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First and Only: What Black Women Say About Thriving at Work and in Life
"Essential reading." -- Marie Claire First and Only is a guide for every Black woman who has found herself closing the cover on other business leadership books, convinced that something is missing. We are looking for roadmaps to on-the-job success while also acknowledging the unique barriers that Black women face in the hostile work environments, being perceived as the Angry Black Woman, being asked to do more for less than our white colleagues. But we can heal, fight for our liberation, and succeed in business and in our lives. In these pages, you will find a love letter to Black women that connects our personal growth and inner healing and the fight for liberation. Trainer and activist Jennifer R. Farmer offers practical strategies for how to thrive in workplaces that can be ambivalent about Black women's success, as well as tips and stories from psychologists, activists, and organizational experts that equip us to lead others and heal past wounds. Learn to shed fear and embrace courage and vulnerability. Our path to success includes a commitment to self-care, spiritual growth, and a willingness to push for progress even as we fight for our own liberation. First and Only is not just about how to lean in, or how to discover the irrefutable laws of leadership. It's also about healing so that we can sustain work for justice and equity. It's about finding personal and social redemption--and leading other Black women to it, too. The paperback edition includes an added preface, a discussion guide, and a Q&A with the author.
- GenresEducationNonfiction
231 pages, Paperback
Published July 26, 2022
About the author
Jennifer R. Farmer
4 books18 followersJennifer R. Farmer is a writer, trainer and activist communicator. She is the author of the forthcoming book, “First and Only: How Black Women Navigate Work and Life (Broadleaf Books).” Her debut book, “Extraordinary PR, Ordinary Budget: A Strategy Guide,” was published in 2017 by Berrett-Koehler Publishers. She is host of the United Methodist Women’s #UMWFaithTalks podcast, where she explores how women of faith engage in social justice concerns, and host of the #FirstandOnly podcast where she discusses the unique challenges Black women face in professional settings and tips to overcome.
Through her writing, Jennifer focuses on everything from her faith to developing better leaders to issues of gender and race. Her work has appeared in publications such as the Blavity, Society for Nonprofits, Chronicle of Philanthropy, CNN, The Root, HuffPost, LifeHack, PR Daily, Red Letter Christians and more.
The founder of Spotlight PR LLC, a boutique firm specializing in communications strategy and training for leaders and groups committed to social and racial justice, Jennifer has provided services to national organizations and celebrities committed to social and racial justice space.
Through Spotlight PR, she works and has worked with a host of high-profile clients including activist, rapper and businessman Michael Render, pka Killer Mike, who is host of the Netflix show, “Trigger Warning with Killer Mike” and one half of the rap duo Run the Jewels, Art, Beats & Lyrics, the Rev. Dr. William J. Barber II, author Edgar Villanueva (Decolonizing Wealth), Bankhead Seafood, and a host of social justice organizations such as the Funders’ Collaborative for Youth Organizing, Repairers of the Breach, United Methodist Women, Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice and more.
Jennifer’s understanding of the intersection of politics, advocacy and media has helped the leaders and groups she’s worked with standout in a crowded media landscape. She and the teams she has led have booked clients and colleagues in news stories and TV segments in leading print, digital and broadcast media outlets including The New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, Atlanta Journal Constitution, USA Today, Politico, HuffPost, The View, The Real, CNBC, CNN’s Brooke Baldwin, the Joe Rogan Podcast, The Breakfast Club, HBO’s Real Time with Bill Maher, MSNBC’s AM Joy, and MSNBC’s The Rachel Maddow Show.
Jennifer is a former member of the University of Rochester Board of Trustees’ Diversity Advisory Council, and a member of the advisory board for the National Center for State Courts’ Community Engagement in the Courts initiative. Farmer earned a Bachelor of Arts in English and Political Science from the University of Rochester. She is a devoted mother of two and lives in Northern Virginia.
Through her writing, Jennifer focuses on everything from her faith to developing better leaders to issues of gender and race. Her work has appeared in publications such as the Blavity, Society for Nonprofits, Chronicle of Philanthropy, CNN, The Root, HuffPost, LifeHack, PR Daily, Red Letter Christians and more.
The founder of Spotlight PR LLC, a boutique firm specializing in communications strategy and training for leaders and groups committed to social and racial justice, Jennifer has provided services to national organizations and celebrities committed to social and racial justice space.
Through Spotlight PR, she works and has worked with a host of high-profile clients including activist, rapper and businessman Michael Render, pka Killer Mike, who is host of the Netflix show, “Trigger Warning with Killer Mike” and one half of the rap duo Run the Jewels, Art, Beats & Lyrics, the Rev. Dr. William J. Barber II, author Edgar Villanueva (Decolonizing Wealth), Bankhead Seafood, and a host of social justice organizations such as the Funders’ Collaborative for Youth Organizing, Repairers of the Breach, United Methodist Women, Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice and more.
Jennifer’s understanding of the intersection of politics, advocacy and media has helped the leaders and groups she’s worked with standout in a crowded media landscape. She and the teams she has led have booked clients and colleagues in news stories and TV segments in leading print, digital and broadcast media outlets including The New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, Atlanta Journal Constitution, USA Today, Politico, HuffPost, The View, The Real, CNBC, CNN’s Brooke Baldwin, the Joe Rogan Podcast, The Breakfast Club, HBO’s Real Time with Bill Maher, MSNBC’s AM Joy, and MSNBC’s The Rachel Maddow Show.
Jennifer is a former member of the University of Rochester Board of Trustees’ Diversity Advisory Council, and a member of the advisory board for the National Center for State Courts’ Community Engagement in the Courts initiative. Farmer earned a Bachelor of Arts in English and Political Science from the University of Rochester. She is a devoted mother of two and lives in Northern Virginia.
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
March 2, 2021
"When people malign Black women as being angry, or problematic or 'too Black,' they do so because such narratives benefit them and permit them to access power." - Jennifer Farmer, First & Only, A Black Woman's Guide to Thriving at Work and in Life.
Yesss!
This book! THESE words!
These are the words we *all* need to hear, right now. We need to talk about our differences, we need to talk about our similarities and we need to do so under the context of race and power. Now. Given this parameter, I love how Jennifer tells the truth in this book; she does so with humility, transparency and with "receipts."
I also love that First & Only gives practical advice that Black women need to hear, and how anyone who works with and for Black women can better understand why she often needs an extra, compassionate hand.
While I was lucky enough to read this book during its development, to sit down and read it now cover-to-cover is a treat... especially in this BEAUTIFUL font, on really nice paper, with its gorgeous cover! First & Only is a true experience. Grab this book today!
Yesss!
This book! THESE words!
These are the words we *all* need to hear, right now. We need to talk about our differences, we need to talk about our similarities and we need to do so under the context of race and power. Now. Given this parameter, I love how Jennifer tells the truth in this book; she does so with humility, transparency and with "receipts."
I also love that First & Only gives practical advice that Black women need to hear, and how anyone who works with and for Black women can better understand why she often needs an extra, compassionate hand.
While I was lucky enough to read this book during its development, to sit down and read it now cover-to-cover is a treat... especially in this BEAUTIFUL font, on really nice paper, with its gorgeous cover! First & Only is a true experience. Grab this book today!
March 3, 2022
I really enjoyed this book. It gave good insight on work dynamics for Black women. It also reminded me that I'm not crazy when I think certain things about the people I work with. The author also refers to work by other Black people to show her points and state common feelings/issues among Black women.
February 24, 2021
Eyeopening
I know Jennifer Farmer as the host of United Methodist Women's Faith Talks and respect her capable direction. Now I feel like I know Jennifer Farmer , the author , this book revealed her. Ms. Farmer has opened this white woman's eyes and shown me my complicity.
I know Jennifer Farmer as the host of United Methodist Women's Faith Talks and respect her capable direction. Now I feel like I know Jennifer Farmer , the author , this book revealed her. Ms. Farmer has opened this white woman's eyes and shown me my complicity.
February 1, 2021
Especially loved this book as president of an HBCU for women. It's like a manual for Black women's leadership & personal development. So many incredible lessons, prompts, thoughtful critiques & supports for our students & alumnae & Black women everywhere. Brava!
June 8, 2023
I borrowed this on a whim after seeing it at the library with the cover grabbing me. While the experiences Farmer shares are not mine, I wanted to read this to perhaps get better insight as to what Black women sometimes experience (the author not being a voice for all Black women, etc.) in the workplace and how I could try to find ways to be a better colleague, ally, and employee.
Farmer shares her experiences when it comes to various aspects of work and life. Interacting with others, encountering problems, how to manage down, up sideways, etc. Along this she also asks questions (although this is not quite a formal self-help book since there's no workbook aspect) at the end of each chapter to make the reader think about how they would address the topic or situation, etc.
Depending on your POV, this book could be useful or it may not be for you. I knew going into this that this book was not for me, not written for me and was not going to "speak" to me in some ways, which is fine and that is what I expected. I cannot say if Black women would or would not find this helpful, btu as someone who does not have Farmer's experiences, I did find the book thoughtful and useful in helping me reframe situations, events, etc.
I would still recommend this even if you are not a Black woman. And while you certainly can't say you understand someone's experiences from a single book, the reader still might find it useful as I did: in trying to understand what someone else who may not think/look/act/feel like them. I would certainly recommend this for hiring managers, DEI coordinators, and leaders at organizations, even if you only skim the text.
I borrowed this from the library and would say that this is probably the best way for most readers to consume the book but it would make for a good add to the library of a hiring manager, of a DEI consultant, etc. Depending on the person, it could also be a good gift, too.
Farmer shares her experiences when it comes to various aspects of work and life. Interacting with others, encountering problems, how to manage down, up sideways, etc. Along this she also asks questions (although this is not quite a formal self-help book since there's no workbook aspect) at the end of each chapter to make the reader think about how they would address the topic or situation, etc.
Depending on your POV, this book could be useful or it may not be for you. I knew going into this that this book was not for me, not written for me and was not going to "speak" to me in some ways, which is fine and that is what I expected. I cannot say if Black women would or would not find this helpful, btu as someone who does not have Farmer's experiences, I did find the book thoughtful and useful in helping me reframe situations, events, etc.
I would still recommend this even if you are not a Black woman. And while you certainly can't say you understand someone's experiences from a single book, the reader still might find it useful as I did: in trying to understand what someone else who may not think/look/act/feel like them. I would certainly recommend this for hiring managers, DEI coordinators, and leaders at organizations, even if you only skim the text.
I borrowed this from the library and would say that this is probably the best way for most readers to consume the book but it would make for a good add to the library of a hiring manager, of a DEI consultant, etc. Depending on the person, it could also be a good gift, too.
April 26, 2021
"Black women. need texts that speak to the reality of our bodies, our hair, and our speech being policed in a world that has been trained to deny our humanity." p. 16
I'm in a Black Women's Caucus at work and this was our featured text for March. It is interactive, meant to be engaging, thoughtful and part journal for Black women in various fields who often find themselves as the title suggests, the first and only. This is also for Black women, though, who have been in their career a long time and encounter macro and micro aggressions based on race and gender, even if they are not the first and only. This was useful for me in a non-profit setting and something I would have craved twenty years ago in my former corporate life. I highly recommend it for current college students.
I'm in a Black Women's Caucus at work and this was our featured text for March. It is interactive, meant to be engaging, thoughtful and part journal for Black women in various fields who often find themselves as the title suggests, the first and only. This is also for Black women, though, who have been in their career a long time and encounter macro and micro aggressions based on race and gender, even if they are not the first and only. This was useful for me in a non-profit setting and something I would have craved twenty years ago in my former corporate life. I highly recommend it for current college students.
July 12, 2023
It’s no secret that Black women have challenges in multi-facets of their lives; however, I think understanding those challenges and working hard to overcome them should be the focus. Whether there are challenges at work, at home, or in relationships, we have the knowledge and strength to ensure we are included and we thrive. That’s what I gathered from this quick read that serves author commentary, advice from other Black women, scripture to support the commentary and advice, and real-life situations where Black women overcame. There were some areas of repetitiveness, but otherwise, I felt encouraged after reading it.
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March 1, 2021Jennifer's book is a must read not only for Black women, but for all women - and men - who work with and lead Black women. Jennifer shares the day-to-day experiences of Black women everywhere, giving insight into not only how much weight they carry but how much impact that weight has. To become better leaders, better allies, and better humans, everyone should read this book!
April 26, 2022
I thought this was a really good reads. Especially for I Women who are growing in leadership in the early stages. I’ve reached a point in my life that I can appreciate the book, but if I’m honest is wasn’t as enlightening for individuals who have matured in their profession . I would definitely recommend this book to anyone.
March 9, 2022
I know I am not the target audience for this book. This was part of a racial justice book club that I am part of.
Turns out that self-help books no matter who they are intended for are not for me.
Turns out that self-help books no matter who they are intended for are not for me.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews