My First Blog: Navigating Corporate America
This week's blog is the start of something new, but also the start of building a new community. Thank you for taking the time to read my post, and welcome.
Larion Weary
5/24/20261 min read
Navigating workplace bureaucracy is an exhausting and ever-changing task. There’s this delicate line that we walk as black women in corporate settings. We are expected to exude perfection and are held to a different standard than our counterparts. My best friend has been dealing with a blatant case of office politics and racism. While I won't go into detail to respect her privacy, this is a topic in which I’d like to spark a conversation.
We’re living in a world where DEI has been dismantled, and the government is throwing every possible way to get rid of inclusion and diversity. While there seem to be many that are against this, we can not ignore the corporations that swiftly followed suit. This sends out a message that we are disposable and unwanted in the workplace. If perfection was required during DEI, what is expected of us now? No one is perfect, and we will all make errors at some point in our careers. The difference between a black woman, or women in general, and a man is that they are allowed to fail upward. They are allowed to make excuses and come up short; that’s not a luxury too often afforded to black women, definitely not at the hands of someone who isn't “skinfolk.”
It reminds me of the Papa Pope quote,” You have to be twice as good as them to get half of what they have." Somehow, us shooting for half is seen as wanting too much or running the risk of being seen as aggressive. This begs the question, how do we play the game? How are we as black women meant to get ahead if every effort is met with disdain, a new rule, a policy change, or plain ol’ discrimination?
The answer is you show up, and you do your best. You maintain your integrity, and you make the appropriate connections. You learn to play chess, and you make sure to constantly study the board and anticipate every move. There will be surprises, and you may not always win, but remain flexible for a pivot. These corporate streets aint no joke, honey.
This was a lot for my first blog, lol. Nevertheless, I hope you enjoyed reading, and I look forward to reading your commentary. How are you navigating the corporate world?