Mentorship as a Source of Purpose
As a Black woman working in public policy, the transition into 2025 weighed heavily on me. It was soul crushing watching court decisions rolling back our rights, seeing grant funding being clawed back from programs I loved and have benefited from, and watching hundreds of thousands of Black women have their careers uprooted. For weeks, I struggled to find a way to push myself forward.
Somewhere in the midst of feeling stuck, I was reminded of one thing that has always brought me joy and purpose—mentorship. For years, I'd served as a mentor through the National Coalition of 100 Black Women Washington, DC Chapter’s (NCBWDC) Exceptionally Me program, at my church as a youth ministry leader, and as the founder of my own initiative Policy Partners. Mentoring the current and next waves of leaders has always brought me a sense of hope and reassurance that there are still a lifetime of bright tomorrows beyond the challenges of today.
So I went back to having those coffee and lunch meetings with my fellow political and public policy staffers. I also dug deeper to give more of my time and of myself to working with NCBWDC. I reaffirmed my commitment to uplifting and empowering young leaders who needed that encouragement most. And now in my position as Chief of Staff to a local elected official, I am incredibly blessed with the opportunity to mentor my own staff. It’s reignited my passion for public service to watch them grow more interested and invested in their community each day!
At the same time, I’ve been reminded that I have a wealth of mentors supporting me. When I was facing my most challenging days, they poured encouragement into me. When I questioned how to advocate for myself, they helped me to find the right language. And when I was tempted to try to shrink in any room, they reminded me of my larger than life goals and aspirations.
We are living in a society that is actively working to silence Black women and girls and to undermine their successes. Now more than ever, it is critical to support grassroots mentoring initiatives like those provided by the NCBWDC. You can support our work today by donating here.
