Breaking Generational Curses, Education Was the Breakthrough for Leader of Women: Meet Lorraine Butler, Dept. of Labor

What is your personal story?

Early on, I recognized that if I were going to break generational curses, I would need an education and a lot of guidance. I grew up as the oldest daughter of a hard-working single mother of six children. So as a first-generation college student, I looked to my early mentors to provide direction. They were all educators from my high school. My vice-principal and principal drove me from Columbus, Ohio, to Atlanta, Georgia, so I could attend college because I did not have another way to get there. So it’s no surprise that I began my career in education.

I graduated from? Spelman College ?with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and Secondary Education. In addition, I earned my Master of Arts in Curriculum Development from the? 美国南加州大学 ?and my Doctorate in Educational Policy from 美国俄亥俄州立大学 .

My goal was to become a Superintendent of a large school district. However, I fell in love with a Marine and decided to move from Ohio to Hawaii. As a military spouse, I faced significant challenges in succeeding in the workplace. Ultimately, I decided to give up my goal of pursuing a career in education due to frustrations with licensing requirements and began my federal career working for the Department of Defense. With my family’s most recent relocation, I started working for the? U.S. Department of Labor . I serve as a Program Analyst for the Women's Bureau (Labor Department) , an agency dedicated to advocating for working women.

As a mom, military spouse, former teacher, and Black woman, I love that the Women’s Bureau encourages me to lead with authenticity. It feels incredible to be a part of an agency that prioritizes underrepresented populations and works to recognize and remedy the structural and systemic inequities and the implicit bias that constrain women from reaching their fullest potential in the workplace and many other areas.

What’s the most important lesson you learned as you grew your career?

I learned to know my worth. I have improved at showing up and asking for my spot at the table—to stop second-guessing myself. This is not easy for me to do. At different points in my career, intimidating situations and projects made me question my qualifications and experience. Those moments made me ask myself if I had earned my spot.

However, I’ve learned that second-guessing my abilities does not mean my insecurities are accurate. Working hard and voicing my ideas and opinions are appreciated. There will always be allies to give me constructive feedback or help mitigate doubtful thinking.

It’s essential to believe in myself, even when I’m overwhelmed. I know that, with time, I will find my way through any challenge.

What advice do you have for other women who want to break through barriers?

Few individuals will tell you they achieved their success alone. Having mentors and sponsors is instrumental for professional growth. I am so grateful for the mentorship of the many individuals who have helped me. Mentors are everywhere and not just within your immediate circle. However, in most cases, you need to ask. Ask those whose business knowledge and/or leadership styles you admire for help. That is not always the easiest thing to do, but you can’t expect others to choose you as a mentee. After the mentorship is established, be prepared to do the work. Most of the responsibility will fall on you to ask when you need their input and to arrange meetings, and then you must be willing to do the suggested work. Be clear about your goals, listen, and be ready to take on new challenges to test your new skills. Believe in yourself, and you will be delighted with how many others also believe in you!

How can GlobalMindED advance your goals as an inclusive leader?

At the Women’s Bureau, we’re committed to creating pathways and pipelines for women across diverse backgrounds to enter good-paying jobs. We advance this goal through strategic partnerships with impactful organizations like GlobalMindED. GlobalMindED has provided us with a great space to connect with a talented pool of individuals and organizations, which provide channels and resources to continue to promote our goals of diversity, equity, and inclusion in the workplace.