Laurabel Mba came to Canada when she was eight years old. As the child of Nigerian Immigrants, she watched her parents leave thriving careers in Nigeria to start over in Canada. It was from their experience that she learnt the ethos of resilience, hard work and consistency. These lessons were invaluable in her decision to pursue a career as an anti-racism, diversity, and equity consultant. Laurabel tells her full story here:
As an Anti-Racism and diversity and equity consultant, my role involves formulating policies for organizations to enable them to become more inclusive and equitable in their work practices and culture. What I do is particularly important because there is a demand for corporate bodies to be more diverse and inclusive, and my work helps organizations meet this expectation. In my line of work, I identify and address systemic racism from an outsider’s perspective. Some organizations have cultures that are embedded in racism and sexism, but because they have practised this for so long, everyone has become immune to it. In my line of work, we identify these anomalies and address them. We promote diversity in the workforce and corporate culture by implementing equitable practices across all levels of the organization. We collaborate with corporate leadership and staff to develop and implement strategies. We also implement training and policies that foster an inclusive and equitable culture of understanding and respect.
Looking back at the challenges I experienced when starting my business as a black woman, I believe that the world has more obstacles for us as black women. These obstacles manifest as a dearth of mentors, limited access to financial support, and rooms that are more accessible to others. However, one thing I have learnt is that for every obstacle that I overcome, the door to that particular room is opened wider for the next black woman to walk through it. In terms of what I would have done differently, I wish I had discovered my passion earlier and allowed it to guide my career, life, and relationships.
My advice to women of colour in the diaspora is that we are not in competition with each other. We should lean on our sisters — blood or not — and build supportive networks because it is already difficult enough to be a Black woman in business. We should learn that competition stems from societal expectations, which are fickle and ever-changing and are designed to pit us against one another in the workplace, in business, or in social settings. We can challenge these perceptions and embrace a mindset of abundance rather than scarcity. We can achieve this by sharing our victories—big and small —because when one of us wins, we all win. This creates narratives that encourage collective success rather than isolated achievements. We should support one another, be kind to each other, and ensure that what we do creates pathways for those who come after us. We should also remember to rest, as this is one of the most significant forms of resistance in a system that was not built for us and by us. We need to be in our optimal mental and physical state to face tomorrow’s challenges, and resting helps us achieve this.
By embracing the concept of sisterhood, we can overcome challenges together, lift one another up, and create a legacy of empowerment for future generations. Our actions today will shape the world in which our daughters and granddaughters will grow up. Together, we can foster connections that celebrate and uplift Black women everywhere.
Laurabel tells her story from St John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada.
