Stop Erasing My Voice: Strategies for Black Women Leaders to Be Heard

You know the moment.

You’ve prepared your thoughts, rehearsed your point, and finally speak up in a meeting. The idea is strong, clear, and directly tied to the problem at hand.

Silence. The conversation moves on.

Minutes later, someone else repeats your idea — almost word for word. This time, the room lights up with nods and praise. Suddenly, it’s “brilliant.”

If you’ve ever experienced this, you know how disorienting it feels. That sinking voice in your head whispers:

• Maybe I wasn’t clear enough.

• Did I sound too unsure?

• Maybe I should’ve stayed quiet.

But let me pause here with a truth: That moment does not mean your idea lacked value. It means the room wasn’t ready for your power.

Why This Happens More to Black Women

This isn’t an isolated annoyance — it’s a systemic pattern. Research shows Black women leaders are more likely to be:

• Interrupted or talked over in meetings.

• Overlooked or ignored when offering ideas.

• Penalized for speaking directly while peers are praised for the same behavior.

We live in the double-bind of leadership: expected to lead with strength but criticized as “too much” when we do. The result? Our contributions are minimized, dismissed, or attributed to someone else.

Over time, these experiences don’t just silence voices in the moment — they erode confidence. They make us second-guess whether it’s even worth speaking up, leaving brilliant ideas on the table and leadership presence dimmed.

This is the cost of shrinking. And it’s too high.

Reclaiming Your Voice

The good news is: there are ways to interrupt this pattern, re-center your voice, and ensure your contributions are heard and remembered.

Here are three strategies you can begin using right away:

1. Anchor Back to Your Contribution

When someone repeats your idea, it’s not a signal to shrink — it’s a chance to reclaim. A simple phrase like:

“Thanks for building on what I shared earlier. I’d love to expand on that…”

This connects the idea back to you without defensiveness, while positioning you as the authority. It’s not confrontation — it’s confirmation.

2. Use Strategic Visibility Statements

Sometimes ideas don’t land the first time because they’re not framed with authority. Pre-frame your contribution with language that reinforces your expertise:

• “From my experience leading X…”

• “Based on what we’ve seen in Y project…”

These statements make it harder for others to overlook or dismiss your perspective — because it’s tethered directly to your leadership role.

3. Build Allies in Advance

Visibility is not a solo act. Before high-stakes meetings, share key ideas with trusted colleagues and ask them to echo or affirm them when appropriate.

“I plan to bring this up in the meeting — would you be willing to reinforce it if the timing feels right?”

This creates a ripple effect of support that ensures your voice is amplified, not erased.

Reflection

Think about the last time your voice wasn’t heard in a meeting. What did you tell yourself in that moment? How might you approach it differently if you anchored back, pre-framed with authority, or built an ally in advance?

Write down one phrase you want to have ready the next time a meeting moment arises. Having language prepared in advance makes it easier to act in the moment.

The Bigger Picture

Reclaiming your voice isn’t only about credit for an idea. It’s about shifting the narrative — refusing to accept invisibility as the cost of leadership.

When you anchor your contributions, use strategic visibility, and build allies, you’re not only affirming your own power — you’re modeling what it looks like for other Black women to do the same.

Because every time you reclaim your voice, you show the next woman in the room that she can too.

Your ideas deserve to be heard the first time. And when they aren’t, you now have the tools to make sure they are the next time.

💎 Have you experienced this “meeting moment”? What strategies have helped you reclaim your voice?

be well, sis