Check out this article by Dana Brownlee written in November 2021 that was originally posted in Forbes: Dear Corporate America: Stop Tone Policing Black Women. We Have Every Right To Be Angry. (forbes.com)
Dear Corporate America: Stop Tone Policing Black Women. We Have Every Right to Be Angry!
One of the big points that she addressed was the value of bringing our authentic selves to the workplace. However, this isn’t always true for Black Women. Black women are expected to show up in a way that makes others (more directly – White people) more comfortable working with them.
Black women are characterized as aggressive, ill-tempered, illogical, overbearing, hostile, and ignorant without provocation. They risk being viewed as erratic, irrational, fueled by anger and bitterness, yet more importantly, not viewed as future leaders.
Black women are continuously reminded to:
- Mind their words.
- Not to speak loudly.
- Remove any hint of inflection or ‘attitude.’
- Manage their body language and hand placement so as not to appear ‘threatening.’
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