Dec
14
Written by:
Marlon Aldridge, Sr.
12/14/2011 3:05 PM
Dealing with Racial Discrimination at Work
By Marlon Aldridge
Non-white people have had to deal with real or perceived racial discrimination at work for many years. I included the term perceived because many times it is just that. Without diminishing real racial discrimination, I have witnessed white supervisors treat white subordinates unfairly. With that said how should one deal with any type of racial discrimination? For our discussion, I define racial discrimination at work as patterns of inequitable judgments and actions by authority figures and support personnel that tend to penalize employees of a race different than their own.
First, I was taught by senior officers during my military career, which spanned 12 years, both U.S. Navy and U.S. Marines, that we (I’m Black) must be better than our white counterparts. I never really understood what they meant until I entered the fleet. It became obvious very quickly. I still remember one of many comments from white senior officers such as “Marlon, it’s a white man’s world and you just have to learn to deal with it”. This comment was unprovoked so I thought. Upon reflection several years later, I knew what I had done wrong. I was sitting by myself in an Officer’s Club recuperating from a long day while officers in my command all senior to me were conversing with one another in another section of the club. I stood out like a sore thumb. It did not justify what he said to me, but I could have minimized his opportunity to antagonize me by not standing out like a sore thumb. This is the first lesson in minimizing racial discrimination: Do not stand out like a sore thumb, always mingle with as many people as you can in a gathering and always acknowledge your chain of command at events inside and outside of work. Show up to all events or most of them especially if you are one of few non-Whites in your workplace. This is also a time to build relationships, which is very important especially if you want to get promoted.
Second, know all company policies applicable to you like the back of your hand or have them accessible to you when decisions have to be made, especially the employee policies found in the employee or personnel handbook. Why? They will be applied to you usually without fail should you violate them. This point is very important because many times we get tricked into thinking that since our white counterparts violate policy here and there and get away with it that we can do it too. If policy states that you should not conduct personal business on the Internet or face disciplinary action, then you should not conduct personal business on the Internet even if others do it. Moreover, highlighting that so and so does it will not work in your favor, so don’t use that excuse.
Even in the face of favoritism (i.e., bending the rules for the white guy), I’m ok with a boss that applies the rules with me because as long as I know what they are I can stay out of trouble. I simply have to be disciplined enough to follow them. Now, the statement, ‘we must be better than our white counterparts’, should begin to make sense.
Concerning favoritism, sometimes it comes when you are open and honest with your boss and keep the lines of communication open. In other words, it is best to communicate your intentions or hardships to your boss and let him or her help you with a solution. This is a subtle way to elicit favoritism that may work even with racially stereotypical bosses. Third lesson: being open and honest and keeping the lines of communication open builds relationships and sometimes breaks down racial stereotypes. (Warning: this advice does not apply to white supremacists or white racists. There is no amount of appealing to these people because their behavior is irrational and very resistant to change. Hopefully, you would never work for one.)
Fourth, make sure to get annual medical exams without fail. You do not want to have to miss work because of a preventable disease. If you do get sick and have to undergo surgery and/or require routine medical treatments, be sure that your doctor provides your employer a list of accommodations once you return to work. I have seen stellar performers at work fall out of good graces with their bosses (i.e., get suspended, demoted or fired) after traumatic illnesses or undiagnosed medical problems. I can’t say that these occurrences were discriminatory, but I do know that during slavery sick slaves were expected to work as hard as every one else. At any rate, keep your annual check-ups to prevent exposure to this mindset that probably still exists today, even in the age of Obama.
Fifth, and probably most importantly, you must be or become highly proficient at your job. Why? It goes without saying that employers value excellent workers, but in the mindset of a racist or prejudiced supervisor, you must be better than your white counterparts to be considered equal to them. Moreover, another opportunity presents itself—the opportunity to modify the racial scripts or messages that have been encoded into the psyches of many Whites by their parents and culture. When you perform excellently at your job and have good character, you may cause your white counterparts to reevaluate their racial stereotypes (i.e., Blacks are not as intelligent as Whites or Blacks are lazy). The last thing that you want to do in a discriminatory environment is to reinforce persistent racial stereotypes by not being proficient at your job or not being where you are supposed to be.
Lastly, when all else fails (i.e., you’ve adjusted your attitude and behavior to conform; you’ve talked with your boss and/or his or her supervisor about the problem; you’ve applied for another position in another department) and the discriminatory behavior is just too much to handle, look for another job while you still have one.
Marlon Aldridge is founding president and CEO of the Black Man's Think Tank (BMTT). He may be reached at info@bmtt.org.
This report is a courtesy of the BMTT.
About the Black Man’s Think Tank
The BMTT is a nonpartisan, nonsectarian, nonprofit, tax-exempt organization that develops and supports industry among Black organizations and professionals. Its mission priorities are working with organizations and professionals in the areas of educational attainment, economic development, health care solutions, and crime prevention. Visit www.bmtt.org for more information.
Copyright ©2011 Marlon Aldridge, Sr.