How Identity Has Influenced a DEI Manager's Career at SoundCloud Inc
Tamura's upbringing instilled a "keep your head down" work ethic, initially hindering their ability to advocate for themselves in a predominantly white male workplace. However, this experience, coupled with the unique challenges of being a Black woman and first-generation college graduate, ultimately fueled their success, transforming obstacles into strengths, culminating in the confident and accomplished professional they are today.
Overcoming Challenges, Resilience, Motivation, Communication, Leadership
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
Tamura Davis
DEI Manager
SoundCloud Inc
Loyola Marymount University
N/A
Business Management & Admin
Arts, Entertainment & Media, Technology
Human Resources (HR)
Took Out Loans, Worked 20+ Hours in School, Greek Life Member, First Generation College Student
Video Highlights
1. "Speak up and put yourself out there": Tamura emphasizes the importance of self-advocacy, especially for women and people of color, encouraging others to not let fear hold them back from career advancement.
2. "Challenges and failures have made me amazing": Tamura highlights how overcoming obstacles related to her identity and background has shaped her resilience and success.
3. "Being a first-generation college graduate comes with a lot of pressure": Tamura discusses the unique pressures and expectations she faced as a first-generation college graduate and how this influenced her career journey.
Transcript
As a Black woman and a first-generation college graduate, how has that impacted how you navigated your career?
It's impacted my experience in a lot of ways, quickly going from childhood onwards. I was raised by a baby boomer, and the baby boomer way of working, which my mother embodied, was to get a good job.
She believed in keeping your head down, getting the benefits, and just doing your work. You didn't have to speak up a lot or do a lot of extras. Honestly, that probably held me back from succeeding or moving forward in my career.
I would say that mindset came with its own pros and cons. It impacted my career because I was fearful of speaking up. I already had two things against me: the fact that I'm Black and the fact that I'm a woman.
So, I'd be in a room full of men, especially white men, and I wouldn't speak up. I was molded to think, "Don't do that. You have a good job, just keep your cool, don't speak up, don't say too much."
My advice moving forward for any woman, any person of color, or anyone feeling held back by challenges is to speak up and put yourself out there. You don't know who you're going to impact. Your bravery and vulnerability might be motivating for someone else.
If you don't speak up, who will? You can't really rely on anyone else to do it for you. That's how it's impacted me.
I love being Black, I love being a woman, and I love being a first-generation college graduate. Being a first-generation college graduate comes with a lot of challenges. I have a lot of people who depend on me.
As an only child, you're put on a pedestal. On top of that, you feel like you have to keep doing well because so many people are depending on you and looking up to you.
It's all impacted my career, but that's why I'm amazing now. All the challenges and failures I've faced have made me into the amazing person you see.