For years, I lost the memory of my great-grandmother and the impact she had on my life. My memory loss was rooted in shame. As this Women’s History Month comes to an end, I hope more women, especially Black women, will embrace the power of our ancestry.
When someone asked me how I came to own the largest Black-owned bank in the country, I used to respond with a summary of my resume. First, I went to Brown University, then worked for Bank of America in New York City before heading off to Harvard Business School. After HBS, I worked in marketing for American Express, becoming one of the youngest vice presidents in its history. I met my business partner, now husband, and ultimately, we did a rollup strategy, buying four Black-owned banks that became OneUnited Bank. End of story, or so I thought.
