Stop chasing Black women out of your progressive workplace
By Temi Akande (she/her), Senior Associate of Outreach & Engagement at Meso
In just a few years of working in progressive organizations, I have both witnessed and personally experienced a pattern of microaggressions towards Black women. The term “microaggression” is used to describe commonplace, daily verbal behavioral or environmental slights usually targeted at marginalized groups. I don’t like the term “microaggression” because it makes these seem like something that is so miniscule. The reality is that many Black women are dealing with multiple microaggressions daily, so nothing about their effect is micro.
Whether intentional or unintentional, microaggressions play a large part in your overall workplace experience. Sometimes you won’t even realize something was a microaggression until you replay the incident in your head. Other times, these microaggressions can be so slight that you begin to doubt your instincts and question whether you’re imagining it or just thinking too deeply about it.
“Women of color, and particularly Black women, are often left to deal on our own with the harm of conscious and unconscious bias in the workplace.”
These experiences are damaging to the collective understanding we have of “progressive” workplaces. It can cause us to question how progressive these spaces really are, and. it does a good job of repelling Black women from working in these spaces that so desperately need our perspective.
At their most basic level, microaggressions can be as simple as a coworker commenting on how “they love the new look” because you came into the office with your naturally 4C hair straightened that day. You won’t think twice before saying “Oh, thanks!” — but then looking back you'll realize that the comment stems from Eurocentric Standards of beauty that have been ingrained in society for centuries. These outdated standards include the idea that straight hair is deemed more professional, cleaner, and more put together than curly and coily hair types in all of their natural beauty.
On a larger scale, microaggressions can include not feeling like your voice is heard on the same level as white voices in the workplace. These are sometimes referred to as microinvalidations — feeling like your opinion isn’t wanted or valued. In my own experience, there have been situations where I have felt belittled or like my expertise was questioned. In those instances, I started doubting my own abilities to do the work that I am normally quite confident and proficient in doing. There have also been times when someone has spoken to me in a paternalistic manner, in an attempt to make me feel small. When these instances happen, I have to be very careful about the way I respond in order to avoid being stereotyped as the “angry Black woman” and further invalidated.
The truth of the matter is that Black women aren’t able to simply be in progressive spaces. To simply exist. Oftentimes, we are trying to navigate how to be the “right” version of ourselves in the workplace. Trying not to be too quiet, too loud, too timid, or too aggressive because we know that it’ll be perceived in a negative way by others. Knowing how to survive in majority-white spaces is something that many of us have had to learn in order to stay afloat.
For me, growing up in a suburban town in Georgia and often being one of the only Black girls in my class and social circles, I had to learn how to code-switch at a very young age. To fit in, I had to dress like, talk like, and act like people who looked nothing like me. And if I did that “effectively,” I wouldn’t stick out like a sore thumb. Looking back, there are so many aspects of that behavior that mirror what it’s like for Black women who work in progressive spaces now.
There are times that I have had to preemptively think about how my response or comment will be perceived by other people. The fact is, doing this emotional labor can be very exhausting and is one of the many reasons why Black women leave these so-called progressive organizations. Navigating this, along with wage gaps, imposter syndrome, and burnout can be a lot to take on.
So what can we do to ensure that Black women feel safe in progressive spaces?
Lift up the voices of Black women in the workplace without burdening us. Oftentimes, Black women are used to not being valued and heard in progressive settings. Because of this, we might need to be encouraged a little bit more to share our thoughts and ideas. Uplift and ask for the opinions of Black women. FYI, this is not the same as expecting Black women to constantly speak up on issues of racial inequality or Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives in the workplace. We are not THE voice of Black people just because we are Black.
Don’t ostracize us or assume we don’t have similar interests to our non-Black coworkers. At the root of this is the assumption that Black women are a monolith, and that all we want to talk about is our love for Beyoncé. This is a big misconception, and we all have a variety of interests.
Recognize how intersectionality impacts the nature of experiences that Black women have in the workforce. Other than just being women, we are also Black. We live in a country whose values are very much rooted in anti-Blackness and racism. Because of that, our experiences are different from white women and even other women of color in the workplace. Our experience is not the same as what Latinx women experience, nor is it what Asian American Pacific Islander women experience. It’s offensive to all women of color to expect that we show up with the same perspectives on work, and more importantly on life.
Part of making Black women feel valued and heard is recognizing that our history plays a large part in the way we view our work. Many times, the efforts of those who came before us are what motivate us to continue in our fight of achieving equity in the workplace. The perspective of Black women should be important to the organizations that we pour so much of our time and effort into.
There would be no progressive movement without us.