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There has been a lot of positive talk in New York City’s construction sector about the need for a more diverse workforce to more accurately reflect one of the nation’s most racially diverse municipalities. City officials are pushing for New York construction sites to mirror the racial makeup of the communities in which they are located.

These are good developments. But for women of color living in New York City, it’s a very different story. While diversity on sites is notably increasing, the overall construction workforce remains largely male-dominated. We know this firsthand.

As two women of color working in construction in Queens, we have overcome many challenges to get to where we are today. When we started out, it was often overwhelming to walk onto a site and be one of just a few women workers present. Even after we gained experience, people didn't always take us as seriously as our male colleagues.

Yet, being some of the only women on site has served as further motivation to showcase our abilities and prove to our supervisors and teammates that we can handle the same workload as our male counterparts. We did this through hard work and dedication, day in and day out.

Not only are we challenging gender stereotypes on the jobsite, we’re also challenging them in our homes. As mothers, the good wages and stability that come with a job in construction have allowed us to be providers and role models for our children and our husbands.

Another added bonus: The technical knowledge we have learned on the job comes in handy at home when there’s a leaky faucet or broken doorknob to fix.

Women looking to follow in our footsteps and break into the field should consider local workforce development and job placement programming. These programs help match candidates with open job opportunities on construction sites, after helping them secure safety training and other required certifications. They can also provide ongoing support, should any problems arise on a new jobsite.

We were both connected with our current position through the local workforce development program, Building Skills New York, which emphasizes placing candidates on construction jobs in their own communities.

Currently, we are working on the Rockaway Village project — an eight-building development that will bring retail, community facilities and 1,700 new affordable housing units to a previously underused area of Far Rockaway, Queens. As lifelong residents of Far Rockaway, this project offers an opportunity for us to play an active role in local economic growth and job creation that will benefit our fellow residents of the Rockaways for generations to come.

Construction work has always been a challenging but rewarding career path, but being able to work in our own community and make a positive impact here has made our work that much more meaningful. Someday, our sons and daughters can point out Rockaway Village to their children and tell them that their grandmothers helped build it. Just thinking of that makes us very proud.

Having a hand in helping to drive real change in our own community is incredibly empowering. It’s something that we hope more young women living in Queens and elsewhere in the five boroughs will consider. Any young girl who enjoys working with her hands or fixing things and might be considering a construction career should know she is more than capable of achieving that dream.

We are proud to be trailblazers in the field and hope to inspire members of the next generation of women — particularly women of color — to take part in building the future of our great city, and others like it, across the state and the nation.

Dornita Bell and Akiya Calloway

Writing since November 2019 · 1 story contributed