00:00Imposter syndrome is the feeling that you don't belong somewhere because of your
00:06race or your gender or some other reason. To my understanding, it's basically just
00:12second-guessing yourself and what you deserve and what you should be receiving.
00:18It's in workspace, educational space, feeling like you don't belong there.
00:24Imposter syndrome is something that I'm quite familiar with. I went to a PWI. I'm
00:28usually the only black girl in the room, so it's something that I have learned to, I guess, deal with.
00:33When I got into my college, people would definitely bring up affirmative action.
00:38In most of the instances where I feel like I don't belong, nothing has been said to me.
00:43It's just the way that people treat me or interact with me. I've been mistaken for people putting
00:51on the event or PR girls. I'm like, no, I'm checking in with you. You don't know who's
00:56on your team. And the affirmative action thing specifically really bothers me because people
01:02act like my ability to conquer being oppressed is somehow not equal with being good at a sport
01:10or being able to write a fire paper. I'm just a strong believer in fate and the universe putting
01:16things in line for us. And if it happened to you, it was meant to happen to you. Homegirl who
01:22didn't
01:23get into whatever school, that didn't happen to you because that wasn't for you, Shorty.
01:26When I start to feel imposter syndrome, I'm like, you were in the same room. Like, you were invited here
01:31too. Like, if you did not belong here, you wouldn't be here. You're here. So you can't feel that way
01:35about yourself. I mean, I think it's something that is hard not to feel when you're in spaces that
01:41haven't been historically made for you. I think I'm still dealing with it. Dealing with, um, knowing
01:47that I'm supposed to be where I am. I mean, I definitely felt it growing up and going to schools
01:54that were private schools and private colleges. And I even feel it sometimes now in the workplace.
02:00But I do have to literally remind myself, like, say it to myself. You belong here. You were invited.
02:05Which is weird that that's something I still have to do. But I do it, and then it changes my
02:11mood,
02:11and I'm able to, like, enjoy myself. I'm a big proponent of brag-less. Sometimes when I'm, like,
02:18not feeling like 100, I'll literally write down all of the things that I'm really proud of myself for,
02:25and I'll look back and be like, oh yeah, like, you're exactly where you should be. And I would recommend
02:29that to anyone who is, like, dealing with imposter syndrome. And also trust, like, all the black
02:35women that are behind you and that have built literally everything that we know and love today.
02:41For black girls who feel imposter syndrome, I would say you really do have to remind yourself that you
02:46have earned your spot. Not even earned your spot, but, like, the work that you have done brought you
02:50to where you are. And if you're someone who has faith, as I am, it's like, God did not bring
02:54you this
02:55far to leave you. If I were to give advice to young black girls that are feeling imposter syndrome,
02:59I would say to, like, fill your black girl magic and find those other black girls that have that magic.
03:05Because it's so important to have other people behind you and who feel you. And once you have those
03:11people, like, you can't go wrong.
