Why I Walked Away from $200K: A Black Woman’s Journey Through Higher Education

After years of rising through the ranks in higher education—leading, mentoring, and giving my all—I made the difficult decision to walk away from a $200,000 role. Not because I lacked ability, but because I refused to keep sacrificing my dignity. 

This personal essay is a reflection on the quiet harms many Black women endure in professional spaces: the theft of ideas, weaponized silence, racial gaslighting, and being valued for image over personhood. It’s also about reclaiming agency, choosing peace over performance, and building a life rooted in joy and equity. 

To every woman navigating these spaces—you are not imagining it. You are not alone. And you are not required to stay where you are not seen.