"Surviving" on the job....

[AKA2D '91]

Being Black In The Work Place Of America
I am about to go Black on you:
Being Black In The Work Place Of America
1. They take my kindness for weakness.
2. They take my silence for speechless.
3. They consider my uniqueness strange.
4. They call my language slang.
5. They see my confidence as conceit.
6. They see my mistakes as defeat.
7. They consider my success accidental.
8. They minimize my intelligence to "potential".
9. My questions mean I'm unaware.
10. My advancement is somehow unfair.
11. Any praise is preferential treatment.
12. To voice concern is discontentment.
13. If I stand up for myself, I'm too defensive.
14. If I don't trust them, I'm too apprehensive.
15. I'm defiant if I separate.
16. I'm fake if I assimilate.
17. Yet, constantly I am faced with work place hate.
18. My character is constantly under attack.
19. Pride for my race makes me, "TOO BLACK".
20. Yet, I can only be me.
21. And, who am I you might ask?
22. I am that Strong Black Person who stands on the backs of my ancestor's
achievements, with an erect spine pointing to the stars with pride,
dignity,
and respect which lets the work place in America know, that I not only
possess the ability to play by the rules, but I can make them as well.
23. BLACK AND PROUD!!!


(I know I can relate to this. I'm sure there are some out there who can relate/appreciate this as well.)

[Ideal08]

I'm glad you posted this!! I love it!!

[SigmaRhoyalty2K1]

"Hallelujah!!"

I am definitely feeling this!

SigmaRhoyalty2K1

[The Original Ape]

Send this to me in such a way that I can print it; or can I from here? I like that.

[#1 Leading Lady]

This is SO on POINT!!!!!!!! I needed this!!!

I am printing this and posting it in MY work area!!! If you don't like what your read in MY workarea then get to bleep out!!!!

[1Babygirl2000]

Just like most of ya'll, I will be posting this in my office!!

[Ideal08]

I would NEVER post that in my office!!!! I work in an office full of women, and I honestly think it would hurt their feelings. For real. Let alone start a rumormill around here. But yall go 'head on!!! Shooooot, I need to let them get used to the afro first, LOL!!! But anyway...

How are yall surviving on the job? I mean, what do you do? Let me tell you what I'm up against here.

Scenario 1: My boss tells me she doesn't understand my communication style. But it's really very simple, you ask, I tell. That is how I communicate at work. You don't ask, you most likely won't hear my voice. You want something, ask for it. If you don't I won't offer it. But really. We went on to discuss our Myers-Briggs indicator. Just because I'm not all up in everybody's face and gigglin' and carryin' on does not mean I'm unapproachable or whatever. Shoot, I'm very personable! Moving on...

Scenario 2: We're at lunch last week for a co-worker who was quitting. They ask me what I'm doing over the weekend. I reply, "I'm walking in the African-American Wellness Walk." The lady next to me said, "What's it for?" Y'all, she stumped me!! I ain't know what to say, so I just looked at her and said, "It's the African-American Wellness Walk." WTF you think it's for is what I wanted to say.

Now, this mess is just silly. I so badly want to tell my boss that sometimes, this is silly. But I know she wouldn't take it the right way. Man, at my last job, I could say whatever I wanted, it was bliss, and they actually appreciated my candidness. That was the only job where I haven't come off as overbearing or intimidating. So lately I've been trying to figure out, am I intimidating, or do THEY just think that I am?

I guess I needed to vent some more, and this seemed like the appropo thread.

[Steeltrap]

Originally posted by Ideal08
I would NEVER post that in my office!!!! I work in an office full of women, and I honestly think it would hurt their feelings. For real. Let alone start a rumormill around here. But yall go 'head on!!! Shooooot, I need to let them get used to the afro first, LOL!!! But anyway...

How are yall surviving on the job? I mean, what do you do? Let me tell you what I'm up against here.

Scenario 1: My boss tells me she doesn't understand my communication style. But it's really very simple, you ask, I tell. That is how I communicate at work. You don't ask, you most likely won't hear my voice. You want something, ask for it. If you don't I won't offer it. But really. We went on to discuss our Myers-Briggs indicator. Just because I'm not all up in everybody's face and gigglin' and carryin' on does not mean I'm unapproachable or whatever. Shoot, I'm very personable! Moving on...

Scenario 2: We're at lunch last week for a co-worker who was quitting. They ask me what I'm doing over the weekend. I reply, "I'm walking in the African-American Wellness Walk." The lady next to me said, "What's it for?" Y'all, she stumped me!! I ain't know what to say, so I just looked at her and said, "It's the African-American Wellness Walk." WTF you think it's for is what I wanted to say.

Now, this mess is just silly. I so badly want to tell my boss that sometimes, this is silly. But I know she wouldn't take it the right way. Man, at my last job, I could say whatever I wanted, it was bliss, and they actually appreciated my candidness. That was the only job where I haven't come off as overbearing or intimidating. So lately I've been trying to figure out, am I intimidating, or do THEY just think that I am?

I guess I needed to vent some more, and this seemed like the appropo thread.

Soror Ideal, I suspect it's "their" issue, not yours. So relax there.

BTW, I empathise with your first scenario because I'm not the most approachable person. It takes me a long while to warm up to folx -- I think it is a result of being taunted too much when I was growing up. I don't come up and giggle in people's faces, either.

[Hollyg]

My supervisor told me in my employee evaluation that, she didn't understand why I never chit-chatted with her. I told her, because some days she's having a good day and some days she's not. And as an employee I don't think it's my responsibility to figure that out.

Now I do giggle and chit chat with the two secretaries in the office. Now the supervisor calls me the ring-leader. Ummm, I can't win.

I'm praying for a new job.

[lovelyivy84]

This is actually not a numbered list, but a poem. I have it up on my website, although I've forgotten who the author is. It's much nicer in poem form.

On the topic: I have not really ever had a problem with "others" in the workplace, or at least not one that I felt was due to my race. I have no problem socializing with ANYBODY, and if you make me feel welcome then I'll be nice to you. That includes chit-chat, lunches, and just general office bullshitting.

Here's my opinion though, and I think it might not be too popular: at various jobs that I've had, I see a lot of black folks shooting themselves in the foot. I have seen a lot of holier-than-thou and just general unfriendly behavior. I know that I come from an entry level/intern POV, but I have discussed this with some very succesful black people who are at fairly high levels, and it's the same mess.

Now I am not saying be fake, be perky, or try to supress your culture- I have NEVER done that- if I have my braids just done I'm talking about it, if my Mom made curry goat last night, I'll say it (and maybe even bring some in) and if we are speaking about a racial issue, I damn sure ain't gonna sugarcoat my opinions.

But don't go out of your way to be a bitch either OR allow your insecurities to alienate you from the rest because when it comes time for SOMEONE to have to go (which in our economic climate is almost a given for most industries) that will come back and bite you in the ass. Don't walk past a white colleague who is telling you Good Morning with your nose in the air, to get to your girl's (yes, the only other black person in the office!) desk. Be polite at least! Don't patronize them if they DO have a question about ethnicity, or how you feel on a racial issue. Unless it's just a dumb ass question of course. If it's really sincerely meant, then just answer it and move on. Teaching everybody and their momma about our culture is in fact our lot in life. Yes, it really is. Is it fair? No, but that's life. You don't have to love them, but be a little more than civil and you can go pretty far on it.

We are absolutely at a disadvantage initially in most workplaces, because we are different they will consider us threatening far too often in this day and age. It makes it harder to play that game, but it also makes it IMPERATIVE that we do so.

[Ideal08]

In light of people hating their jobs right now...