Story Time with Ashley Menzies Babatunde

We’re back for another episode of No Straight Path, where there are highs, lows, and lessons learned. Today’s is a solo episode where Ashley unpacks the highlights and lessons learned so far, from historic moments regarding the Supreme Court to changing the mindsets that prove detrimental to the well-being of Black women. Ashley shares her personal experiences in the academic world and some of the micro-aggressions that, in hindsight, broke down her confidence and negatively affected her overall wellbeing, a lesson we should all take note of. We end off the podcast with why it’s important for you to take note of the things that light you up, so make sure to stay tuned for all this and more!

Key Points From This Episode:

A clip from Episode 1 that resonated with Ashley, which you can listen to at [0:01:37].

Why Ashley finds it historic to have a Black woman on the Supreme Court.

Why compelling Black women to prove that they are worthy to occupy the spaces they enter is detrimental to their wellbeing.

Ashley shares a personal story about her academic experience as a Black woman.

Lesson: you shouldn’t do your work to prove you deserve to be there, you’re already there!

Another inspiring clip from Michelle Odemwingie in Episode 2 at [0:11:08].

The thing that keeps Ashley up at night: human-centered work. 

Why it’s important to take note of things that “light you up.”



Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:
Ashley Menzies Babatunde
Ashley Menzies Babatunde on Instagram
Episode 1: Success Is Not a Destination with Michelle Odemwingie Part 1
Episode 2: Success Is Not a Destination with Michelle Odemwingie Part 2