Written by Michael Thervil
Photographer unknown
When it comes to Black American Men in the workplace, it seems that Prejudice & discrimination is the order of the day. Whether working a blue-color job or white-collar job Black American Men are forced to deal with preconceived notions, stereotypes, and unjust treatment in the American workforce. For example, if the Black American man either appears or is perceived as weak he doesn’t get the proper amount of respect that he is owed as a man and as an employee. On the other side of the coin, if Black American Men are seen as assertive and even proactive, he is seen as insensitive abusive maniacal beast that should be “broken down” to size and “controlled” so that he learns his place in the workforce and conforms to what other people perceptions of him should be.
Unlike his white American male counterparts, who are perceived of not having to deal or experience this kind of treatment, who are “free” to be and do whatever it is they want as long as its falls within the guidelines of their job description, navigates the workforce in such a way that he appears to be carefree and immune to what other people think of them. It’s been known for a long time that White American Men can exert a high level of confidence in the American workforce – even when they may not have the competence to match their level of confidence.
Meanwhile, when it comes to the Black American man In America's workforce, the question must be asked: “why does the Black American man have to reduce the size of himself in terms of confidence and competence in order to be accepted in America's workforce?”. We use the word “accepted” because Black American Men have reported feeling undervalued, underutilized – unless he’s a janitor, as well as reporting having to walk on “eggshells” in the American workforce. Many Black American Men choose to operate this way because they either must deal with micro-aggression’s and/or repercussions for having the audacity to be just as assertive and confident as their white American male counterparts.
Surprisingly enough, the vast number of barriers that have been placed in front of Black American Men have come not necessarily from White American Men, but from women and ironically Black American Women. Man, Black American Men reported being over-scrutinized by Black American Women in the workforce. Even more than that they have reported that Black American women often act like “watchdogs” when it comes to interacting with Black American Men. Then There’s the Sensitive issues that all men face in the American workforce such as being accused of sexual misconduct and sexual harassment.
When it comes to Black American Men, they are often perceived as sexually deviant in the eyes of many people. They also must deal with being unjustifiably passed over for promotions, being targeted and facing retaliation when they attempt to stand up for themselves in the American workforce have plagued Black American Men for decades. Another barrier that Black American Men fall victim to is the fact that even if they are put into a position of authority, their ability to lead is either questioned and/or undermined. This leads to many of them considering giving up their position of leadership in exchange of being just a “regular employee”.
With this silent issue just beginning to creep into the forefront when it comes to addressing why Black American Men on average earn roughly $10,000 less than White American Men in conjunction with why they are significantly less likely to be in key positions of leadership in the American workforce; speaks volumes as to why Black American Men tend to greatly lag on the socio-economic front. We will provide more coverage on this disturbing topic later.
Comments