Respect and Recognition in the Workplace — Not if You Are Black

All the accolades and awards in the world won’t compensate for a lack of respect and unequal treatment

Racial discrimination in the workplace is no secret and to this day it casts a destructive shadow over every industry leaving generations of marginalized groups with no day-to-day support or path toward advancement.

For many in the Black community, chasing acknowledgment and equal treatment in a professional setting is a career-long endeavor. This becomes even more challenging when you are the only Black person in an all-white organization. The prospect of not being recognized for your contributions and having to navigate a corporate culture of white supremacy is virtually impossible to overcome.

Given the environment (and profession) in which I started my career, it wasn’t a shock that I would be the only Black employee in a company. Having grown up in a white space I was used to this social dynamic and how people of color are treated by their white counterparts. The workplace wasn’t any different. In fact, said dynamic was set up purposely and in such a way that I thought I would be prepared for it, but admittedly, I was not.

Show me the money (and respect)

Throughout my career, the companies I worked for had similar ways of acknowledging those employees who performed above and beyond their job descriptions. Honestly, this recognition-lite fallacy is simply an inexpensive way for corporate entities to keep employees engaged and feeling appreciated without having to hand over a merit increase (or bonus) for motivation.

I guess I’m old school in thinking that if you feel I’m of value and have gone above and beyond my responsibilities then reward me in a meaningful way through promotions and salary increases. Full stop.

With each passing year as I gained more knowledge and experience, and while my status did not move, I could not help but wonder why. Was it a matter of underperforming? If so, I could accept that. However, I was still being employed and receiving accolades from peers and organizational leaders as to how invaluable I was.

The math never added up.

You can give your all; your time, your expertise, your knowledge, to an organization but ultimately will they value you? Will they recognize your contributions?

Over time, I noticed I would get more and more of those meaningless honors and empty peer awards but no meaningful advancement; certainly not in a monetary form or as a promotion. Yes, I know money isn’t everything but paying bills and living is. Perhaps the injustice of it all, besides the obvious, is the thinking that Black people should be happy with meaningless awards or hollow acknowledgment — that in some way these are acceptable substitutes for due recognition or a fair living wage.

If not being given a promotion or an increase in pay wasn’t bad enough, the real slap in the face came from watching my white colleagues (often with questionable performance and far less experience) sprint up the corporate ladder without breaking a sweat leaving me and my color to disappear in a forgotten pool of inequity.

Without fail, year-end performance reviews would follow a similar script, leaving little room for optimism. Hearing the same excuses as to why I would not advance to the next level, became commonplace — it was anticipated.

“It’s just not in the budget.”

“Maybe next year.”

“If you’re promoted, we won’t have the means to hire additional support.”

“You haven’t reached your goals.” (my favorite)

The reluctance to promote me, specifically, was becoming a standard — as if the senior staff of every past company I worked for had met in secret with a new employer and conspired to keep me from advancing before my first day.

Many times I thought of a career change but the reality is: the system of oppression in the workplace is everywhere. If I did receive positive performance reviews, employers would often reveal their true intent by inserting weak justifications for not wanting to promote me to a higher position or reward me with the same recognition given to my white colleagues.

The tendency to value white employees over Black employees has been standard practice over time, setting the foundation for devastating consequences for the Black community. As explored In Confronting the Uncomfortable Reality of Workplace Discrimination by Derek R. Avery and Enrica N. Ruggs, the disparity in how senior-level executives treat their employees of color by not affording equal opportunities for growth and compensation in itself is simply a reflection of an oppressive society that functions on systemic racism.

This is so entrenched in the corporate world that it is often not even noticed at a conscious level.

It starts from the top and with a biased look at how certain employees are viewed as “less than” others, a fair opportunity may be nonexistent and this is unequivocally unjust. Fostering an atmosphere of equality in the workplace is not enough. Putting into action fair treatment and recognition for the contributions of all employees is paramount to widespread business success.

Systemic discrimination doesn’t stop once someone has landed a job. Racial bias affects negotiations over starting pay, future wages, and upward mobility. In short, Black employees start off making less money than their White colleagues, a disparity that compounds over time. Black employees also receive promotions less often. — Derek R. Avery and Enrica N. Ruggs

If another person of color were to be hired (rarely), over time I would see a similar path being laid out for them. No significant means of career development and certainly no recognition for considerable contributions was forthcoming.

In an atmosphere where covert racial discrimination is practiced regularly, it does seem as though a sick, twisted game is constantly being played with people’s livelihoods, professional standing, and more importantly, a sense of worth.

No matter how many accolades I racked up over the years, I was never truly rewarded for my work and thus my career never really took off. I did see some mild advancement along the way; enough at the beginning to foresee a promising career. In the end, this was nothing more than a flash in the pan.

Good, but not good enough

Everyone is expendable in the workplace, regardless of ethnicity. Not everyone, however, has to claw and scrape to be recognized, or respected. The employment system is not set up for the Black community to experience growth. To some degree, we are used simply to fulfill a need — a need to keep the train running, and nothing more. For no other reason than to keep the status quo and exploit the work of Black people.

From an extreme point of view, one could argue that such an oppressive work environment is akin to that of slavery.

The idea of having a landscape with diverse voices making decisions and impacting business objectives is too much of a gamble for those who are more concerned with the separation of “know your place” and, power and influence.

Flat out, in an atmosphere where you are one of, if not the only Black person you are always considered the “other.” No real identity. A dismissable soul, especially when it comes to career development.

In a toxic work environment devoid of diversity specifically, you’re not only being compared to your white colleagues, but to every white person who walks this planet — every white person who is considered more deserving of consideration and recognition than you.

It’s imperative we in the Black community create our own success and not let up when we are confronted by pushback. The challenge in finding support in a space designed to keep the status quo without disruption does not serve underrepresented groups and our right to a prosperous career (or existence). Having your career path be determined by those who do not have your best interests in mind, though an obstacle, should not be a deterrent.

In the workplace, no matter what industry, if you are Black, you will undoubtedly have to work twice as hard for little to no acknowledgment. Ultimately, you will have to look out for yourself; do what is best for you and your career even if that means going from job to job at the risk of instability. It can be a never-ending pursuit of rightful and respected employment but one that needs to be constantly worked at in order to see worthwhile success.

Diversity within a workspace can be achieved and we have the solutions at our fingertips to do so. However, we need the social will to implement it. Creating and maintaining a diverse team is the first step, taking action to level the playing field and tapping into the individual expertise of every employee is how success within an organization happens.

I know my worth, as I’m sure you know yours. Accolades, awards, and peer acknowledgment are good for bracing up questionable confidence, however, receiving compensation and deserved advancement based on your achievements are life-changing and fair.

Retain your power, make some noise. It’s your career, not theirs.

Thank you for reading!

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