Our Non-Negotiables

Identifying Our Non-Negotiables Early On

Question:
"You posed a brilliant question to your listeners: ‘What do you need to let go of in order to move on up, and what’s non-negotiable for you?’ As early-stage learners who are eager to accept new opportunities, internships, or free resources to get our foot in the door, what are some core ‘non-negotiables’ you believe young Latinas, Afro-Latinas, and Black women should always protect when entering new academic or professional spaces?"

Dr. Renée’s Response:
This is such a powerful question because when you are just starting out, opportunity can feel urgent.

When you are eager to gain experience, build your résumé, secure an internship, or finally get access to spaces that once felt out of reach, it can seem like you must say yes to everything. Yes to every unpaid role. Yes to every request. Yes to every environment, even when it does not feel right.

But I want to offer you this truth early: not every open door is meant to be walked through at the cost of yourself.

There is a difference between being flexible and being erased.

During my own doctoral journey, I had to learn that balance. I was willing to revise, adapt, and cut nearly 30 pages from my dissertation prospectus so the work could become clearer and stronger. That was flexibility in service of excellence.

However, when I received feedback suggesting I use a “more homogeneous sample” rather than focusing on Latinas, Afro-Latinas, and Black women, I immediately said no.

Why? Because the diversity of our lived experiences in technology was the heartbeat of the research. To erase that complexity would have been to erase the purpose itself.
That was non-negotiable.

So for those entering new academic, digital, or professional spaces—especially those carrying ambition, responsibilities, and the hope of changing your family’s future—here are some core non-negotiables I believe you must protect.

1. Protect your cultural identity and your way of seeing the world.
You do not have to shrink yourself to fit into someone else’s definition of professionalism.

Your background is not a weakness.
It is wisdom.

Your bilingualism, your community instincts, the way you solve problems, your storytelling, your style, your resilience, your ability to navigate multiple worlds—these are strengths.

Do not let any institution convince you that success requires you to leave your culture at the door.

You were not meant to become invisible in order to belong.

2. Protect your right to ask questions and take up space.
Many talented people from underestimated communities are taught to stay quiet until they “know enough.”
I reject that notion.

One of my personal mantras is: “I did it because I can.”
That means trusting your ability to learn as you go, adapt when needed, and respond to new information with courage. It also means refusing to confuse silence with competence.

If you are in a difficult class, a new internship, a boardroom, or any room where you feel intimidated, remember this:
Your curiosity belongs there.
Your voice belongs there.
Your questions belong there.
Seeking clarity is not weakness. It is wisdom.

3. Protect your boundaries, privacy, and peace.
We often talk about gaining access—access to tools, platforms, internships, mentors, and networks. But access without protection can become exploitation.

You are allowed to ask:

• What is expected of me here?
• Is this opportunity respectful?
• Is my time being valued?
• Is my data being protected?
• Does this space nourish me or drain me?

You do not owe every opportunity unlimited access to your time, energy, personal life, or emotional labor simply because it looks impressive.

Free is not always free. Prestige is not always peace.

Your boundaries are not barriers to success. They are how you sustain it.

4. Protect your connection to community.
As you grow, do not let ambition isolate you.
My work is deeply grounded in the African philosophy of Ubuntu: “I am because we are.”

Your success is not separate from the people who poured into you, prayed for you, encouraged you, or made sacrifices so you could rise.

Stay connected to your roots.
Share what you learn.
Lift as you climb.
Celebrate others on the way up.
Individual achievement means more when it contributes to collective healing and possibility.

For those trying to move forward without losing themselves:
​You may need to stretch.
You may need to learn new systems.
You may need to grow beyond old limits.
But you do not need to betray yourself to advance.
Read that again.

Liberation Lens Reminder:
The goal is not just to enter the room. The goal is to remain whole once you get there.

Reflect Mode:
​What is one boundary, value, or part of your identity that you need to name now as non-negotiable before your next opportunity arrives?