When my oldest daughter was a mere 18 months old, I shared some pictures from our family vacation. Someone commented that she looked like she had an “attitude.” She was 18 months old. She was having fun in the sprinklers and was posing.
It never occurred to me that if I as a Black woman (symbolically) was portrayed as the maid and revealed a hidden figure, hyper-sexualized, portrayed as the sassy Black woman that my Black daughter would be exempt.
Read More"They are hiring Black support staff for Kori because her client says diversity is important." This claim made in clusters of groups led to several conversations in an organization I once worked at. When I started working at the organization, I was one of only two Black people. Over time, and with new administrative leadership, a Black female administrative staff person was hired. And then a second one was being interviewed to support me and my team. I came to learn there was scuttlebutt and this statement was made. Apparently, the hiring of new employees who were diverse (specifically Black) was of concern to some.
Read MoreIt was a lovely event — lots of ladies and a lot of tea. We were all giddy about the baby on the way. Somehow or the other we got on to a topic and the story involved Bruce. “Who is Bruce?" I asked. Person after person kept describing him. The descriptions kept coming and I didn’t get a picture. I just couldn’t figure out who they were talking about. I sensed something in the air but wasn’t sure what it was. Although I was hosting this baby shower, I didn’t know most of the ladies well. It was then that the guest of honor, who was sitting next to me by the fireplace said, “Oh, for heaven’s sake, Bruce is the tall, Black guy on the worship team.” I started laughing.
Read MoreWe are not our hair. We are not our clothes. We will not be hidden anymore. And we are not children. Talk to black women about the times they have been marginalized, ignored, undervalued, tone policed, or disrespected in the work place because they were black women and you will hear common patterns. This week #BlackWomenatWork exploded on Twitter. Brittany Packnett invited black women to share their stories and highlight the everyday racism black women face at work — and black women spoke out. The stories show commonality of being undervalued, ignored, disrespected, being overlooked, not receiving credit for their contributions and outright racism.
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