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9. You arrive at an
offsite business retreat dressed in business casual attire.
Your non-persons of color peers approach and ask why you are
always so dressed up?
10. You are told you are decreasing your effectiveness with
your aggressive style.
11. You are frequently asked why you change your hairstyle
so often.
12. Your first name is arbitrarily shortened to one or two
syllables without your permission.
13. You are asked
every summer if black people tan.
14. After a coworker returns from a weekend in the sun, they
run to you on Monday morning and extend their arms to touch
yours and say, "Hey I'm darker than you".
15. Walking through the hall with colleagues, you exchange
greetings with two other blacks you pass along the way. Your
colleague says in amazement, "My you know so many
people."
16. You are told your
attitude is affecting others. You are asked
to..."lighten up, not be so serious about the work.
Smile and laugh more often, to make others more comfortable
working with you".
17. You realize that at times you must "dumb down"
appearing to be dependent and unaware, so that your manager
and peers feel they are helping you...
18. You have to perform at 250% just to stay even.
19. You have to document everything. You've learned the hard
way.
20. You assumed that all that was required of you was to
work hard and get the job done.
What
is your response to this page?
***************************************************************
Someone who happened to view the above list, wanted to
add his own points. Read below...
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!!!
What
is your response to this page?
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