Triumph in the Trenches

What if Survival Was Never the Goal?

You were taught to play the game: work twice as hard, stay quiet, and make it look easy. We've learned to navigate workplaces that were never built with us in mind-performing excellence, shrinking ourselves, and enduring harm just to survive.

But what if we told you that surviving was making you sick? What if we told you that the stress, silence, and self-sacrifice were not just unfortunate side effects but warning signs? And that you have every right to choose differently.

What if we showed you ways to stop letting the system define success and start building lives that reflect your values, boundaries, and vision?

The voices in this book answer those questions. Each contributor shows what it looks like to survive, heal, and rebuild in the face of job loss, instability, and systems never designed for us to win. This anthology is a blueprint to reclaim your power whether you stay, leave, or build something new. And it's not about domination or hustle culture; it's about wholeness, clarity, and moving forward on your terms.

Contributing Authors

Rev. Dr. Xenia Barnes

Felecia Buycks

Dr. Mary Darden-Robinson

Averi Drummer

Shakira Releford

Dr. Sherone Smith-Sanchez

Glynnis Swan

Latrice Torres

Ashley R. Triplett

Jewel White-Williams

Dr. Carrie Young-McWilliams

Phillip Woolfolk