Speak Loud

In this episode, I talk with AnneMarie Shrouder, a diversity and inclusion speaker and consultant. She’s the author of, “Being Brown in a Black-and-White World: Conversations for Leaders about Race, Racism and Belonging,” and a mother. Today, she’s here to talk about the reality of being “bi-racial” in a world that encourages you to choose one or the other. AnneMarie was raised in Montreal by two immigrant parents: a mother from Austria and a father from Jamaica. Growing up, AnneMarie was more connected to her mother’s side of her family. But in many social situations, she was either 'too black' or 'too white' to fit in. She felt pressured to choose one or the other, and didn't come to the realization that she could choose 'both, and,' until adulthood. Overcoming that polarization of 'either or' was an most empowering part of her journey. AnneMarie talks about some of the struggles she’s faced in raising her daughter. Her daughter racially identifies as black, whil