“Yell”ow

I picked up a book called Warrior Lessons on a coworker’s desk the other day. Written by an Asian American woman lawyer, I’m only 70 skimmed pages in, but a chapter on finding one’s voice and channeling one’s anger has kept me thinking all day. She recounts the story of the day she yelled back at her overbearing boss. Yet, I resonated with her other stories of Asian Am women who choose ‘silence’ as a means of control rather than assertively using one’s voice. It’s not particularly effective.

I’m almost positive this is something white women or other women of color resonate with, the hesitancy that comes with challenging authority, particularly male authority, even when we are being disrespected and taken advantage of. When have you yelled back?