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- The Bloom Report Vol 7 [Bloomology]
The Bloom Report Vol 7 [Bloomology]
News, Resources, Opportunities, and Possibilities for Black and Brown women working in tech
Jen Talks Tech
July 07, 2023
A safe space for Black women in tech to flourish and live life in full bloom
Welcome To Friday!
Finally made it to the completion number. Yes, this is the seventh edition of The Bloom Report and that’s what I’m celebrating.
I’ve been thinking about celebrating the journey lately and what it looks like in real life. That means not calling wins small and celebrating failure as continued progress. Reframing what it means to continue journeying, pausing, and pivoting instead of quitting.
When was the last time you paused or saw failure as just a part of your journey?
I love that for you by the way! Celebrate that!
This week at work I was reminded again of the emotional and mental toll it takes for Black women to wear a mask at work and pretend like you care enough not to get fired. It’s exhausting! I’m not talking about laughing at stupid jokes and acting like you can fit into weirdo subculture. Or I’m not talking about having to be twice as good for half of the pay or recognition (that’s a story for another day and I’ll share how I overcome this regularly).
I’m talking about when you have to pretend to write things on your performance review when you have no interest or plans on improving them this year. Or when your boss is talking about…. “you need to do this laundry list of things, on top of your current job duties”, when the whole time you’re not doing another extra thing because you plan to leave the company and give yourself a promotion! Of course, you can’t just say that, but it’s baggage you’re carrying emotionally or mentally. It’s the performative nature of it all for me!
Or what about when your manager, repeatedly asked you if you are happy and enjoying the work you’re doing, basically trying to finesse you into admitting that you have been applying and interviewing or that you’re checked out. I’m really confused on this one because unless you have a mentor/sponsor relationship with your manager, why would you expose your hand? What benefit is it to a Black, female employee in vanilla bean, Corporate America to tell her manager that she is actively applying and interviewing for better and more aligned roles. Especially in this bargain basement economy, layoffs rampant and recession looming. ISSA NO for me friends for obvious reasons!
Just so you know….The emotional tax is often referred to as the “Black Tax,” because of its particular impact on Black people. The emotional tax means the heightened experience of being treated differently from peers due to race/ethnicity or gender, creating negative effects on health and feelings of isolation and making it difficult to thrive at work.
Data shows that, while a majority of Black survey respondents reported facing discrimination, those with college or higher education experience were even more likely to say they have been affected. As many as 62% of Black workers in STEM fields—as compared to 44% of Asians, 42% of Hispanics and 13% of whites—revealed they have experienced various forms of racial or ethnic discrimination at work, including earning less than a coworker with the same role and receiving less support than their peers from managers.
Nearly 60% of women experience this and this type of environment means many Black women carry an invisible weight at work. The state of being on guard — and consciously preparing to deal with potential bias or discrimination — leads to a significant emotional tax on overall health and wellness.
So no. I will never share this information because I do what is in my best interest and what serves me professionally. I encourage other Black and Brown women in corporate to do the same. When a company is getting ready to fire you or do massive layoffs will they give you a heads-up or let you know in advance?
Move accordingly sis! You deserve main character behavior!
Have a good weekend friends!
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