave a path to success in storied detail. She explains that beyond degrees, experience and competence, it is necessary to interpret an organization's culture, the behaviors that are tolerated, and who the power players are, through a lens of diversity and inclusion.
This resource places precise language around the unique challenges facing BIPOC individuals including: the issue of code-switching; the pitfalls of assimilating into a patriarchal and white-dominated work culture; the problem of veiled discriminators; and the complications of workplace dynamics that favor a dominant group. She also acknowledges the physical and mental toll of pervasive and systemic racism.
Throughout this book, the experiences of real people are presented to convey three key messages:
-No, you are not crazy. What has happened and is happening to you is real.
-You are not alone. What has happened to you has happened and is happening to others.
-We cannot change the hearts and minds of those with biases that do not favor us, but we can make choices to better protect and advocate for ourselves and each other.
Through stories and reflection exercises that are deeply grounded in reality, Harrington provides members of minoritized and marginalized groups with tools to navigate their circumstances more effectively, with a view toward building the lives and legacies they want for themselves and their families.