Ese Uwhuba, Customer Growth Manager, on the importance of having a language and practice of inclusivity
For Black History Month this year, our Black employee resource group (ERG) BlackDropboxers chose the theme: Shades of Black: Inclusion to Innovation.
Shades of Black is an acknowledgment of the incredible diversity that exists within the Black community. Just as a prism holds a diverse array of unseen color that exists within light, Black identity is multidimensional, intersectional, and kaleidoscopic. Shades of Black encapsulates the various backgrounds, stories, and people that encompass the Black experience.
During this month, we’ll be introducing you to Black Dropboxers to learn more about who they are and what the theme means to them.
Q: What is your name, what office do you work out of, and how long have you been at Dropbox?
A: I’m Ese. I work within Customer Growth in San Francisco as a Growth Manager. I joined Dropbox in December 2018.
Q: What does this month’s theme — Shades of Black: Innovation to Inclusion — mean to you?
A: I see this theme as an expression of the complexity involved in defining a person as “Black.” A person’s Blackness is seen as a function of only their skin color, and this definition correctly captures a segment of the Black population (myself included) while excluding others. My lived experience as a Black person is very much related to my geographic, cultural, and familial environment — all of which can be very different for another person within the same community. Moving toward a language and practice of inclusivity means allowing every person the freedom to define their own view of the Black identity.
Q: Why is it important for you to be a part of BlackDropboxers?
A: Building community within BlackDropboxers is important to me because I believe it provides a source of support and space for open discussion around issues that are especially relevant to the Black community.
Q: Was there a time when you felt like you had a unique and valuable perspective to share based on your life experience?
A: In previous jobs, I had experiences where I was the only Black person and female on my team(s). So I was often the only person who came to the meetings who could share the female perspective or the Black perspective. Having the experience where I was the only one pushed me to work a little bit harder. In race or gender conversations, I always felt comfortable speaking up and actually preferred to volunteer my experiences and perspective.
Q: Can you share your favorite Dropbox moment since you started?
A: Not quite a moment, as I’m pretty new. But, when I first joined, I immediately noticed the environment in the office was not only friendly, but diverse, not just in appearance, but in thinking and in the way people were working.
Q: How do you get your best work done? What keeps you in flow?
A: I work better when I understand the “why” behind the structure and process, which typically allows for creativity. I also enjoy listening to music, and frequent library visits keeps me focused and in flow.
