Happy Tuesday! Day 2 of this week already, and we’re still on our professional best…
As Mother’s Day is fast approaching, many a professional mom and corporate sister are certainly thinking about what it means to be a minority, a woman, and a mom at work…that is, if you even have time to think! So we at The Corporate Sister, want to take some time this week to recognize the continuous struggles and successes of minority women and moms at work, by highlighting some of the many stories around us.
Take Alesha for instance. Alesha has two young children under the age of 5, and works full-time as a banking branch manager. Alesha is an African-American mom, wife and professional.
This morning, as every morning, Alesha got the kids ready, dropped one off at daycare and the other at pre-school. Upon arriving at work, she stepped onto a hostile interaction between one of her team members and an angry customer. As she attempted to intervene, the customer, who also happens to be Caucasian male, rudely requested to speak to the manager in charge.
As she calmly replied that she was the manager in charge, he gave her the most incredulous look, turned around and said “Well, then, no wonder this place is terrible! Don’t they train you to do your job?”
After the irate customer left, Alesha went into the bathroom, sat on the toilet seat and just buried her face in her hands. This was not the first negative customer experience she’s ever had, and would certainly not be the last. So why was she so angry? All she could hear in her clouded mind were the words “Black”, “female” and “incompetent”. Despite all her experience, potential and ability, she was constantly reminded that as a minority woman and mom at work, she may just never be enough! As she lifted her eyes and looked up at her watch, she noticed it was only 9am. And she had to call the pediatrician to reschedule the little one’s appointment, since an impromptu meeting had come up at work this afternoon.
How many more of us go through similar situations at work, trying to justify our very presence? How many more wonder if after all, being a minority, a woman and a mom is just too much? Yet we continuously strive for better…
Are you a woman, minority and mom at work? If so, would you like to share your experience?
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