Two days ago, a podcast was released by @KimCrayton1 ft. @shanisebarona that broke the last of my hope for an organization I called home. Yesterday, this powerful network assembled in a way that felt like the old days of @girldevelopit -- women pushing together for change.
As a result, more than half of GDI's chapters are represented in the form of signatures from both current and former leadership members wanting to send a message to the @girldevelopit Board and HQ members: this is not okay.
I read and responded to the official statement put out yesterday and I believe the lack of accountability further validates this letter. So, it's your turn, @girldevelopit, to read what some of your community leaders have to say: an-open-letter-to-gdi-board.com
IMO, this letter is a call to action and also a template for various leaders to voice their own stories. This letter will not speak for everyone nor could it -- too many people have been hurt, frustrated, ignored, etc. and each story is important to capture.
I view this letter as a sign of solidarity and validation that my frustrations are shared and that there is a bug in this system. Or the problem IS the system. As a developer, I'm fixated on figuring that out and I know the cost of reworking old code vs. a new build.
That high cost often makes me think: scrap it and start over. But I am wary of influencing actions without thought; we need to understand this bug and how it got here. For now, I'd rather Chapter Leaders take a closer look at their loyalty and make sure that values still align.
As for me, I believe I did and said what I could. I identified bugs and pushed for growth and learning, but was eventually invalidated as noise. I firmly believe that leaders need to move over when they're no longer helping. Feeling invalidated is when my off-boarding began.
Consider this my final noise-making effort as a Chapter Leader 📣: @girldevelopit has core leadership issues that, based on their latest statement, are still unidentified. I firmly believe the pain will continue until they are addressed and major changes are made.
Having been on the fence a while, I'm grateful for this clear decision and I look forward to channeling my energy into new groups and supporting future leaders as I stay in touch with those that have become family. The end of one chapter, but the start of another. Here's to that.
If you're still following along, please feel free to share the nonprofits, causes, groups, etc. that bring you joy and energy ❤️ Thank you.
