Breaking Barriers in STEM: The Mentorship We Wish We Had
Stepping into STEM or Public Health as a Black or Brown woman often feels like entering a room that wasn’t designed for your presence but choosing to walk in anyway with a steady posture, a quiet fire, and the whisper of ancestors saying, “You belong here.”
It’s a journey filled with layers: power, exhaustion, resilience, and sacredness. You are asked to excel while representing your entire community. You juggle the pressure to perform, the weight of being “the only,” and the reality of navigating systems that rarely mirror your lived experience.
And still, there is beauty in the becoming.
What It Really Feels Like to Step into These Spaces
Many of us carry this duality, the honor of being a trailblazer and the burden of carving a path no one cleared for us.
I remember my first graduate-level drug development course. I sat in a room full of people who spoke what felt like a foreign academic language. I scanned the room and realized I was the only Black woman there. Suddenly, everything felt loud: my questions, my uncertainty, my existence. I questioned my voice. My worth. My place.
But then I remembered my mother’s prayers. The sacrifices of my community. The purpose burning in my chest. That moment didn’t magically give me confidence or clarity, but it gave me resolve. I chose to stay, to learn, and to lead.
Like many first-gen sisters, I found solace not in the institution, but in community, in women who reminded me that my journey was not an accident. I learned that cultural wisdom is a legitimate source of intelligence. That my identity is not an obstacle but an advantage. That my presence is not just resistance; it is a revolution.
This lived experience is part of why I created Black Health Black Wealth and later the Legacy Leaders Program, to build spaces where Black and Brown women don’t just survive academia and industry but thrive, lead, and redefine what excellence looks like. Because we deserve more than access; we deserve belonging.
Mentorship Approaches that Fall Flat
Not all mentorship is created equal. For Black and Brown women in STEM or Public Health, some approaches do more harm than good.
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These models ignore the cultural, financial, and systemic realities that shape our pathways. They assume that success looks the same for everyone, even though many of us are navigating multiple worlds at once.
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When mentorship becomes a checklist such as resume edits, job referrals, references, or annual check-ins, it loses its heart. It becomes about transactions, not transformation.
I once had a mentor who only reached out when they needed something. I wasn’t being poured into; I was being mined for resources. That experience taught me the difference between mentorship and extraction.
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A mentor who dismisses your identity, your spirituality, or the nuances of being a Black or Brown woman in STEM is not truly mentoring you. Their advice may be well-intentioned but can land as erasure.
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Encouraging mentees to “push through,” “work harder,” or “prove themselves” reinforces harmful norms. It prioritizes achievement over wellness.
I once had a mentor who applauded my productivity but never asked how I was really doing. I was grieving, burned out, and running on fumes. Their silence taught me an important lesson: productivity without wellness is a pathway to collapse, not leadership.
Mentorship Approaches that Actually Help
The kind of mentorship Black and Brown women truly need is rooted in identity, healing, and community, not just accomplishment.
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This mentorship acknowledges that who we are profoundly shapes how we move through these fields. It values cultural knowledge, lived experience, and spiritual grounding as strengths.
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Growth is not just intellectual; it is emotional. Mental wellness, rest, and reflection must be part of the equation.
A mentee once confided that she felt trapped and stuck. Instead of jumping to productivity hacks, we paused. We talked about inherited narratives, systemic gaslighting, and the power of community affirmation. She later said, “That conversation changed how I see myself.”
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When mentorship becomes a network of care rather than a ladder to climb, mentees gain the confidence to bring their full selves, not just their credentials, to the table.
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The best mentorship is reciprocal. I once had a mentee challenge my definition of success. She asked, “What if success isn’t upward mobility, but deeper alignment?” That question shifted something in me and reminded me that mentorship is evolution for both people.
Why Mental Health Matters Just as Much as Career Guidance
Brilliance without wellness isn’t sustainable.
Black and Brown women in STEM and Public Health often carry invisible loads: cultural isolation, pressure to represent, expectations tied to family or community, and internal battles shaped by environments that weren’t built with us in mind.
I’ve mentored women who were publishing, presenting, winning awards, and advancing in their careers yet quietly unraveling under anxiety and exhaustion. One mentee admitted, “I’m afraid to slow down. What if I lose momentum?” That moment broke me. This is the cost of systems that celebrate output but ignore humanity.
Mental health support creates room to breathe, heal, reset, and grow. It allows leaders to be whole, not just high performing. That’s why, in Legacy Leaders, we talk about boundaries, therapy, joy, spiritual grounding, and reflective pauses. Because success without wellness is not success at all.
The goal is not just the degree or the title. The goal is becoming who you were created to be.
A Story That Shows the Power of the Right Mentor
One of the most powerful testimonials I’ve received came from a mentee who shared:
“Dr. Bryant Antoine has guided me mentally and physically for the past few years. She is dedicated to healing and redefining what it means to be wealthy. Her workshops and sessions are informative and thought-provoking. She has truly changed my way of thinking and given me more confidence to continue in healthcare and academia. She is the role model most Black women need, honest, bright, passionate, and dedicated.”
This testimony is not about me but about what becomes possible when mentorship is rooted in truth, identity, and healing. When Black and Brown women are seen in their fullness, they flourish.
The right mentor doesn’t just help you advance. They help you transform. They ask deeper questions. Not just “What do you want to do?” but “Who are you becoming?”
That is the heart of Legacy Leaders: raising a generation of women who lead with brilliance, wholeness, and an unshakeable sense of self.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Black and Brown women in STEM, Public Health, and mission-driven sectors, especially first-gen students and early-career professionals navigating unfamiliar systems.
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Traditional mentorship focuses on skills and career steps. Identity-centered mentorship integrates cultural wisdom, lived experience, community care, and healing.
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Academic and professional guidance alone cannot sustain the pressures Black and Brown women face. Wellness support builds leaders who are whole, grounded, and resilient.
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Greater confidence, clearer purpose, healthier boundaries, and a supportive community that affirms their leadership.
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Legacy Leaders is a mentorship and leadership development community rooted in identity, healing, cultural affirmation, and data-driven growth, designed to support Black and Brown women in STEM, Public Health, and mission-driven spaces.
