What Do a Black Scientist, Nonprofit Executive & Filmmaker Have in Common: Racism in The Workplace

WASHINGTON - Oct. 20, 2023 - PRLog -- By: Adia Harvey Wingfield, Arts & Sciences at Washington University St. Louis

American workplaces talk a lot about diversity these days. In fact, you'd have a hard time finding a company that says it doesn't value the principle. But despite this – and despite the multibillion-dollar diversity industry – Black workers continue to face significant hiring discrimination, stall out at middle management levels and remain underrepresented in leadership roles.

As a sociologist, I wanted to understand why this is. So I spent more than 10 years interviewing over 200 Black workers in a variety of roles – from the gig economy to the C-suite. I found that many of the problems they face come down to organizational culture. Too often, companies elevate diversity as a concept but overlook the internal processes that disadvantage Black workers.

I tell several of these individuals' stories in my new book, "Gray Areas: How the Way We Work Perpetuates Racism and What We Can Do to Fix It." While racial disparities were once the result of law and explicit policy – think of "Whites Only Need Apply" signs – today, subtle cultural processes lead to unequal racial outcomes. It's in these "gray areas" that racism lurks.

Three Professionals, One Frustrating Reality

Take "Constance," for example – not her real name – who is a Black female chemical engineering professor at a major research university. Her university proclaims its commitment to diversity and inclusion, with several offices and initiatives dedicated to this goal.

Yet she told me that most leaders at her school are uncomfortable trying to achieve racial diversity. They'd rather be "colorblind" – that is, they'd rather not acknowledge or address racial disparities or the institutional rules and norms that perpetuate them. So their attempts to pursue diversity translate into attempts to hire more women faculty but not more Black faculty.

This isn't surprising, as women generally are underrepresented in STEM fields. But the emphasis on gender means that the racial issues Constance encounters as a Black woman – openly racist teaching evaluations, colleagues' casual stereotyping, additional barriers to mentorship – go ignored.

"Kevin" offers another instructive example. He's a Black man who works at an education nonprofit that aims to help kids – a laudable goal. His workplace touts its culture of collaboration and says that it demonstrates its commitment to diversity by supporting children from all backgrounds.

http://youtu.be/jWWft-R0qjI?si=_Xvlx2q6Urt2UHgP



https://music.apple.com/us/album/sunderella/1712865616?i=...

https://theconversation.com/what-do-a-black-scientist-nonprofit-executive-and-filmmaker-have-in-common-they-all-face-racism-in-the-gray-areas-of-workplace-culture-215559