BOLD
A male colleague once shared that he admired women in his same role - if he had it hard, women had it harder. He then said, "as a Black woman, I can't imagine how hard you've had it."
Yes. It has been hard, but despite this, I've kept going. I'm proud of my professional journey - for the wins and the losses. Along the way, I've been tried and tested, doubted, and dismissed. Each turn, making me bolder and more fearless. I've learned to take risks, to do the unconventional, and to have self-confidence. I now have faith in the journey and in my own abilities.
This site is my story. I hope to inspire other women to lead and to commit to building our new women's network. A network that is just as strong as the old boys club.
May we always:
Let our freak flags fly. Dare to be different and never apologize for it.
Value relationships. Success nor failure is done alone. Life requires a network.
Fail & succeed gracefully. How we react defines us. Our reactions are the chapters of our story.
Be bold & fearless. Greatness isn't achieved by playing it safe.
FEARLESS
Who is Rhonda Elaine Foxx?
After law school, I wanted a career in sports. I began blogging & doing mock NFL drafts. I saw the value in doing the unexpected - daring to do what few like me had done before. Each week, I mailed my resume to the same top five sports agents. On a Friday, David Falk (Jordan's agent) called and advised me to find a new career path. As a young Black woman, I couldn't be a successful sports agent. I shifted to sports philanthropy and resolved I'd never again be told that I couldn't.
In 2008, I connected with Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie on Facebook and told him he'd be drafted to the Arizona Cardinals. The day after graduation, I moved to Arizona. I took Cromartie as a sign and I was determined to meet Adrian Bracey, the most senior Black woman in sports. Adrian became a mentor and introduced me to NFL future Hall-of-Famer, London Fletcher. I became the Executive Director of his foundation. This allowed me to work at several pro-bowls and to transform his foundation into one of the top three in the NFL, recognized during the 2010 Superbowl. This set the tone for my career - bold & fearless.
In 2011, I pioneered a run-in with Senator Kirsten Gillibrand. The next day, I became an unpaid intern on her campaign. I knew I wanted to be a Chief of Staff for a Member of Congress, there were no young Black women in the role. In 2014, after a series of career leaps, I became the youngest woman of color Chief of Staff on Capitol Hill. In 2019, after working for six women in federal politics, I ran for US Congress.
From sports to politics; intern to a candidate - the journey has been defined by hard work, and a refusal to settle.
BLACK & POLITICAL
A blog about all things
As a Black woman in politics, I have a lot to say. The halls of Congress are still a white male-dominated arena and surviving it helped me discover my voice. And the greatest lesson learned from running for Congress is learning not to care what people think about me.
I fearlessly do what I do, and I boldly say what I say. This blog is just that, me unfiltered.
THE PORTFOLIO
Fearlessly pushing for political and tech inclusion.
HBCU HOUSE & THE NATIONAL HBCU BRAINTRUST
The Braintrust has raised nearly $1 million dollars for HBCUs and their students. In 2019, the Braintrust launched HBCU House. The House focuses on increasing tech diversity by connecting students to employers, startups, emerging technologies and venture capital.
HBCU + TECH PARTNERSHIP CHALLENGE
Initiative bringing together tech companies, HBCUs and Members of Congress to develop best practices for recruiting and retaining diverse talent. Challenge participants convene quarterly during HBCU STEAM Day of Action, the HBCU Caucus at SXSW event, and the Diversity in Tech Summit.
HBCU STEAM DAY OF ACTION
HBCU CAUCUS @ SXSW
DIVERSITY IN TECH SUMMIT
A four-part panel series withtogether Members of Congress, tech giants and HBCU leaders for in-depth conversations examining the role Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) play in building a more diverse & inclusive tech workforce. HBCUs produce 47% of Black women engineers and more than 1/3 of Black STEM degree holders.
The Diversity in Tech (DIT) Summit brought together Fortune 500 companies, HBCU deans of STEM curricula, and Members of Congress for two days of substantive dialogues and powerful networking. Participants worked to develop best practices for crafting stronger, more sustainable industry + HBCU partnerships.
BLACK WOMEN'S CONGRESSIONAL ALLIANCE & THE CONGRESSIONAL ALLIANCE
Building A More Diverse Workforce On Capitol Hill
An organization that grew to over 200 Black women on Capitol Hill. I later grew this Alliance into a more inclusive bipartisan Women's Chief of Staff Network. Through these organizations, I hosted the first diversity recruitment fair for new Members of Congress and created the annual bipartisan Women on the Rise awards.
As the incoming DSCC Chair, I’ll work to make sure the people who represent us in Washington match the beautiful diversity of our country. Diversity isn’t about checking a box, it’s about living our values and making sure our candidates connect with all voters.”
-- Senator Catherine Cortez Masto
Volume III
“In my career, too often I’ve had to be one-of-the-onlys. This tells us something about the progress we think we make. If you don’t look at the entire tapestry and see where other holes are and make an effort to fix them too, then we haven’t made as much progress as we think.”
-– Congresswoman Wasserman Schutlz
Volume IV
"BINDERS FULL OF WOMEN"
Taking matters into my own hands, delivering women's resumes to Members of Congress.
Diversity within every industry is important, but on Capitol Hill, it is essential and vital to our success. We are the people's representatives, so our halls must reflect the diversity of the people.
Women of color have historically been grossly underrepresented within senior positions on Capitol Hill. The overall lack of diversity in key leadership roles is a major reason why minorities and women are often left behind by our public policies. We can no longer allow glass ceilings to exist within the people's house.
FOXX NEWS
DEBATE OVER RENAMING FORT BRAGG LOOMS OVER SENATE RACE AND OTHER DOWN BALLOT CONTEST
January 1, 2025
Although Foxx said she plans to "work tirelessly" to elect Cunningham and other Democrats, she insisted the issue of renaming Fort Bragg and other military bases in the South should not be "a hard political question. It's a question of morals and ethics."
"We cannot not afford to allow these vestiges of division to continue to stand," Foxx added. "And I think we do expect Democratic leaders, who represent the party of equity and inclusion, to be firm and resolute in that."
TOP SENATE STAFFERS ARE NEARLY ALL WHITE. HERE’S WHAT SOME ARE DOING TO CHANGE THAT.
January 1, 2025
As a young black woman working on Capitol Hill, Rhonda Foxx — the chief of staff for Rep. Alma Adams of North Carolina — rarely is recognized as a boss. Few, it seems, are expecting someone who looks like her.
THE MOTTO
"If they don't give you a seat at the table, bring a folding chair." - Shirley Chisholm
BLACK GIRL JOY
Walk a day in my stilettos.