First and Only: A Black Woman’s Guide to Thriving at Work and in Life

As Black women, we have to work twice as hard to be perceived as half as skilled. We have to work until August of this year to earn what a white man made by last December. We are besieged by racist and sexist bullying online. People feel free to touch and comment on our hair—and then ask us why we seem so angry. First and Only is a guide for every woman who has found herself closing the cover on other leadership books that omit our true experiences and strengths. In these pages, trainer and activist Jennifer R. Farmer helps readers learn what is required for the long haul of liberation by providing a roadmap to on-the-job success, challenging systemic racism, and seeking inner healing through the sustaining power of faith. She offers practical strategies for Black women to thrive in workplaces that can be ambivalent about their success, as well as tips and stories from psychologists, activists, and organizational experts that equip Black women to lead others and heal past wounds. The path for success for Black women 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 about how to heal so you can sustain work for justice and equity. It’s about finding personal and social redemption—and leading others to find it too.