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Where Are We Now?

We still have a lot of work to do.

I’m reminded of a powerful moment in the film A Time to Kill, where Matthew McConaughey’s character, Jake Brigance, is speaking with Carl Lee Hailey, portrayed by Samuel L. Jackson. Carl Lee is on trial for capital murder after killing the two men who brutally raped, mutilated, and nearly killed his daughter—leaving her permanently sterile.

In one of the film’s most poignant scenes, just before Jake delivers his closing argument, Carl Lee confronts a painful truth. He tells Jake that no matter how close they’ve become, Jake will always see him through the lens of race—just as the jury does. And that, if Jake wants any hope of saving him, he has to recognize that and speak to that lens, not ignore it.

Carl Lee Hailey: “America is a war… no matter how you see me… you see me different. You see me like that jury sees me, you are them. Now throw out your points of law, Jake. If you was on that jury… what would it take to convince you to set me free? That’s how you save my ass. That’s how you save us both.”

This moment captures a hard truth about navigating systems not built for everyone. It’s a lesson in perspective—especially for those who don’t have to think about how they’re seen.

For Black women and women of color, the reality is that you cannot eradicate or even always mitigate bias. But what you can do is prepare—to strategically navigate the barriers, even the implicit and hidden ones, and inequities so that you still have the opportunity to thrive.

And for those in positions of societal privilege—my hope is that you take these experiences at face value. Sit with them. Believe them. Don’t rationalize them away or try to debate them. And refrain from disparagingly labeling the concerns as “woke”! Because in doing so—in choosing empathy over disbelief—that’s how you save us both.

With over 100 hours of in-depth interviews and nearly 450 women surveyed, the data is clear: the experience is the experience. And we all have something to learn from it if we want to rise, to heal, and to move forward with purpose.

Unstoppable isn’t just a trait—it’s a path, a mindset, and ultimately, a state of being.