If I Knew You Were Comin’
The split second between the first time a person lays eyes on me and the instantaneous realization that I am Black is always funny to me. It cannot be disguised. And people do attempt to compose themselves by chalking their reaction up to: “Oh, I thought you’d be older, younger…even fatter”. But facial expressions do not lie. And depending on my mood, I might toy with them by asking if they were expecting someone different. Anyway, it’s not like they can come out and say: “So…you’re Black huh?” That’s definitely not the best way to begin when we’re meeting in a professional capacity. And yes, it IS funny to me but only because (1) I’m accustomed to it and (2) I’m employed.
It’s NOT so funny when you don’t have a job and have had to get in the practice of “Whitening” your résumé just to get an interview. “Whitening the Résumé” is a term I picked up from a N.Y. Times article about the lengths Black folks go to get their foot in the door. And as I discussed in my Book, Black women often need to take it a step further by altering their appearance (hairstyle). So…there’s a need to hide your race and/or dial back your Blackness in order to find gainful employment? Ouch.
What can be said about the racial differences in joblessness that hasn’t already been said? Do we continue to attribute EVERYTHING to race? Not without a diligent inspection of the facts but the phenomenon (and repercussions), as discussed in the N.Y. Times article are as real today as ever – and you can chalk that up to whatever you want.
One Response to “If I Knew You Were Comin’”
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The lengths an African-American must go through to obtain gainful employment extend far beyond whitening the résumé. Height is a distinct advantage in the business field but also potentially a curse if you happen to be the intimidating 6ft 6 black male that just got hired. Perhaps even more deleteriou, the castration that happens to black go getters. A trait admired from many gets diluted in not only black culture (so as not to appear like the Angry Black Male) but I’ve noticed that Asians tend to ratchet down the bravado within the business arena in the US as well.
Let us not fool ourselves in thinking that merely electing a President of European and African legacy entitles us to cast off our chains and claim racial indifference. A President can be elected even though he does not carry the most votes which means roughly 160 million people may not be in your corner for whatever reason.
Queen Elizabeth of England brought the country from the despotism to glory under her reign but we still have a Woman’s Suffrage movement and have yet to see a female President her in the US. Just because one person attains a high position doesn’t mean the ceiling is cracked for everyone.