The Ramblings of A Black Woman in America: Work. From Hood to Humble

Allow me to introduce myself. I’m a woman. A Black woman. A Black woman with natural hair in America. A Black woman with natural hair who works in a professional environment in America. I was raised in the ghetto. Conjure up whatever images that you have of a hood and amplify it by ten. That’s what I called home growing up. Naturally, I developed certain skills to help me survive that environment. Both proper and improper conflict resolution skills were learned and utilized. Every day was an adventure. Every day is an adventure as I manage the dichotomy that is now my life.

A day in the life. I get up in the morning and untie my silk scarf from around my hair as I walk to the bathroom to groom for the work day. I decide on a halo braid for my hairdo. It’s not too “ethnic” and I usually get a lot of compliments when I wear it that way, so halo braid it is. I complete my grooming and begin my commute to work. As I drive to work, I question myself if I should try to listen to something educational/spiritual or jam out to Ludacris’ “Move” en route to my very professional work environment. I decide on Ludacris. I turn it up and notice the lady at the stop light looking at me. I think to myself, is my music that loud or is she admiring my stylish halo braid? I decide that she is admiring my halo braid or proceed to the office.

Upon arrival to my job, I realize that a few heads have turned my way and realize that they all can’t be admiring my braid. I decide to turn the music down at that point. It’s just as well. It’s time to start the work day.

I begin my work day with the phone ringing. Let me engage my work voice. That’s right. I have a different voice for work. It’s one of the tools that I’ve learned for survival in this environment. A colleague comes in to my office and we begin to discuss the events of the weekend. That other colleague comes in to my office. You know the one. The one always that is always behind a commotion in the office. Colleague makes a snide remark and I contemplate whether I should utilize a learned improper conflict resolution skill that I learned in the hood or remain professional? I usually keep the hood buried deep inside while at work, so that I don’t come off threatening or like an “angry black woman.” What should I do? Decisions. Decisions. I toil with this for a few more minutes before I finally settle on remaining professional. Remain professional, it is.

I’ve got too many stereotypes to undo within this eight-hour work day.