Book Review
Women of color today are contributing to an unprecedented wave of "firsts"-whether they are the first in a family to attend college, the first to serve as CEO of a Fortune 500 company, or the first in public office, women of color are reaching new heights of influence. Cecilia Muñoz, author of More Than Ready: Be Strong and Be You….and Other Lessons for Women of Colour on the Rise, was a first, too, and she knows what it means to make her way without exemplars to follow.
The first Latinx to lead the White House Domestic Policy Council, author Cecilia Muñoz draws lessons from the challenges she faced as the senior Hispanic person in the Obama White House and as a longtime powerful voice in the Civil Rights Movement. She shares her insights, along with those of some extraordinary women of color she met along the way, as an offering of inspiration to women of color who are no longer willing to be invisible or left behind. Full of invaluable lessons about working through fear, facing down detractors, and leading with kindness, Cecilia provides the thoughtful insight and tactical tools that women of color need to be successful - without compromising who they are.
Author quotes
As women of colour, we are among a generation accomplishing firsts - whether the first in our families to attend college, enter a traditional workplace, or embark on a nontraditional path.
Just as we are often firsts, it’s not unusual for us also to be “onlies”: the only woman in the room; the only person of colour; and the only one bringing our particular set of experiences to our workplaces, classrooms and teams.
This book is about helping you hear a different voice - your own, strong voice - and to remind you that what you bring into any room is valuable.
No matter what your profession, vocation or field of endeavour, if you are a woman looking to blaze your own trail and forge your own firsts, and if you are wondering whether your life and experiences matter, or whether what you bring with you as you begin your journey is enough, you are not alone.
About the author
Cecilia Muñoz is Vice President for Public Interest Technology and Local Initiatives at New America. Prior to joining New America in 2017, she served for eight years on President Obama’s senior staff, first as Director of Intergovernmental Affairs followed by five years as Director of the Domestic Policy Council. Before working in government, she was Senior Vice President at the National Council of La Raza (now UNIDOS US), the nation’s largest Hispanic policy and advocacy organization, where she served for 20 years. Muñoz is also a Senior Fellow at Results for America, a nonprofit that advances the use of data and evidence in policy making. She received a MacArthur Fellowship in 2000 for her work on immigration and civil rights, and serves on the Boards of the Open Society, MacArthur and Kresge Foundations, as well as the nonprofit Protect Democracy Project. She is the author of More than Ready: Be Strong and Be you....and other lessons for women of color on the rise, to be published in April 2020.
Why LoA loves it….
For many women entrepreneurs in Africa, they are often the first in their families to start and run a successful business, or to go to college, or to become a change-maker in their communities and countries. Having role models to aspire to, or to be inspired by, is key to success on the journey. Cecilia Muñoz shares some wonderful insights on how globally women of colour are rising to fulfill their potential and become leaders in their own right. This is an insightful book featuring the voices and experiences of some of the most prominent and impact-driven women of colour who are making their mark on the world. — Melanie Hawken, founder & ceo of Lionesses of Africa