“Race” in the American workplace from a simple Black perspective... by Grey Williamson
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Black man, underpaid, spends considerable effort not being blamed for something that can get him fired while trying to avoid not feeling “slave-ish”.
Black woman, underpaid, does the job of easily a dozen people for a pat on the back and less than the pay rate of one... while she tries to keep her head down long enough to retire before being burned out.
Both periodically deal with the mindf**k of watching the lazy, complaining, incompetent, but entitled co-worker get promoted past them, earning ultimately many times their salary just for showing up.
Each spends considerable time questioning their respect and dedication to the efforts of those that came before them, while they feel twisted up inside for not carrying the flag of the Black empowerment agenda higher.
All the while, they contend with the presence of c**ns...
These horrible sellout, bucking and shining negros that slip into these environments, playing their colored skins into a tool to nestle into a position of comforting “Massa’s” testicles... long enough to become “your” managers.
You know them, these tough-talking, almost corporate looking, self-important proponents of doing things the “right way” and being “accountable”... while they screw up every position that they stole by taking credit for the work of others... leaving right before they get fired and remarkably continuing to fail uphill...
perpetually adding ammunition for discriminatory work-mates to fire at you while you’re just trying to get your job done and survive in the workplace.
A good part of the Black cultural “job” experience is trying to figure out how to resolve wanting to slant someone’s head sideways without upending your own precarious position... and medicating the little stabbings that occur daily...
The little deaths.
And you wonder why there’s so much substance abuse and family conflict in what is left of our communities.
I write this to let you know that you are not alone... that your truth is “the” truth, and you have the right to feel fu**ed up when that vacation day a**hole gets promoted and your buddy gets fired for taking an extra 10 minutes on that cigarette break...
... and the one that put the hammer on him was that lavender tie, custard pocket-square wearing... or that bobbed perm, too-red lipstick wearing... smilie-so-bright-at-owner supervisor that’s better than you... than all of us that just don’t get “it”.
Keep your head up.
Fight the power.
Live your life.
~ grey
