One of the greatest “magic tricks” companies pull off is the illusion of equity and inclusion operating in the workplace.

Sleight of Hand—

designed to manipulate and leverage a “recipient of honor” and to deceive watchers; relies upon misdirection, psychological manipulation, timing, story

Bait and Reel in—

designed to lure in a “catch” with promises; relies upon knowledge of the “perfect bait” to ensure “catch is reeled in”

Consider, for a moment, Jackie and Darryl.

Earlier this year, Company X, founded in 1976, hired Jackie as its FIRST ever Black [insert position].

What gets reported…

Company X is welcoming onboard Jackie, its first Black [insert position]. Jackie brings with her more than 30 years of experience and….. (distract with Jackie’s background)

At Company Y, Darryl is the ONLY Black [insert position] employed by his U.S. based organization of 72,000 employees.

What gets said…

Darryl’s impeccable qualifications have made him successful in the role, and we will continue to source qualified Black talent for the role of [insert position]….. (deflect to implicit “common” narrative about inability to find Black talent)

What does not get reported or said but should get reported and said about both these companies is this…..

The exclusionary and discriminatory system of whiteness operating at Companies X and Y is blocking Black people from access to career opportunities.

Instead, though, too many of us get giddy about “the newsworthy one” and fall prey to deflection and distraction that keep us focused on the symbolic “concession” of a company that’s “allowed” one of us to be “proof of DEI.”

Sure. Go ahead, if you’d like, and “congratulate” Jackie and Darryl while….

also recognizing IT for what IT is.

The

“first Black this”

or

“only Black that”

is a

NARRATIVE OF SHAME

for organizations, for society, for this country.

Once “the firsts” and “the onlys” make headlines for their respective companies and go on to serve (knowingly or unknowingly) as their company’s “DEI currency,” are we periodically checking back to see how it’s going?

Too many of us know from experience that being “the first” or “the only” at a company comes with…

Automatic Career Hazards

Here are just a few:

• being judged and evaluated not as an individual but as representation of all Black people
• having to prove oneself constantly by working twice as hard and delivering twice as much
• feeling compelled to align with a white vision of a “professionally approved, controllable Black self” in order to meet “success standards”
• being subjected to frequent racial microaggressions that masquerade as compliments from “well-intentioned” folks with minimal awareness and minimal desire to acquire any

In other words, the environment in which “the first” or “the only” is required to perform is often one of emotional and psychological unsafety, of inequity, of non-inclusivity, of eggshell-walking, of assimilation, etc.

A Day in the Life at Work for Jackie and Darryl

Jackie was among several team members in a meeting yesterday that expressed their view on a topic. After the meeting, Jackie’s manager pulled her aside to tell her that everybody felt uncomfortable because she was too aggressive and that next time she should strive to present herself in a more agreeable tone.

During a one-on-one last week with his manager, Darryl was informed that his chances for a promotion would increase if he didn’t insist on wearing his hair in locs which make him “threatening to everybody.” (“everybody” is understood as melanin-deficient people)

Ironically, the Jackies and Darryls of any company are themselves living embodiments of a faux DEI

which prioritizes….

• acquisition of Black bodies
• Black representation without inclusion
• Black compliance with “rules of whiteness”

Spotlight of Attention

When the focus is on celebrating Jackie as “the first” and recognizing Darryl as “the only,” Jackie and Darryl become the spotlight of attention that shifts our gaze away from important questions like this that go unasked and unanswered:

“Why hasn’t Company X hired a Black [insert position] before Jackie?”

“Why, out of 72,000 employees, does Company Y have no other Black [insert position] besides Darryl?”

“How are we holding leadership accountable for hiring, promoting, and retention?”

When focus is not kept on exclusionary or discriminatory policies and practices to be tackled but rather shifts to “celebratory mode,” companies will keep getting away with “it.”

Narratives of Shame Use Deflection and Distraction

Deflection and distraction allow companies to pull off what they want us to see instead of what actually is. They give our eyes and brain something else on which to focus, even though our brain is aware of the ongoing reality of inequities and disparities. It’s basically the same thing magicians do—directing our attention to something “unimportant” so we don’t notice their real moves.

“Big name” companies often publish their annual DEI report and make it available to employees as well as to the public. When you examine it closely, has the DEI report checked the box on DEI by trafficking in whiteness-centered intersectional identities (i.e., melanin-deficient cis hetero women, melanin-deficient LGBTQIA+) and lacking in Black identities, but yet positioning the report as “DEI gains”?

Companies are known for playing these three main cards when it comes faux DEI that pivots away from the relative lack of Black employees:

1. “the woman card”
2. “the LGBTQIA+ card”
3. “the POC card”

Flip the Script

True DEI work includes confronting harmful narratives and beliefs, reframing them in ways that reveal the reality, and taking action to address the reality.

We can’t take action when we buy into faulty or incomplete narratives.

The fuller-picture will reveal additional narratives of shame for companies and their leadership when it comes to Black folks specifically.

For example…..

• Much “job-hopping” is the failure of companies to remedy toxic work environments and ensure the safety and well-being of Black employees.
• Many terminations are an act of retaliation by a company that is reacting to truth, feedback, a report filed, etc.
• Black folks don’t quit jobs; company leadership fails to take action to address a racially toxic environment—action that’s necessary to retain Black talent.
• Labels of “aggressive,” “angry,” or “threatening” stem from insecurity and/or a desire to regulate and control Black bodies.
• Accusations of “unprofessionalism” are a company’s hypocrisy regarding its alleged commitment to employees’ “authentic self” and “belonging.”

 What else?