By TNCPNEWS
Elizabeth Leiba is a writer, college professor, and advocate for Black businesswomen. She boasts a following of over 200,000 on LinkedIn, comprising individuals of diverse ages, races, and backgrounds, primarily from the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom.
Her passion for Black history changed her life. It catapulted her into a fulfilling line of work as a powerful advocate of social justice and equity for Black women, especially Black businesswomen. Elizabeth strives to create resources that support, empower, and amplify Black businesswomen and their businesses.
She was featured in the 2020 New York Times article, “Black LinkedIn Is Thriving. Does LinkedIn Have a Problem With That?” highlighting her social justice advocacy work. The response to this article spurred her to launch her online, accessible e-learning platform, Black History & Culture Academy. This incredible educational resource earned her the recognition of a LinkedIn TOP VOICE in Education in 2020.
She is also the host of Black Power Moves, a podcast on EBONY Media Covering Black America Podcast Network, and is a published writer. Her most recent writing includes an Op-Ed piece on racial profiling for CNN, which had over 2 million views on their news website.
Elizabeth Lieba is an advocate, educator and author.
Courtesy photo
In early 2022, Elizabeth launched her website directory, Black Women Handle Business, the premier website for Black women entrepreneurs and professionals to network, collaborate, and share resources.
She is the bestselling author of “I’m Not Yelling,” and resides in Washington, DC.
Elizabeth was inspired to write her first book, “I’m Not Yelling,” after being active for about a year on the LinkedIn platform and networking and collaborating with Black professionals all over the country and even across the world. One theme became resoundingly clear from each conversation, particularly with Black women. Black women were stressed, dealing with microaggressions, not bringing their authentic selves to work, and feeling pressure to code-switch.
All of these challenges were leading to them experiencing high levels of mental health illness, burnout, and exiting corporate America in record numbers. She started writing the book to primarily provide answers to them but also herself. What was going on in corporate America and could it be fixed to support Black women? That’s why she calls “I’m Not Yelling” her love letter to Black women.
Regarding her large social media following, Elizabeth attributes it to the unique circumstances when she first became active on social media. We were in the middle of a global pandemic, and George Floyd had just been murdered. She first took to social media to express her outrage and pain, with no intention of amassing a huge following. However, her raw, uncut truth about what it feels like to be Black in America, especially in corporate America, resonated with people. This authenticity attracted followers who were eager to see her posts. At one point, she was gaining 1,000 followers a day.
Writing energizes Elizabeth. She loves to get her feelings out of her body and move energy with her words in the process of that expression. The only thing that exhausts her is the expectations. Sometimes on social media, the lines are blurred between reality and the online world. That gets tiring. But it doesn’t make her want to stop because this truth is needed for everybody.
Elizabeth still works full-time and believes one of the main traps for aspiring writers is becoming complacent and not working on their craft. She still posts on social media almost every day because she needs to know what her people care about. That helps her to decide what to write in her next book. Her advice for aspiring writers is to work on developing their brand, nurture a community, and connect with potential readers. They will tell you what they need, and they will buy your next book if you listen to them.
Currently, Elizabeth is working on a two-day live event in the DMV the District of Columbia, Maryland, and Virginia – area this summer with Elona Washington, her friend, business partner, and soror of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. As a former book marketer for a Big 5 Publisher, Elona was one of Elizabeth’s first supporters in her marketing efforts and was aware of how challenging it is for Black writers to not only write but also get published. They wanted to create an event to help Black Creators find community and learn how to brand themselves. That’s why they created this event. We need these spaces where we can be ourselves. It’s vital, not only for our professional health but also for our mental health and emotional well-being. That’s essential for Creators, Writers, and just existing as a Black person in America.
For more information find Elizabeth Leiba on Facebook or LinkedIn.
