"Essential reading." --Marie Claire First and Only is a guide for every Black woman who has found herself closing the cover on other business leadership books, convinced that something is missing. We are looking for roadmaps to on-the-job success while also acknowledging the unique barriers that Black women face in the workplace: hostile work environments, being perceived as the Angry Black Woman, being asked to do more for less than our white colleagues. But we can heal, fight for our liberation, and succeed in business and in our lives. In these pages, you will find a love letter to Black women that connects our personal growth and inner healing and the fight for liberation. Trainer and activist Jennifer R. Farmer offers practical strategies for how to thrive in workplaces that can be ambivalent about Black women's success, as well as tips and stories from psychologists, activists, and organizational experts that equip us to lead others and heal past wounds. Learn to shed fear and embrace courage and vulnerability. Our path to success includes a commitment to self-care, spiritual growth, and a willingness to push for progress even as we fight for our own liberation. First and Only is not just about how to lean in, or how to discover the irrefutable laws of leadership. It's also about healing so that we can sustain work for justice and equity. It's about finding personal and social redemption--and leading other Black women to it, too. The paperback edition includes an added preface, a discussion guide, and a Q&A with the author.
Jennifer R. Farmer is a writer, trainer, and activist who has worked with a host of entrepreneurs, social justice organizations and advocates, and progressive faith-based leaders including Michael Render ("Killer Mike"), Bishop William J. Barber II, and Edgar Villanueva. Farmer is the founder of Spotlight PR, LLC, which specializes in strategy and training for leaders and groups committed to racial justice, and is the author of Extraordinary PR, Ordinary Budget. She has been interviewed or had her work featured in Forbes, Marie Claire, Salon, Washington Informer, Sojourners, The Root, and Globe & Mail. She is the mother of two and lives in Chicago. Nina Turner is a motivational speaker, cable news commentator, and defining political icon. She was a national co-chair of the Bernie Sanders 2020 presidential campaign, a former state senator from Ohio and former professor of African American history. Turner is also a founding member of the Bernie Sanders Institute, an entity dedicated to transforming American democracy through research, education, and outreach.
