Signs that You’re Working in a Racially Charged Environment (Trust, I Know)
Black people are often accused of being super sensitive and over the top when it comes to race relations and we just may be a little sensitive but who wouldn’t be? Our ancestors were oppressed for over 200 years by the people that posses the most power in this country and then once we were freed we were treated as if we were an incompetent species and bound up by silly protocol like the Jim Crow Laws in an effort to abort our God given potential. I think we have a right to be a little sensitive. However, that is not the nature of this article. The point of this article is to simply separate true racism in the work place from racial paranoia. For the most part, people are pretty level-headed so chances are if you feel that you are being discriminated against, you probably are. As an extremely eager and naive college student I began working as a part this major company that I will not name for my own personal reasons. Of course, I was the only black girl in the department and let me just say that I never truly knew the pain or emotional toll that racism takes on a person until I began working in this one particular department of the company. At first there were subtle signs and then the evidence became undeniable. Here are a few signs to look for that indeed tell you that you are NOT crazy and you ARE being discriminated against.
1. You are spoken to in a condescending or patronizing tone
2. You are conveniently left out of certain activities and events
3. You are treated as if you are incapable of carrying out tasks that your experience and degrees more than qualify you for
4. You are reprimanded or written up for reasons that are intagible or logically make no sense.
5. You are constantly passed up for promotions while they are given to your less qualified counterparts
The list can honestly go on and on but I believe that one’s discernment can truly let them know whether or not they are being discriminated against.
