A Black Man’s Guide To Working In White America
Over the last few years, the country as a whole has become more active in indulging in conversations about the racial disparities in the United States. With the sudden emergence of BLM, it seemed the nation was thrust into a state of emergency — demanding changes in the institutional systems that have caused racially motivated discrimination and oppression, keying in on the topic of police brutality. Though it was helpful to bring national attention to an important issue to the forefront of political, social discourse, and dialogue, the outpour of support seemed to fizzle out when it was no longer popular to have the acronym ‘BLM’ in one’s social media bio. In turn, this leaves many black Americans still hungry for change in other aspects of daily life. One of the topics that remain neglected is the ongoing incongruity black men and women are faced with when entering a predominantly white workspace.
Though corporate America has finally entered the metaphoric “batters box” by posting messages of solidarity, they have yet to put their money where their mouth is. Claiming that black lives matter, yet employees of these huge companies and corporations are still crying out about a lack of diversity and inequalities that still exist within. Even with this show of public support on social media and other platforms, the question still remains, why are African Americans so marginalized within corporate America?
Still, whites receive on average 36% more callbacks than African Americans, and 24% more callbacks than latinos, in fact, a study where applicants had identical resumes with only different names (one sounding more “black” and the other sounding more “white”) the applicants with the more black-sounding names were 50% less likely to get a follow-up call. To this day, there are only 4 black CEOs of Fortune 500 companies. Getting your foot in the door is still a shot in the dark. If you are lucky enough to do so, may the odds be in your favor attempting to break through the glass ceiling and getting the opportunity to advance to a position of power within the company.
So how does one go about surviving in a system that was created for them to fail? Though it is not the job of the oppressed and marginalized to fix the problems that the oppressors have created, there are measures people can take to ensure that their grunt work is well documented when it comes time to take a step up the corporate ladder.
It is suggested to take note of every accomplishment (e.g., revenue or sales that was created for the company, the money you saved for the company, time you saved the company, new ideas that were brought to the table) so when it is time for a promotion, your previous accomplishments cannot go unnoticed. Create a detailed list including incidents when you were given a shot at a trophy fish — big opportunity — in relation to how many times you were expected to fish for bait — complete grunt work — compared to your coworkers.
Another simple measure that can be implemented is to create an employee resource group (ERG). This is the cultivation of a group full of employees with shared characteristics in order to promote fair treatment and opportunities among the underrepresented within the company. This is a good thing not only for the ERG’s, but also the company as a whole when it comes to company culture and inclusiveness. If there are common concerns among the group, it is easier to face them head-on with an ERG, and may help provide a safety net for employees who would usually not speak out in fear of retaliation to gain security from strength in numbers.
Photo by Desola Lanre-Ologun on Unsplash
There is no clear-cut answer to the question of how to be black in a white workplace, but there are some tips and tricks to follow to make sure that your work and contributions do not go unnoticed. If all of these suggestions and actions are followed, yet there are still no changes in your opportunity for growth or feeling of overall acceptance within the company, the last step to take is to go searching for greener pastures and a better opportunity. Finding a different place of work with more inclusive company culture, and the ability for upward trajectory. Even though certain problems such as these have yet to gain traction in the mainstream media, it does not diminish the importance of these issues that need to be discussed. Do not remain quiet and complacent. If there is one squeaky wheel and it goes unrecognized, it will eventually lead to a bumpy ride for all.
