Our Separate Ways: Addressing gender alone won’t help women rise to the top
Addressing gender alone won’t help women rise to the top. In Our Separate Ways, authors Ella Bell and Stella Nkomo examine the surprising differences between black and white women’s trials and triumphs on their way up the corporate ladder.
Based on research that spanned eight years, Our Separate Ways compares the experiences of 120 black and white female managers in the American business arena. In-depth histories bring to life the women’s often difficult journeys from childhood to professional success, highlighting the roles that gender, race, and class played in their development.
Although successful professional women come from widely diverse family backgrounds, educational experiences, and community values, they share a common assumption upon entering the workforce: “I have a chance.” Along the way, however, they discover that people question their authority, challenge their intelligence, and discount their ideas. And while gender is a common denominator among these women, race and class are often wedges between them.
In Our Separate Ways, you will find candid discussions about stereotypes, and learn how black women’s early experiences affect their attitudes in the business world. You will also become aware of how white women have – perhaps unwittingly – aligned themselves more often with white men than with black women, and see ways that the U.S. continues to come to terms with diversity in all of its dimensions.
The book offers useful insights; whether you are a human resources director wondering why you’re having trouble retaining black women, a white female manager considering the role of race in your office, or a black female manager searching for perspectives.
In Our Separate Ways you will find fresh insights about how black and white women’s struggles differ and encounter provocative ideas for creating a better workplace environment for everyone.
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