Tiffany K. is a Brooklyn based publicist, content creator, Founder/CEO of The Brand Curator (a strategic communications studio for minority and women-led businesses) and Co-Founder of Sold Out Saturday (a community that supports Black-owned businesses 365 days/year).

How conscious are you of your race?

My identity as a Black woman can't be dismissed or disregarded. I'm reminded every day when I wake up in America and turn on the news how dangerous it is to be in this skin. Visiting new destinations, driving in a car, even picking a primary care provider, I'm conscious of my race and the role it plays in any interaction. Every decision I've ever made has been through the lens of Black queer womanhood.

Do you recall the first time you faced some sort of microaggression or blatant discrimination?

I was raised in a military community, which was a melting pot of cultures, so for a long time as a kid I was pretty oblivious to it. I don't think it was until I got to high school that I started to see it more clearly. One time, I was prom dress shopping with girlfriends, and the store owner straight up refused to let me try on dresses with the other (white) girls. She went out of her way to follow me and make me feel uncomfortable. My feelings weren't that hurt, it was typical racist shit. But my friend's mom really went IN on this woman for her blatant discrimination in those moments (shout out to Kathy!). Once I transitioned into the workplace is when it got really real for me. No one prepared me for the microaggressions that come with being a Black woman in corporate America. Everything from finding out I was being severely underpaid in comparison to less educated and less experienced white colleagues, to feeling constant imposter syndrome in toxic workplace environments.

How did your race affect your upbringing/when did you first feel "other"?

My dad always instilled in me that we weren't limited because of race and that we could have anything in the world if we just worked hard and saved. He didn't want me walking through life with a chip on my shoulder, or feeling like there were spaces I didn't belong in, and I never did. He's a major reason why I rarely saw myself as "other”.

What do you love most about your culture?

It's the Black joy for me. I love how we can always turn misfortune into humor. No matter what, we're just able to make each other laugh and get through it. Black people are funny as hell.

How do you feel about the current social unrest, fight for Black people and Black lives?

I feel like we have a long way to go, but we have to keep organizing and educating the masses. We have to keep educating ourselves, too. Being Black in America is definitely draining. Allies need to also know this is lifelong work - we need white women in particular to start mobilizing amongst each other.

What’s one way you think your life would have been different had you been born a different race?

I can't even imagine, tbh!

What privileges do you NOT HAVE that others do?

I don't have the privilege of going unnoticed. I don't have the privilege of knowing I'll survive being pulled over. I don't have the privilege of being ignorant to police senselessly murdering Black bodies.

What privileges do you HAVE that others don’t?

Wearing Black hairstyles like box braids and locs, which are sacred and reserved for kinks and coils.

What is one way you think you could connect with people who have differing and/or negative views towards your race?

All I can do is offer resources. It's up to people to do the work and mobilize amongst each other.

Is there anything else you want to say on this topic?

I hope that people continue to support and pour love into Black creatives, artists, entrepreneurs, and businesses. Keep sharing Black stories. Keep that same energy even when you're not marching in the streets.

Publish date: February 22, 2021