Where do I start?
I am Ashlee Sade. I started going by my first and middle name around 2013 as I felt it was cool and fit me better than the first & last name thing. I'm from the DMV area (DC-MD-VA). I grew up in Maryland specifically but as the quadrants of DC & VA were extremely close, I often shopped and dined in all three states. Any who, I am African-American, more so brown American as neither of my parents nor their grand or great-grandparents can trace roots back to Africa. Not that it's a bad thing but for much of my adult life I wished my parents were from Africa or the West Indies or somewhere, not just regular black people. Sounds weird I know, but I pretty much longed for more tangible roots. Richmond, VA and Brooklyn, NY, where my parents grew up weren't enough for me.
Moving along, I grew up very middle class if not close to upper-middle compared to some other brown people and friends I've met along the way. I went to private school and top public schools for all of my grade school education. My parents were big on extracurricular activities and the arts so they kept me busy. Cheerleading, basketball, ballet, track & field, piano, clarinet, I've tried it all. I wasn't in love with any of it, but know that each experience shaped me into the person I am today. Aside from meeting most of my best and closest friends through these activities, they allowed me to travel and experience life at a young age.Â
Life for me hasn't always been easy, but it wasn't hard either. I had a very diverse friend group, but will admit most of my friends were brown people. We were all from similar familial arrangements and economic backgrounds so not much diversity there. This somewhat clouded my judgment and view of life. It wasn't until college that I understood what little privilege I had. I met people who had it rough. They were putting themselves through school and didn't have parents encouraging them to be great. Some with children to support. It was eye-opening. It was also in college, that I realized white people could be cruel for no reason other than the fact I was black. I didn't let it get to me or break me, but it was eye-opening. It was also in college where I became more self-aware and started to truly appreciate and long for diversity.
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So New York, I've LOVED this magical city since I was a child. My mom was born here and spent most of her childhood here. I still have a ton of family here now. I remember visiting every summer and imagining moving here one day. In college, I just knew I'd graduate and land a big city job except the time came and I didn't. I landed a GGJ (good government job), my DMV people know all about that. It's honestly a big goal where I'm from. It's stability but with a good salary and great benefits. It's what most of our parents have done all of our lives. So yea, I got a GGJ and became comfortable. I worked with mostly black people who looked out for me as a young black woman. They were nurturing and became my "work mamas". I started to give up on NYC because I truly had it made. Then one day I woke up and had enough. I was tired of complacency and needed more.
Then it happened, I quit my job & I moved. I loved the show Girls (almost regretfully so now) and it created my desire to live in Bushwick. After all, I loved diversity and cool bars alongside trendy coffee shops. I didn't have a job when I first moved, just a nice savings which allowed me to live & explore freely. A few months into my move, I got my first PR agency job. It was actually wonderful. My team was got along quite well and all came from different backgrounds. However, with career growth I decided to leave and try a new company. My next few roles were the first instances in which being black in corporate America was truly a trial. I learned that my presence was not always welcomed and my experiences less so. I worked across some big brands and would present ideas that "didn't fit the masses or target audience". By this point, I was used to being the ONLY black woman, heck brown woman as well. However, I wasn't used to being shutdown because of the color of my skin.
Then came 2016 election. Things got worse. I started to realized co-workers who were for sure racist. They no longer chose to "hide it". They also did not have to. Their president made it acceptable. This made my professional life a living hell. Now hear me out, I have always been for my people and the betterment of my people, but in the last few years it's been heightened. And within the last year specifically, I have been a ride or die for ALL brown people. It is my desire to see us all win. Sadly, I often dislike 90% of white people and find it hard to trust them despite my desire to find the good in everyone. It's been trying to say the very least.
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But 2016 wasn't all bad. I was introduced to BGC or rather helped to form BGC. Through my desire to find a dope nail tech in BK, I stumbled across a diverse group of brown women. We became a crew and every crew needs a name. Brown Girls Club or BGC for short was the most fitting seeing how we are all brown women from various background, Hispanic, Asian, West Indian and regular black like me (LOL). This group has been a ray of sunshine. I never knew how therapeutic it could be to connect with other women experiencing similar issues in the workplace but also everyday life. I've learned a lot this group of women and it's been a pleasure to watch the group grow (I love yall)!
Now for the fun stuff, I LOVE traveling, food, music, film and the arts in general. I welcome any experience to learn & grow as that makes me a better, more well-rounded human being. I acknowledge that enlightenment comes from not just talking but connecting over meals, checking out art or simply listening. Everyday I strive to be an understanding, more educated and respectful person to anyone I come into contact with. #LiveLoveLaugh is always the motto for me!