While social workers are concerned with the betterment of society and advocating for others, many social workers enter the profession facing significant barriers because of their identities. They navigate the political and social climate within and outside the field, advocating for themselves and others to effectively enact change and break barriers to increase diversity, accessibility, and equity. The social workers featured in this section describe their experiences starting out in social work, facing discrimination and being rejected by colleagues in the profession, using their identities and personal experiences to empower others and ultimately facilitating change for communities and people who face discrimination.