Black Girl in a White World

For years now black women have had to begin adapting to the white culture being young in school and in the workplace. In the black culture, we’re used to having our own jokes and ways of speaking with certain slangs. Typically this is considered unprofessional or “ghetto” to white people.

This causes a black woman to have two different sides of her personality. She develops a persona that is acceptable or tolerable to her white peers in her place of employment. Typically in a corporate setting where black people, in general, make up a small percentage. Some black people have learned to adapt to their white surroundings at a young age and make it part of who they are to give off the “oreo” impression meaning white on the inside, black on the outside. This is how some black people climb the corporate ladder.

For those that don’t believe in conforming to the racially appropriate norms that have been created for them out of expectation this causes a negative effect on a black woman’s mental state. It creates an irritation that leads to some depression, anger, or stress because they feel they are discouraged from speaking their mind without being accused of being aggressive or hostile.

White women have a top tier ranking over black women. Society and the labor market have always had a negative view of black women which has given them a disadvantage in the workforce including negative results in employment practices.

Black women have become mentally defeated in being themselves. This has also lead to more black women becoming entrepreneurs and embracing their own identity of being black without being a threat. Many black women have chosen the path of owning their own business. For the women who don’t choose this path in life, it is important to know how to dominate your personality respectfully in the workplace. Act with authority and demand the proper treatment as you would anywhere else.

Black women must take their power by force, by any means necessary. To respect a black woman is to respect any other human being. The level of respect and fair treatment should not depend on how black a woman is. The black woman will be accepted.

Report: Josephine Coiscou