"Twice As Hard" is a book that examines the challenges that black people face trying to break into the largely white-dominated corporate world, and provides advice for people of color who wish to take on that mission for themselves. The authors rely on the experiences of other successful black entrepreneurs from the US and UK, as well as the authors' own experiences working in investment banking and setting up their own businesses. And I say, such a book could not have come in a more timely manner.
We live in a time where the Black Lives Matter and AAPI Against Hate has really come to the public spotlight. Violent racism against people of color has not been so prominent in the past fifty years. "Twice As Hard" however examines the more subtle forms of racism, the askance look at the "other" in spaces that are de facto segregated, even if de jure segregation has been outlawed. It relays the harsh reality of having to continuously prove oneself, and hide certain aspects of one's personality in order to appear non-threatening or capable in one's own right as a worker.
While the book is focused on black individuals, I feel like the advice is applicable to any group that includes people of color. Where this book really shines is that instead of simply stating the issue, the authors provide solutions based on their own success and that of others. It provides a sense of optimism and empowerment that even though the odds may be stacked against you as a person of color and the onus is on to work "twice as hard" to succeed in the corporate world, it is possible to make that hard work pay off.
We live in a time where the Black Lives Matter and AAPI Against Hate has really come to the public spotlight. Violent racism against people of color has not been so prominent in the past fifty years. "Twice As Hard" however examines the more subtle forms of racism, the askance look at the "other" in spaces that are de facto segregated, even if de jure segregation has been outlawed. It relays the harsh reality of having to continuously prove oneself, and hide certain aspects of one's personality in order to appear non-threatening or capable in one's own right as a worker.
While the book is focused on black individuals, I feel like the advice is applicable to any group that includes people of color. Where this book really shines is that instead of simply stating the issue, the authors provide solutions based on their own success and that of others. It provides a sense of optimism and empowerment that even though the odds may be stacked against you as a person of color and the onus is on to work "twice as hard" to succeed in the corporate world, it is possible to make that hard work pay off.