In this episode, I talk with AnneMarie Shrouder, a diversity and inclusion speaker and consultant. She\u2019s the author of, \u201cBeing Brown in a Black-and-White World: Conversations for Leaders about Race, Racism and Belonging,\u201d and a mother. Today, she\u2019s here to talk about the reality of being \u201cbi-racial\u201d in a world that encourages you to choose one or the other.\xa0
AnneMarie was raised in Montreal by two immigrant parents: a mother from Austria and a father from Jamaica. Growing up, AnneMarie was more connected to her mother\u2019s side of her family. But in many social situations, she was either 'too black' or 'too white' to fit in. She felt pressured to choose one or the other, and didn't come to the realization that she could choose 'both, and,' until adulthood. Overcoming that polarization of 'either or' was an most empowering part of her journey.\xa0
AnneMarie talks about some of the struggles she\u2019s faced in raising her daughter. Her daughter racially identifies as black, while AnneMarie identifies as bi-racial. While she made it a priority to instill pride in her daughter's identity, she was floored when her daughter went through a phase of wanting to be white. Friends and colleagues reminded her, however, that she lived in a world built on--and for--whiteness. It\u2019s easier to be white, and AnneMarie\u2019s daughter saw that, even at a young age.\xa0
Despite being at a disadvantage in some aspects of her child\u2019s identity, AnneMarie prioritized exposing her child to black culture. They spent seven months in Barbados with her child\u2019s grandparents. AnneMarie marveled at how much her daughter grew when surrounded by black people. Her friends, her teachers, their public figures, were all black.\xa0
AnneMarie initially avoided writing her book, \u201cBeing Brown in a Black-and-White World.\u201d She stared writing when she was pregnant, and intended to write about how her daughter came to be. But in the process, a different book poked its head out. Although it wasn\u2019t what AnneMarie set out to write at first, it was something she realized had to be said.\xa0
Her personal journey is intertwined with her business in diversity and inclusion. Because of this, it made sense to write not just a book on business or a personal story, but to write them together. AnneMarie\u2019s book could technically be read for just the business or the personal side. But she hopes that by putting them together, she encourages people to truly see each other. She believes that everyone loses when we don\u2019t see all of who someone is.\xa0
Listen in to hear AnneMarie\u2019s take on the effect of the internet and technology on racism, the instances she felt the most discriminated against, and how she\u2019s making the world a better place for her daughter.
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Find AnneMarie\u2019s book on her website\xa0
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