If you could just leave your blackness at the door, that’d be great
Tags: Race, Workplace, BlackLivesMatter, Intersectionality, Racism

Black professionals are tired. Talking about race at the workplace is still seen as taboo. It is perceived by many (including black people) as unprofessional. And beyond that perception, it is uncomfortable at best, and risky at worst. These perceptions are keeping us from advancing as a society and promoting professional black talent.

Being a minority at work is a different experience when you’re black. Research shows that black women are more likely to be perceived as hyper-sexual, while black men are more likely to be considered threatening. Black employees also tend to receive extra scrutiny from managers, which can lead to worse performance reviews, lower wages, and even job loss. There is clearly still a lot of work to do. The harvest is plentiful and the workers are few. In this article I present some of the myths associated with talking about race at work, and my suggestions to overcome them.

Talking about race is “unprofessional”, whatever that means

In many workplaces black and other minority employees are expected to leave their identities at the door. “Professionalism” seems to be the adjective by which many justify their lack of empathy and humanity. Black employees cannot leave their blackness at the door. It doesn’t work like that. Instead, many of them end up creating a facade in order to survive or succeed at workplaces where they don’t feel free to express their true selves.

Racial prejudice is so embedded in our work culture that we don’t see it anymore. We unconsciously give (biased) compliments to our black colleagues. Although they may come from a good place, they are actually micro-aggressions. She is perceived as more “professional” when her hair is straight, or he is called “representative” when he trims his afro. When it comes to looks, natural black, curly and ‘nappy’ hair is as professional as blond and straight hair. What is not professional is to spread prejudices in the form of compliments at work.

White is another word for power. White supremacy is not only about swastikas and neonazis. White supremacy is an “ideology that encourages to value white people, white culture, and everything associated with whiteness above the people, culture and everything associated with people of colour”. Biases are another subtle way in which white-default thinking manifests itself. Navigating the professional world means learning to comply with white-default work cultures and environments, and adapting yourself to fit in.

Talking about race is uncomfortable, but necessary

It is uncomfortable because it means acknowledging a painful past. Four hundred years of black lives being considered an exchangeable product weighs heavy today. Transatlantic slavery never got a proper closure. Besides the 40 acres and a mule in the US, slaves were not compensated. It was the slave masters who were compensated for the ‘trouble’ or ’loss’ of freeing their slaves. We cannot do anything about what happened in the past. But ignoring it doesn’t do any good to our future either.

Talking about race is uncomfortable, and that is ok. It amazes me how some people’s goal in life is to go through it avoiding any type of discomfort. Discomfort leads to growth. Feeling uncomfortable means that you are thinking. It means that you are opening your eyes and you don’t like what you see. Not liking what you see is the first step to caring. You can transform that care into education, and turn that education into action. That’s how we all become part of the solution, instead of the problem.

I shared one of my articles with a white male colleague once. He mentioned that he thought it was interesting, however it wasn’t for him because he was not in the ‘target group’. I was surprised and disappointed, 1. Because he is one of my closest colleagues; and 2. Because he is exactly in my target group. Black people know what I’m talking about. They live it everyday. It is the white community that still has some work to do when it comes to educating itself about race.

Empathy shouldn’t be this difficult. Black colleagues shouldn’t be the ones educating the rest of the work floor on discrimination and bias. It already takes energy to be the only black colleague in the room. It requires extra effort and bravery to also advocate for diversity, which is something we could all do, regardless of the colour of our skin.

“Not being racist is not enough, we should all be anti-racist.” — Angela Davis

Talking about race is risky, so it requires support

When white men advocate for diversity and inclusion their careers are not affected. In fact, they are praised. However, when black employees and ethnic minorities do the same, they face reprisal. They are perceived as agitators, intimidating, or too political. Research shows that it may affect their performance evaluation and they can even risk losing their jobs. That is why for most black and minority employees it is easier to play along than to challenge the status quo.

Taking the lead when talking about race is not easy for black and other minority employees. They are put in the front line of a sensitive topic. In this case the role of white allies is key. And by white allies I don’t mean white saviours. I mean really empathic colleagues who can advocate for a more diverse work floor.

Becoming an advocate means to protect and support those who speak out. Intervene when your black colleague’s enthusiasm is perceived as threatening; or when their authenticity is being seen as being too assertive. Ask questions and state your opinion. Something among the lines of: “Why do you think she is being too assertive? I think she is being optimistic and enthusiastic about the project. That is good. We should all be like that”.

There were people around when George Floyd was being choked to death by that policeman. All of them could have intervened at his cry for help. Nobody did. People just stood and watched how a man’s life was taken in front of their eyes. It was like a movie. Next time you notice signs of micro-aggressions at your workplace ask yourself what kind of role you want to play in that movie: Would you be a passive spectator? Would you be the one making the video? Or would you intervene and save a life?