Storytelling for Change
In honor of the remarkable Zora Neale Hurston, who famously rode her motorcycle across the country preserving oral histories of African Americans, many formerly enslaved, Qualified at the Intersection is launching The Zora Project.
The Zora Project begins with Black women because, like in triage, you start with those most impacted. In a disaster, emergency workers don’t ignore the wounded to treat the stable—they triage. They go to the people most injured not just to save lives, but to understand the nature of the disaster itself.
That’s what we’re doing here.
Black women are experiencing the greatest fallout in today’s workforce collapse. Over 300,000 Black women were pushed out of jobs in just three months. That’s not random. That’s not voluntary. That’s structural.
Starting with Black women allows us to diagnose the disaster. It reveals where the damage is deepest, what systems are failing, and what urgent interventions are needed—not just for Black women, but for everyone who will come after.
We are the canaries in the workplace coal mine.
We are the early warning system.
We are the tip of the spear and we bear the blunt force trauma.
When we start with Black women, we don’t stop with Black women. We begin with the truth, and the truth tells us where to go next.
We are at a pivotal moment when Black women are facing Unemployment at alarming rates and becoming ground zero for the erosion of diversity, equity, and inclusion. This initiative seeks to capture their voices, tell their stories, and reveal the lived impact of systemic hostility and bias.
⏰ Timing
The Zora Project will publish monthly, alternating between personal written narratives, audio notes, and live Substack interviews. As we grow and with your support, we will expand to weekly. Each installment will highlight who these women are, how they’ve been affected by job loss, and the real-world consequences of rising anti-Blackness in workplaces across America.
📢 How to Participate
There are multiple ways to share your story. No matter which option you choose, please be sure to include the following:
Your industry
Your age
How many years you worked in that industry or at your most recent job
1. Submit a Written Account
Share your experience in writing. Include what led to your job loss (were you fired, laid off, forced out, or did you resign due to race-based harassment or bias), and how the experience has impacted you. Submissions will be edited for clarity and published. You may request that your post be published anonymously.
2. Speak Live
Contact us to schedule a featured Substack Live interview where your voice and story can be heard and amplified in real time.
3. Send a Voice Note
You can record and send a voice note to be shared on the Qualified Substack newsletter.
Please do not include the names of individuals or employers unless you have the legal right to do so.
⚠️ Important Note About NDAs
If you have a Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA) as part of a settlement or separation, you must follow the requirements of that agreement. However, several states have now placed limits on the use of NDAs in cases involving sexual harassment, discrimination, and other forms of misconduct. Depending on your state’s laws, you may be legally permitted to speak publicly about these issues.
Please check your state’s laws and consult with legal counsel.
You can find additional information here:
👉 The List of States Regulating Nondisclosure Agreements – Venable LLP (June 2024)
Submit your story here and share this link with others. The Zora Project https://thesharidunn.com/the-zora-project
🎯 Why This Matters
We hear the statistics—300,000 Black women lost their jobs over just a 3-month period—but numbers alone don’t tell the whole story. By documenting the lived experiences behind those figures, The Zora Project exists for Posterity, Power, and Purpose:
Posterity: To keep the record straight. Our stories deserve to be preserved—not erased.
Power: To use the force of our experiences to make the numbers real, to give the data weight, urgency, and human truth.
Purpose: To unashamedly foment change, to push back against systemic erasure, and to ease the burden on those still suffering—by helping connect them to vital resources, including emotional, financial, employment, and community support.
Again, share your story here and share this link: https://thesharidunn.com/the-zora-project
