A recent Instagram post by content creator Laki B (@touchedbylaki) is resonating with thousands online after she drew parallels between the political stand of Texas Rep. Nicole Collier and the personal battles many Black women face in workplaces across the country.
In the post, Laki B praised Collier’s refusal to back down during Texas House redistricting fights, writing:
“What’s happening with Rep. Nicole Collier is a perfect example of what happens when Black women stand up for themselves and what they believe in. Your values/self-respect should never be up for negotiation.”
The video accompanying the post shares Laki B’s own story of workplace discrimination and how she ultimately decided to leave her corporate job.
She recounted how, after enduring months of hostility, backhanded feedback, and what she described as bullying, she reached a breaking point when her employer failed to meaningfully address her HR complaint. She said she was pressured to attend a company retreat at an isolated Airbnb, which triggered concerns for her safety.
“The findings were this team was inappropriate, leadership will have a discussion with them, but this isn’t against their policies,” she explained in the video. “Racial discrimination is not against your policy, which technically it’s not. There is no policy.”
Instead of staying silent, Laki B said she spoke up for herself — but doing so quickly made her a target.
“Baby, I didn’t last a week, not even a week,” she recalled. “That’s when I knew it was time for me to go.”
Her message struck a chord with social media users, who noted that both her story and Collier’s defiance during the contentious redistricting fight highlight the emotional toll Black women face when standing firm in environments designed to push back against them.
Collier, who drew national attention after refusing to leave the Texas Capitol with law enforcement escorts and delivering a fiery speech following the passage of GOP-backed congressional maps, has become a symbolic figure for resilience.
For many, her stance represents a broader truth: the costs of integrity, whether in politics or in corporate spaces, can be high — but giving up is not an option.
