During an interview that was recently conducted for CNN's #GetPolitical web series, prominent cultural curator, Karen Civil, opened up on some of the roadblocks women continue to face as entrepreneurs in a male-dominated industry.
In speaking to the larger issue, the 33-year-old digital marketing strategist shared some of the personal experiences she's had that echo the struggles of women trying to break into hip-hop, specifically.
"People automatically assume you are 'the girlfriend,' or 'the jumpoff.' You are 'the assistant,' you are 'the secretary.' They will not speak to you. They will shake everyone else's hand before they speak to you," Civil told CNN, before going into detail about a moment off of the top of her head that was reflective of the kind of gender dynamics she sought to underscore.
Civil recalled this one time that an engineer walked into a meeting she was involved in, and shook the hand of each one of her male partners, before sitting down without ever acknowledging her. She says that she didn't shy from confronting the man about his dismissiveness, either.
"There are a lot of people out there who do not like to see women with power. Especially, from my point of view: a Black woman with power," Civil said. "You know, they want you to be good, but not great. They don't want to need you. They don't want you to be a part of the boy's club. These are things that I deal with till this day."
