Book Review: “The First, The Few, The Only”

“The First, The Few, The Only: How Women of Color Can Redefine Power in Corporate America”
by Deepa Purushothaman
2022/Harper Business
$28.99/235 pages

Most workplaces were made for men. For women of color, that statement is keener, especially if you’re the first or only woman of color in your workplace or one of a few. So how do you survive and thrive at work?

Says Deepa Purushothaman, author of “The First, The Few, The Only: How Women of Color Can Redefine Power in Corporate America,” 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.

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.”

Find your community in the corporate world at large. Says Purushothaman, women of color “need to work together... in Corporate America to create what comes next.”

If you’re a woman of color, Purushothaman speaks directly to your experiences and offers sympathy and camaraderie. If you’re not, you can consider this book a primer. 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.