Working among black women – pain or paradise?
From Clutch Magazine - Black women can support each other in a powerful way, or we can tear each other down using intimate knowledge of our insecurities...
From Clarissa H. Matthews, Clutch Magazine:
I am blessed with a unique situation in life in that I work mostly with African American women. When I look back over my career, I have been in environments in which I was one of the only black people, and some which were much more diverse. Through these contrasting experiences, I have learned that there are particular sets of pros and cons that come with being surrounded with women who thoroughly understand your perspective. Black women can support each other in a powerful way, or we can tear each other down using intimate knowledge of our insecurities. Often, we do both.
It is my hope that by illuminating these points, black women will work together more fruitfully. Things are changing in our society, with African American females taking on more diverse roles, from first ladies to CEOs.
How do black female co-workers nurture one another?
1) We never doubt how racism and sexism affect our lives.
In a work place in which you are in the minority, experiences of discrimination are often silenced. We are left alone to ponder professional slights. When working with black women, your colleagues know your experiences are true. That compassion helps maintains your sanity.
2) The joys of children are easily shared, as well as stories of complex families.
Working with black women, I never have to be ashamed of sharing the stories of my unmarried cousin who has five children, who I love, by two different women. I understand that my co-worker has a child with her husband, and an older child by a different man. These stories would make co-workers of different backgrounds slather you in stereotypes. Black women are accepting, even if their own families are more traditional.
[…]
And now for how we break each other down…
1) Class issues are magnified and brought right to the forefront.
In most work places, class issues are present, but never made visible. Among black women, calling someone out of touch, uppity, ghetto, bourgie or a whole range of money-related slurs as a means of discrediting a colleague’s perspective is par for the course. With women, these jabs can be hurled without even saying the words through our expertise with subtle communication. Thus, it’s easier for us to use long-standing class divisions in the black community to make each other cry inside while looking professional outside.
2) Body and beauty issues become more obvious.
In a group of black women, issues like light skin/dark skin, “good” hair/”bad” hair, thick vs. thin and more are integrated into the work environment. Even the most enlightened group of women will have to skirt around these issues, discussing them with the utmost delicacy if they are discussed at all, in order to keep these sensitivities from becoming hurdles to collaboration. In a typical office space, you would be so inwardly focused on just being a black woman, you would forget about these subtle antagonisms. Working with black women, you are constantly reminded.
Continue to the full article at the Clutch Magazine website.
