“I think it’s a lesson that every person of color and Black woman learns sooner or later in her life. That you could be above and beyond, and you could know you could do the job well, but sometimes you’re just not what they’re looking for, for certain reasons that are not necessarily tied to your experience. It might be tied to your race or aesthetic or whatever have you. And so, that was just a lesson I learned early on. Granted — I guess I can say this now with an optimistic viewpoint because I am where I am. Because I will put it like this: If I would have gotten a job a traditional route, I would not have as big of a profile or portfolio as I do now.” --Morgan Jerkins
When Morgan and I spoke about the experience she had and the rough time she had in finding a publishing job at a traditional house she noted that to do above-and-beyond may hinder you in some ways but help you excel and propel you in the right direction in other ways.