I think that often times people assume that one's identity as a black women is by default interwoven into one's academic experiences, and while that may true, I never believed that the marginalization I face based on my identity meant that there was something I could not achieve. Quite frankly, someones racism or sexism towards me is their own problem, and over time I've become immune to it. Additionally I believe the glass ceiling is a metaphor people put on us that inadvertently gives some people imposter syndrome.
To me, there are no glass ceilings. I know that if I'm able to build technology solve problems for many people, and advocate for myself while doing it, I'll be able to have whatever impact I want on the world and gain recognition for doing it.
Obviously I've faced misogynior in academia, and you'd be hard pressed to find any black woman at an institution with billions of dollars at their disposal to to have been shielded from that. But numbers can't be denied, and when you walk into interviews, proposals or pitches with compelling data, concise arguments and confidence, it's often hard to be ignored. That being said, we have to acknowledge that there are very few people in general in this field.
Our lack of representation as black women doesn't mean that we aren't capable, just that we haven't been shown what we can do. Consequently I believe that helping others see their potential is the greatest way I can share and create value with my knowledge, whether that be through building human-centric technology that focuses on bringing value to a user personally, or inspiring others to see their own skill solve important problems themselves.