29
Caribbean Life, March 24-30, 2022
Work smarter, work harder… work together
By Terri Schlichenmeyer
There’s no one like you.
For most of your life, you’ve
been told how unique you are,
how wonderful, how important,
all true. You’re one of a kind,
singular, you’re like no one else
on Earth. And in the new book,
“The First, The Few, The Only”
by Deepa Purushothaman, that
probably goes at work, too.
Most workplaces were made for
men.
If you’re a woman, you
already know this. It’s evident in
the height of the counters, the
number of permanent walls in the
office, and the temperature of its
rooms. But for Women of Color
(WOC), that statement is keener,
especially if you’re the first WOC
in your workplace, one of a few,
or the only WOC there now. So
with no other WOC to bounce
ideas with, no been-there-donethat
work friends to hash things
through, how do you survive and
thrive at work?
Says Purushothaman, there are
three main ways.
First, “Find Your Power.” Eliminate
delusions that you or your
bosses may hold, and hear the
messages you’re getting. They can
see you, when it comes to hiring.
You can fit in without losing a
part of yourself. Closely notice the
lessons you’ve learned from your
family and your culture, and be
sure that you’re sending the right
lessons to the next generation.
Take care of yourself “When
Your Mind and Body Speak.” Look
for your own joy, know the detrimental
effects of racism, and
ignore the urge to “work harder”
just because of your skin color.
Don’t feel the need to “represent.”
Know what to do about those
microaggressions you seem to
hear constantly.
And finally, seize “The Power of
We.” Find your community in the
corporate world at large. Be open
to learning, and changing “the
game” from within. Know what
six things to ask yourself if you’re
thinking about a new job. And
never forget who you are.
Says Purushothaman, WOC
“need to work together… in Corporate
America to create what
comes next.”
Though it can be a little on the
new-agey side and it’s probably
full of information you already
know, “The First, The Few, The
Only” is a pretty good book to
have around.
Consider it as a place for confirmation,
if you’re a WOC: author
Deepa Purushothaman speaks
directly to your experiences and
she offers sympathy and camaraderie,
somewhat like a cathartic
Happy Hour, but in book form.
There’s advice here that you can
use, including tips for those hours
when you aren’t working.
You can also consider this a
primer if you’re not a women and/
or not of color. Supervisors, CEOs,
and business owners who want to
do better have a place to start here,
with a dive into things you don’t
know, things you shouldn’t do,
and irritations your new employee
probably won’t tell you.
“The First, the Few, the Only”
‘First, The Few, The Only’ author,
Deepa Purushothaman.
Leslie Bohm Leslie Bohm
is a book to read on your lunch
break, or to let your boss see you
reading, if you dare. Or if you
work with WOC, learn and be better.
There’s nothing like it.
* * *
Here’s another book that
women will want to read: “Women
Talk Money” by Rebecca Walker.
It’s a book — a series of essays
— about our financial pointsof
view, how money shapes our
relationships as well as our entire
lives, and how different women
in different situations deal with
money and the lack thereof.
“The First, The Few, The
Only: How Women of Color
Can Redefine Power in Corporate
America” by Deepa
Purushothaman
c.2022, Harper Business
$28.99
235 pages
Book cover of “The First, The Few, The Only” by Deepa Purushothaman.
Japanese music producer Selector A: ‘Reggae Loves Rasta’
By Nelson A. King
New York-based Japanese
producer Eisaku “Selector A”
Yamaguchi is not new to the
reggae industry. His love affair
with the music genre dates back
to the early 1990s.
“I was playing reggae music
in night clubs in the New York
area as far back as the 1990s,
which is how I got the name
Selector A,” Yamaguchi told
Caribbean Life. “I released my
first commercial album, ‘Reggae
Loves Africa,’ in 2014.
“I have since released five
albums that are either conscious
reggae
or love songs
— two of
them inspired
by Reggae
King Bob Marley,”
he added.
“For a Japanese
person to
be an executive
producer
for five reggae
albums, with
songs by some
of the top
Jamaican reggae
acts, is not
s o m e -
t h i n g
you often
hear of.”
O n
“Grounation
Day,”
April 21,
a holy
day for
R a s t a -
f a r i a n s ,
Sele c tor
A will
r e l e a s e
a new
compilation
album of 13 great reggae
songs that were recorded by
Rastafarian reggae stalwarts he
has admired for a long time,
including Sizzla, Tarrus Riley
and Luciano.
“We need good message music
at this moment for uplifting the
society, teaching and encouraging
youths to help others and to
be humble and keep the peace,”
Yamaguchi said.
Asked about selecting
“Groundation Day” to release
the album Yamaguchi said:
“Last year was the 55th year
anniversary that Selassie I visited
Jamaica.
“This year, 2022 is the 60th
year anniversary of the independence
of Jamaica,” he said.
“Releasing this meaningful
album between these two
important anniversaries, effectively
sends the right messages
to the world.”
“Reggae Loves Rasta” is the
6th album in the series, which
started with “Reggae Loves Africa”
(2014), “Reggae Loves Jah”
(2015), “Reggae Loves Romance”
(2016), “Reggae Loves Romance
Vol.2” (2018) and “Reggae Loves
Unity” (2020).
Album cover of ‘Reggae Loves Rasta.”