Navigating Workplaces as a WOC (Woman of Color)

I have this ongoing list of places I worked.

For the longest time (by long, I mean 7 years), I had my way of categorizing workplaces (i.e., workplaces I like, didn’t like so much, and in-betweens).

However, since coming across a video by Austin Belcak, I have revised my categories to be:

·       Dream workplaces (aka the North Stars) – Place I dream to work at.

·       Stepping-stone workplaces – The name speaks for itself.

·       Sandbox workplaces – Places where I can make mistakes and get my

practice in.

When I consider all my intersecting identities – I am aware of how I occupy space with my body in different spaces, places and particularly, workplaces.

My first experience of work to earn a living happened in Canada. I remember my very first day going into work as a seasonal staff at a retail store, all excited to get paid for my time – Adulting, hell yeah!

Many years later, I am not sure I have experienced a replication, if you will, of that excitement or worked in a place fostered a replication of that feeling above - I have not given up hope yet. Changing jobs and roles have now become normal, regular, it's something I do to afford to live.  

I noticed that as I changed workplaces and occupied different roles, the awareness of my Blackness became more and more real, obvious, in my face.

Discrimination, microaggressions, racism, sexism and all the isms. The list goes on...

Recently, I have realized that working in a non-diverse workplace is not my cup of tea and it is SO exhausting as a WOC. One does not have to deal with only the basic show up, work, take a break, but other things at play.

Here is my ongoing list of all the other things:

 ·       Racism

  Being born in my skin does not equate inferiority on any level.

 Why do I have to work twice as hard to be noticed or heard?

 ·       Microaggressions

 You speak good English. No sh*t Sherlock!

 ·       Micro insults

 I am not just a diversity hire. I worked to be here.

 ·       Tokenized

 I am not here to be part of your performative actions or better yet, be the face for it.

While giving up my 8 hours to someone else, a corporation, an organization, or a group of people to afford the other 16 hours of my existence, I just want to:

Show up.

Be respected.

Be myself.

Do the work I am paid to do.

Not have to be constantly thinking that my missteps will ruin opportunities for other WOC/POC (People of Color) after me.

Exist.

Be Mairo.

Do you have workplace categories too? How do you exist in your present workplace?

Spill!

Mairo