The Unbearable Weight of Being "Almost Enough"
Lately, my world has been echoing with the same urgent, dissonant chord. On one side, my social feed is a cascade of corporate pledges and well-meaning infographics about Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. The solution they often propose? More mentorship programs. More leadership training for us . And on the other side, my scholarly work has drawn me into the profound, haunting world of the subaltern—those whose voices are systematically erased from the grand narratives of history. This convergence has cracked open a painful conundrum in my soul. Because I look at my friends, my colleagues, my community—the brilliant, resilient, and deeply qualified women and people of color—and I see a truth that these DEI initiatives often miss. We were raised in homes where we had to be twice as good for half as much. We are already masters of adaptation, of code-switching, of silent perseverance. Our very existence is a testament to a qualification that goes beyond the CV: a spirit...
