Speaking Up at Work: Why Breaking Silence Is Power for Black Women

It’s time to talk about the cost of silence—and the power of breaking it.

Every Monday, women everywhere—especially Black women and women of color—brace themselves for another week in environments where “playing the game” is survival. You learn to choose your words with surgical care. You measure your tone, your volume, your ambition. You become fluent in the unspoken rules:

• Be professional, but never threatening.

• Competent, but not intimidating.

• Visible, but never “too ambitious.”

• Smart—but never outshine.

You become, as Simone put it, “the smartest person in the room that nobody listens to.”

Why Is Speaking Up So Hard?

Because you’ve been told—directly and indirectly—that your expertise is valued, but your voice is risky. You’ve seen what happens to women who dare to deliver the truth out loud:

• Labeled “difficult,” “angry” “not a team player.”

• Interrupted or ignored, while someone else repeats your ideas for credit.

• Punished for the same candor that earns others promotions.

And yet, the silence chips away at your confidence, your credibility, your sense of self. The Corporate Misogyny Bingo card isn’t just a game—it’s a mirror. Each square is a real microaggression, a phrase you’ve likely heard in a meeting, on a performance review, or slipped into “office banter.”

Awareness Is the First Step—But Not the Only One

Awareness matters. Naming the phrases and patterns that diminish you is the first act of reclaiming your story. That’s why I created the Corporate Misogyny Bingo tool:

• Scan the card.

• Mark every phrase you’ve experienced.

• Got BINGO? Screenshot and share your card (or your story) in the comments.

Let’s call these moments what they are—systemic, not personal. And let’s refuse to normalize them any longer.

But What Happens After You Speak Up?

I won’t sugarcoat it: breaking silence comes with risk. Ask Simone, who spoke truth to power and instantly became “a threat” to leadership. Or Maya, who replayed a meeting at 3 AM, wondering if it would have been safer to stay quiet.

But here’s the deeper truth:

• Silence protects the status quo—not your future.

• Every time you swallow your expertise, the system wins.

• Every time you speak—even if your voice shakes—you reclaim a piece of your power.

How to Start Speaking Up (Even When It Feels Impossible)

1. Name the Pattern: Use tools like the Bingo card to make the unseen visible.

2. Tell Your Story: Practice the “challenge-action-result” formula for your wins.

3. Find Your People: You are not alone. Community isn’t just support—it’s strategy.

4. Set a Micro-Goal: This week, commit to speaking up once—even if it’s in a small meeting, or a supportive DM.

Your Voice Is Your Power

If you’re exhausted by silence, know this:

• You are not the problem.

• Your expertise was never in question.

• The system is designed to keep you quiet—because your voice is that powerful.

Let’s refuse to play along. Let’s break the silence, together.

Want the Corporate Misogyny Bingo PDF? [Link to download]

Ready for the next step? This week on LinkedIn, we’re breaking down the armor—and designing a strategy for real visibility in 2026.

Working While Female: We make women’s expertise impossible to ignore.