Unrig the Game

A much-needed playbook to supporting and retaining women of color in leadership roles to create lasting change in the world, from a former labor and community organizer and founder of one of the nation’s premier funders of women of color-led organizations. “A balm and an inspiration.”—Ai-jen Poo, president of the National Domestic Workers Alliance and director of Caring Across Generations In the U.S., many of the most significant social justice victories of our time have been spearheaded by women of color leaders. From the streets, to the ballot box, to elected office, no other demographic group stands up more consistently and unequivocally for human rights, democracy, and the planet. Remarkably, they’ve accomplished this despite conditions—in their fields and organizations—that make leadership uniquely treacherous for them. For women of color leaders, the game is rigged. How much more could humanity be winning if we unrigged it? What might be possible, in this clutch moment of history, with so much on the line, if movements stopped benching our best in ways that negatively impact the scoreboard for everybody? Unrig the Game equips us to support effective women of color leaders so we can all win. A former community and union organizer who started one of the largest foundations to resource women of color-led organizing, Vanessa Priya Daniel draws on candid interviews with forty-five prominent women of color movement leaders, along with her own experience at the helm of an organization, to offer an on-the-ground perspective of the obstacles leaders face, how they navigate them, and how allies can show up. Daniel highlights the unique strengths and “superpowers” these leaders bring to the fight for social change, while debunking the myth that identity alone makes a transformative leader. For women of color leaders, this book is a balm, a sister circle, and a master class. For everyone, it is an essential tool to realize the world we all deserve.