Colorado, USA—Systemic racism in the workplace exists today, yet very few people outside Black and Brown communities understand what it looks and feels like. Modern books, television shows, and movies focus on racism that occurred decades ago, during a time when it was more overt. Today's racism is more covert and harder to prove.
In their daring new book, Hush Money: How One Woman Proved Systemic Racism in the Workplace and Kept her Job, mother-daughter trio Jacquie Abram, Deborah Harris, and Delilah Harris unveil the horrors of modern-day systemic racism in corporate America.
Ebony, a young Black woman, longs for a chance to live the American Dream. After years of working dead end jobs, Ebony thinks she's finally found her big break when she lands a position as senior secretary for a prestigious higher education institution. But soon, her dream turns into her worst nightmare as she becomes the victim of systemic racism and is stripped of her dignity, confidence, and strength. Before long, she finds herself facing three impossible choices: suffering in silence and keeping her job, resigning and saving her sanity, or waiting to be unjustly fired. Through faith and the unconditional love of her mother, she realizes that she has a fourth option—an option that includes fighting back, surviving the battle, and winning the war.
"The novel is visceral, stunningly well-written, and places the heated scar of racism squarely before our eyes. This is a powerful novel that deserves a place in everyone's library. Brava!" —Grady Harp, Amazon Top 100 Hall of Fame Reviewer, 5-stars
"I left corporate America after my own experiences with systemic racism traumatized and nearly destroyed me," says Abram. "Now, I spend my time trying to heal from my experiences by writing books that shine a light on systemic racism in the workplace to help others."
During her career in higher education spanning nearly two decades from 2001 to 2019, Abram was discriminated against because she was Black multiple times by multiple employers in the U.S. The same thing happened to Deborah Harris during her fifteen-year career in higher education and municipal government spanning from 2005 to 2021. The same thing happened to Delilah Harris during her ten-year career in higher education, customer service, medical billing and coding, and property management, spanning from 2011 to 2021. In all three cases, their careers were repeatedly derailed.
"This book is incredible, gripping from start to finish, and a compelling contribution in the movement toward racial justice." —Jessica Tofino, Educator and Writer, 5-stars
Abram, Harris, and Harris wrote Hush Money because they want to provide those who are currently dealing with racism in the workplace with a sound strategy one Black woman used to successfully prove the existence of racism in the workplace. They also want to provide employers who are looking for a more effective way to prevent racism in their organizations with a better way to understand it. And finally, they wrote the book to provide people who have never experienced systemic racism in the workplace but are allies in the fight for equality and justice with a way to understand what modern-day racism looks and feels like by putting them into the shoes of a racial discrimination victim.
"Systemic racism exists and is more common than many may think," says Abram. "We want to offer hope and justice to those who are still suffering and are afraid to stand up."
Hush Money: How One Woman Proved Systemic Racism in her Workplace and Kept her Job. ASIN: B08MCD34JP, 2020, ebook: $6.45, paperback: $6.45, audiobook: $6.95, 146 pages, available on Amazon.com.
About Jacquie Abram, Deborah Harris, and Delilah Harris. Jacquie Abram, Deborah Harris, and Delilah Harris are a mother-daughter powerhouse trio, who are intensely passionate about revealing the grueling truth about systemic racism in America. They co-authored the book Hush Money: How One Woman Proved Systemic Racism in her Workplace and Kept her Job.
All three women left corporate America after experiencing racism in the workplace and suffering racial trauma.
Jacquie spends her time writing books inspired by her experiences and the experiences of her daughters and others that shine a light on systemic racism in the workplace. She hopes her books will offer courage to those who are currently experiencing racism and don't know how to fight back, those who previously experienced racism and feel alone, and those who are allies and want a deeper understanding of how to help prevent racism.
In March 2021, Jacquie also launched her career as an Antiracism Consultant, doing work that focuses on educating, training, and facilitating discussions with organizations and individuals on the impact of systemic racism in the workplace.
Jacquie enjoys the camaraderie of working with her daughters and delights in her four wonderful grandchildren.
You can learn more about Jacquie and Hush Money on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.
Media Contact: For a review copy of Hush Money: How One Woman Proved Systemic Racism in her Workplace and Kept her Job, or to arrange an interview with Jacquie Abram, contact Scott Lorenz of Westwind Communications Book Marketing at scottlorenz@westwindcos.com or by phone at 734-667-2090. Follow Lorenz on Twitter @abookpublicist.