Black Women At Work

Bill O’Reilly is the poster boy for White male workplace privilege and f#ckery.

Before I go off, it is important for me to acknowledge Congresswoman Maxine Waters’. She is class personified. Her contributions to American politics and her commitment to representing the marginalized is legendary. She is a boss and it makes Bill O’Reilly (plus they) mad. She is #goals for many women and men alike.

Now, pardon my French: F#ck Bill O’Reilly. He deserves the fade. Who the hell does he think he is?

Short answer: He doesnt think. He knows. He’s a ratings king. Therefore, he is above authority and reproach. This is extremely important to note.

Bill O’Reilly, whether we agree with his opinions or not, we admit that he is a standout in his profession. He is a pillar in the conservative news community. Numbers back that up.

Unfortunately, since he is a corporate cash cow, he is also untouchable. It’s like Nike putting Foot Locker in a tough position. Would Footlocker dare punish Nike? Can you imagine Footlocker without Nike? Neither can Footlocker.

It’s also like John the Sales VP at Consumer Packaged Goods, Inc that has his revitalized a few brands and crushed his P&L. Would you honestly consider letting him go over workplace discriminatory remarks?

The Dilemma

What about if you were a Black woman that reported to him? Would you feel comfortable going above him to report his behavior? This is a real life dilemma for many women and people of color. Black women are especially are impacted as it pertains to their hair in the workplace.

Fox News sucks. They need Bill O’Reilly more than he needs them. His audience will go wherever he goes. Which is why he could openly preface a political comment with an insensitive remark about the honorable Congresswoman Maxine Water’s hair.

Disgusting. Egregious. Sexist. Misogynstic. Racist. Insensitive. Lame as f*ck. Inexcusable. Cringeworthy.

Intentional.

These are simply some of the words that pop up in my head as I watched the clip. Commenting on a Black woman’s hair when asked your opinion on her work related remarks? On national television?

Do we need any historical context to prove how egregious his actions were? He’s an intelligent human. He is far from ignorant. He is well aware of the implications of his remarks. This was certainly a thoughtful comment. You could tell by his body language that he was anxious to say it. He really thought he had a good one. He used it to discredit her, undermine and intimidate her.

Certainly, I am still unpacking his remarks and all of its implications. I am struggling to find a solution to this problem which is quite prevalent in the workplace. I am still shocked.

But, this is exactly how overt racism works. It paralyzes you.

This isn’t a joke.

I am not at liberty to refer to Bill O’Reilly’s remark as a joke. It made me cringe. Sad even. There was nothing funny about it. I won’t give it credence by repeating it.

Here’s what I will do: acknowledge that there are Bill O’Reilly’s all across the nation that are managing, advising, directing, supervising, collaborating, and reporting to Black women in the workplace that share his same perspectives and leverage. Micro-aggressions are real. And in the case of high performing colleagues, who are valuable to a company’s bottom line, they are deemed untouchable.

I can only imagine how many times actions similar in nature go unreported. Thanks to the #blackwomenatwork hashtag, those times are actually being brought to the light:

Summary

I do believe Bill O’Reilly should be let go. The network’s response (which is yet to be determined) will set a ridiculous precedent for national media coverage. I am prepared for him at most to get a slap on the wrist. I am curious how conservative White women will respond, as this precedent set will surely effect them, too. Just look at what happen to good ol’ Tomi Lahren.

Thus, instead of focusing on him, I will look within. I will focus on bringing more exposure to the challenges women (specifically of color) face in the workplace. I will also commit to speaking out against discriminatory actions. I will also call it exactly what it is: bull shit.