We Stood Up

Stories of Solidarity. Strategies for Action.
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** We Stood Up: The Lion Within…
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September 4, 2025

Welcome back to We Stood Up!

In today’s issue, a story from community activist Cleo Zell about how sometimes standing up for yourself in the workplace means not going along to get along—and how the supposed “safety” of laying low can turn out to be the most difficult path of all.

The Lion Within—Learning the Importance of Saying “No” in the Workplace

By Cleo Zell

For years, I’ve told the story of an early time when I stood up for myself in a workplace. It was the first time I had ever used my voice to say out loud what I wanted in a job.

I was a recent college graduate interviewing for a position I found through a newspaper ad. This was 2001 and Baltimore, like me, had many opportunities and many troubles. I had just finished a year of AmeriCorps and two other jobs to make one livable income—and decided to try corporate America.

I was dressed up, ironed, and wide-eyed in a small corner office of an electronic component company. My nerves were screaming, and I just wanted to say yes to anything and get the interview over with. The hiring manager was telling me about two open positions: an office manager and an inside salesperson. Either would have been fine, however, once he described the office manager position as a “mother hen,” something burst out of me like a lion attacking its prey.

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We Stood Up spotlights the first-person stories from workers, builders, activists, and organizers sharing moments from their work and world, offering inspirational narratives and strategic insights that reinforce community solidarity we need to keep pushing toward a just and equitable future. Do you have a story to tell? Share it with us here ([link removed]) !

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