NPR's Michel Martin On How Conversations About Women In The Workplace Still Ignore Race

    The Tell Me More host talks the wage gap, "having it all," and "checking your privilege" in the National Journal's Women in Washington issue.

    Heben Nigatu
    by Heben Nigatu

    BuzzFeed Staff

    In the cover story for the National Journal's Women in Washington issue, NPR's Michel Martin reflects on the challenges of the work/life balance for women of color.

    Amy Sussman / Getty
    There is a saying that is popular on some college campuses right now: Check your privilege. As I understand it, it's mainly aimed at advantaged white people who are being admonished to recognize their advantages, especially ones they take for granted. I won't presume to speak for all women of color so I will speak for myself: I don't care about that. I don't want your pity, and I can't use your guilt. I don't want my white female colleagues to "check" their privilege. I want them to use it—their networks, their assets, their relationships—to form a united front with women of color, and to help improve things for all of us.
    One reason I am so disappointed about the cancellation of Tell Me More, which will have its last broadcast Aug. 1, is that the show has allowed me to prioritize these discussions on my own terms. It has been a place for women from all backgrounds to tell their own stories, and discuss what it really takes not just to survive but thrive.