“I joined an organization in June 2022 in a leadership role focused on building tenant power — particularly centering the most marginalized and impacted communities. From the start, I made it clear that this work needed to be grounded in the experiences and leadership of those directly affected. Unfortunately, my voice — and the voices of those we were supposed to uplift — were consistently ignored by a steering committee dominated by individuals who were not directly impacted and mostly white.
Any time I disagreed with decisions I felt strayed from our mission, those in power would go to specific Black steering committee members to neutralize my concerns. They undermined my leadership in subtle but deliberate ways — by holding side conversations with the staff I supervised and discrediting me to others outside the organization.
Some of these individuals believed they had control over the direction of the organization because they had helped secure grant funding — for which they were compensated. It became clear that tenants were only being engaged when it was politically convenient, especially when trying to impress or influence aligned politicians. When I resisted that dynamic, I was labeled “ungrateful.”
When I held them accountable, I was met with condescension and told I lacked managerial experience — despite clear evidence to the contrary.
In late summer 2022, a new employee joined the team under my supervision. Within two months, I noticed they were missing deadlines and not completing assigned tasks. I escalated the issue to both the steering committee and HR. Instead of addressing the performance issues, I was told the employee needed more support — even though they declined my repeated offers to help. When I held them accountable, I was met with condescension and told I lacked managerial experience — despite clear evidence to the contrary.
The way the steering committee was structured added to the dysfunction. It was originally intended to be led by those with lived experience. Instead, those who had never been directly impacted held the most decision-making power — creating a dynamic that felt extractive, performative, and deeply disempowering.
This experience highlights how even in so-called “progressive” spaces, workplace abuse and racialized power imbalances can flourish. As someone directly impacted, I was silenced, second-guessed, and undermined — not by right-wing institutions, but by people who claim to be allies.”