ABSTRACT
Gilda Barabino offers an inspiring narrative about her lifelong commitment to advocating for herself and speaking against injustice. She recounts numerous barriers that she has broken as an African-American woman in engineering, while experiencing unrelenting racism and sexism. Despite these obstacles, she notes that she consistently “breaks the rules,” no matter the risks, in order to advance equity in higher education: “I had to take on the challenges in the face of adversity out of a sense of moral obligation.” Gilda concludes with strategies for other women of color to harness their own bravery in succeeding in and transforming academia.
