Member Spotlight: Kathryn Bradley

What is your industry or area of expertise? 

I work in philanthropy, and particularly in education. I’ve been in philanthropy for two and a half years. I feel like I’ve been in education my whole life, but I guess 10 years after college. 

Why do you believe in the mission of BlackFemaleProject?

There have been so many Black women that have poured into me—aunties, mentors, professional, and personal, that have poured into me and continue to pour into me. And I think that that reflects what BlackFemaleProject is about and is also particularly skilled at. 

I believe in it because the healing and space that we need to process and simply spaces to be just don't exist for Black women and particularly not in our traditional work spaces, so BlackFemaleProject offers that space. Precious will say that there's energy work happening there. When I'm in even virtual spaces, the spirit is moving and spirits are lifted.

Our experiences and our identities need to be affirmed, and I think BlackFemaleProject is a space for that, for our experiences to be accepted and affirmed, not questioned or examined or interrogated. And I think that there's something like innate and ancestral about us celebrating ourselves, and doing that in a way that is accepting. Like you can be in other spaces with Black women where there has to be some healing that's also happening because there's trauma at the hands of other Black women, and that's just not the space that BlackFemaleProject creates. There's community, there's kinship, and particularly for me at this point in my career, and even personal life, the intergenerational aspect is super important to me—to be able to get wisdom, to get guidance, in a very nonjudgmental way and in a way that is loving and affirming and a reminder that you are good just as you are right now. That's just been really powerful for me in my own personal growth. 

What brought you to BlackFemaleProject? 

A mentor of mine, also in BlackFemaleProject, Charmaine, was meeting with Precious, and she was like, “You need to know about this project. You're a young Black woman. You just need to know Precious.” And from there, I was just in. We had dinner that evening, and there were just gems being dropped, left and right. That initially brought me in, and the community and the realness has me staying.

The individual members and also even how Precious operates and thinks about the organization and her own life—it's very much like, what works for you? How do you create the conditions that just work best for you, and have you operating at your most optimal self?

How has BlackFemaleProject impacted you personally?

One of the first things that's coming to mind is further community and sisterhood and literally a community of care. When I had COVID in May, Precious hit me up every single day. And I think being new to the area, it was just a reminder I'm not alone out here. I’m not alone physically, but also just like, you got people! And there is something to knowing that I can reach out when and if I need.

I’ve also been able to continue to grow my network, and in a really organic way. And I think BlackFemaleProject continues to offer various models of different ways to show up. In ways that I know that I can just continue to be me and do me in these professional spaces. It's dope to have those models of how people navigate that. 

What motivated you to join the board of BlackFemaleProject?

For one, I just believe in the mission, and I know how much it’s helped me. If I can help the organization to grow, then I want to do that. And I think I’m reaping the benefits. I’m getting space; I’m getting community; I’m getting healing. We pay for therapy, right? We pay for other parts of wellness; BlackFemaleProject is just part of the wellness package that I want to be a part of. 

We can create these communities ourselves, and I think one way in which we do that is by the financial contribution, but also with our time and our energy and our ideas and our networks.

What BlackFemaleProject content have you found most resonant?

I think Teacher Truth has been really important in highlighting the challenges and the successes in the way that Black teachers go about teaching, go about just doing what they do in the context of the classroom. That has been super powerful. 

And then personally, professionally, it's been the podcast series. Being able to hear the experiences of Black women that are just a bit further ahead. Recognizing that, when things are happening in the workplace, you can question them. When you hear that other folks are experiencing this, you're like, “Oh, no, this stuff is real. These macro and micro aggressions are happening.” And it's helpful to know that other folks have experienced it and also are willing to help you navigate it. 

So being able to go back and listen to the podcast episodes, it's edifying. It’s a process of homecoming. They help me come home to me.