When asked what the word “Black” stands for, there are many connotations that are unfavorable. People of color and the black community have been misunderstood for a very long time, to the point where they occasionally feel ashamed of their race. The violence, racism, and underrepresentation that Black people experience due of their color is a major source of annoyance.
Strong black leaders like Malcolm X, Muhammad Ali, Martin Luther King Jr., and many others have persisted in demonstrating what it means to be black and proud despite difficulties, obstacles, prejudice, and other issues. They continue to empower the community and provide them with the necessary representation via their work and sense of self. Let’s examine the top black CEOs in the United States. These influential individuals have broken down barriers and established role models for people of color.
A significant gap, according to many of the Black CEOs in our study, existed between their “real” personalities and their “front-stage” personas, or what sociologist Erving Goffman called the “front-stage.” The majority of those surveyed admitted to code-switching. Particularly black guys claimed that they needed to “soften” their personalities to avoid coming out as furious. Think about Branden, who informed us that despite being a 6ft 1inch tall and 180lb Black man, he makes it a point to smile, appear joyful, and control his negative emotions at his sizable accounting firm. He said, “I’ve seen lots of individuals yell or act out in anger or frustration at work, and I don’t feel like that same grace extends to someone like me.
Many respondents revealed to us that they frequently keep their ideas to themselves out of concern that others won’t understand or value them, which is even more concerning for firms looking to encourage employees to think creatively. Former marketing manager David, who now has his own consulting business, revealed to us that he formerly fretted over his coworkers’ failure to understanding him. “It discourages me from being my real self when there is a worry that [my contribution] would translate into either bewilderment or annoyance, or in the worst circumstances, punishment.” In a similar vein, Alex admitted to being “quieter” at work and preferring to keep his head down rather taking a chance on an adverse reaction to his ideas.
What do these Black professionals’ workplaces lack that they need? They simply want to feel secure, acknowledged, and supported at work. We believe that managers and other leaders can benefit from viewing the three categories as a system and comprehending the intricacies of each category from the point-of-view of DEI, even though we have all heard these phrases before in the context of DEI.
