What It Is Like To Be First?

You may not know what it's like to be first, worthy woman, but I know you know what it's like to be the only.

Dear Worthy Woman,

The Hug Heard Round the World is one of my favorite episodes of the Revisionist History podcast. In it, Malcolm uses Sammy Davis Jr. to describe one of the paths many marginalized folks use to survive in environments where they are the first and only.

You may not know what it's like to be first, worthy woman, but I know you know what it's like to be the only.

The Cast of Characters You'll Meet

Generally, you meet the following types of non-marginalized people when you are the first and/or only:

• First, you’ll meet the ones who are outright angry you are there. They don't think you deserve to be in the room, and they show it in both subtle and non-subtle ways. (See segregationists at the Little Rock Nine's first day or Jock Semple attacking Kathrine Switzer at the Boston marathon);

• Then there are the professional saboteurs. They hide in plain sight under a veneer of professionalism while undermining, blaming, and using office protocol to make everything difficult for you. (…