Women of Color in corporate world – bushtvblog.wordpress.com

As we celebrate (or don’t celebrate) Valentine’s Day today, there’s another love-hate relationship that we wish would be discussed more often…and that is, this “I love you but I really hate you” relationship between women of color and the corporate world.

Yes, we love to hear and talk about diversity in the workplace, and how “leaning in” will help all women (really, all women?) achieve their true potential while making corporations even more profitable and successful. We, as women of color especially, are inspired and encouraged by talks of inclusiveness in the workplace. We smile when the Forbes List of Most Powerful Women features the likes of Rosalind Brewer (President and Chief Executive of Sam’s Club), Ursula Burns (CEO of Xerox), or Indra Nooyi (CEO of Pepsico), not to mention the Oprah Winfreys and Michelle Obamas of this world…And corporations smile as well, when their efforts at inclusiveness and diversity are rewarded with a very much public applause, along with a healthy stock price boost. And why would anyone not love this, all would be well in the best of worlds, right…Hmmm…

Yet, as we dig deeper into the reality of what it means to be a woman of color in the corporate space, we start uncovering the “hate” part of this eternally controversial relationship. That’s when we start seeing how truly difficult and challenging it is for women of color to push back against the barriers of “otherness” in corporations. We start realizing that where there is a glass ceiling for most women, for women and color and minorities in the workplace, there are not just ceilings. There are ceilings, and doors, and windows ( locked shut with iron locks and bolts), all made of the most solid brick and mortar. Centuries-old barriers of pre-conceived notions, antiquated ideas around race and gender, that are still very much prevalent in the corporate space. The gift of a heavy historical  legacy, adorned with the strongest pinkish bow of mental, political and social resistance from both sides of the negotiation table. As we, corporate sisters, blame the patriarchal, traditional institutional powers in place, we also, and many times unconsciously, resist it enough strongly enough to slow our own progress, even to a complete, tragic and unfortunate stop.

In any relationship, there are two sides of the fence. And while it’s not necessarily greener on the other side, we may need to take a look at this controversial, much decried love-hate relationship we’ve been entertaining with Mr. Corporate. While waging war on gender and racial stereotypes may bring about social change, and comfort us in the process, understanding the role we play (and those we refuse to play) in this tough, but unavoidable partnership, may just reveal the truth of it all…

And if you ask me, it’s about time for a much-deserved, long-time coming love truce between these two…

The Corporate Sister