My mentor/dear friend told me that I speak up AND speak out, and how this is rare.

Today, I want to talk what it's like when I see, sense & feel that a more senior Black woman is attempting to sabatoge me and assassinate my character. A💔 🧵

It all started here. I joined @PublicHealth in 2018 and was elected chair in 2019. As can be seen, I was SO excited that the members of this section believed in my leadership enough to elect me to this position!
https://t.co/9aItVsUtcP
Since I cross paths with very few other Black women epidemiologists in these academic streets, I was looking forward to working with the Black women leaders in this section. https://t.co/wpQ69nJ9kk
I started observing that the communication to me was minimal, there was little documentation on processes & procedures, and I was (and felt like) an outsider here. I also felt bad vibes, and tried to set up a mtg to check in on communication & leadership styles. It never happened
Then, our annual meeting happened, & I had been struggling with what I experienced as condescending communication and unwelcoming culture. I was like this can't be right, let me contact @PublicHealth staff for some support.
And then, a couple days after the annual meeting my daddy got covid and was in the hospital for two months before he died. I had a lot of shit going on & was trying to avoid more section drama, and I kept trying to reach out to @publichealth staff for support
After our leadership meeting 1/21/21, I was asked what my plans are for when I take the chair? Specifically what am I going to do if everyone who has been volunteering in the section quits because nobody knows me? I was shocked. This felt hostile.
I said I would try to engage the new members and those who want to get involved but haven't engaged. I was told this was not a good plan. This meeting motivated my tweet later that afternoon. I also got the attention of other @PublicHealth elected members.
https://t.co/O1MgJbGZR4
The current chair was furious about my tweet. She emailed me and @PublicHealth staff. I'm supposed to talk to them, and NOT post on social media. I heard: Grin and bear it. Stay in my place. Pay my dues. Work my way up. Who do you think you are?
Yesterday morning I got this official letter from @PublicHealth
I spoke up about my experiences and spoke out publicly and there was retaliation. They lied on me. Maligned my character. Conspired to keep the status quo, and dishonored the votes of members of one of the largest sections of APHA, and @PublicHealth allowed it.
I could barely function yesterday. I have a clear commitment to uplifting, mentoring, and supporting Black women. I have never experienced what feels like sabatoge and hate from another Black woman. Sharing b/c I suspect others have felt this pain.

More from Society

Patriotism is an interesting concept in that it’s excepted to mean something positive to all of us and certainly seen as a morally marketable trait that can fit into any definition you want for it.+


Tolstoy, found it both stupid and immoral. It is stupid because every patriot holds his own country to be the best, which obviously negates all other countries.+

It is immoral because it enjoins us to promote our country’s interests at the expense of all other countries, employing any means, including war. It is thus at odds with the most basic rule of morality, which tells us not to do to others what we would not want them to do to us+

My sincere belief is that patriotism of a personal nature, which does not impede on personal and physical liberties of any other, is not only welcome but perhaps somewhat needed.

But isn’t adherence to a more humane code of life much better than nationalistic patriotism?+

Göring said, “people can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders. That is easy. All you have to do is tell them they are being attacked, and denounce the peacemakers for lack of patriotism and exposing the country to danger. It works the same in any country.”+

You May Also Like