You Only Got The Job Because You’re Black
But did you ever stop to think that I actually got the job because I am qualified?
I struggle to understand why some white people do not believe that black people can be talented, educated, highly-skilled, and intelligent. Throughout my professional career, I have often heard white people say that I only got a particular job or promotion because I am a black woman.
They have even said to my face that if I was also a lesbian or someone with a disability, I would probably get every single job I applied for because I would tick the box of every single diversity criteria.
I have a university education like my white colleagues. I have built expertise in managing public health programs in low and middle-income countries, and I have nurtured a network of key decision-makers in this space.
I have been told that I am good at what I do, and yet for some, I am but a diversity quota.
I have worked hard to get a seat at the table like many of my white co-workers, yet many still question my legitimacy. I know for a fact that many of my white colleagues past and present think that I am where I am because I am a black woman. For them, I check both the gender and the ethnic boxes so I’ve hit the corporate jackpot.
