Pop Out and Show ‘Em – How Anti-Black Racism Shows Up in the Everyday
This Black History Month, Black History has been made. Not only did Beyonce win the grammy for Best Country Album, Kendrick Lamar also won five Grammys. Then just a week later, Lamar decided to ‘pop out and show em’-serving the masses a bit of red pill realness during one of the most watched events of the year: the Super Bowl. Every element of the performance was masterfully constructed with artistic nuance, coded symbolism and the rebellious spirit of a freedom fighter. And yet the clear divide in the responses to his performance are reflective of the current divide in America-a divide that Lamar depicted with an American Flag made of Black bodies that was split in half.
Though the reasons why the US is so divided are nuanced, a major component is the disagreement on if and how racism still exists in America. Many believe that there now exists an anti-white racism and that the lack of diversity in Lamar’s performance was an example of this. These critiques persist despite numerous examples of racially homogenous performances in prior half time shows where the headliner was white. This
bias along with the propensity to be overly critical of Black artistry and the erasure of Black history from US history, influences the everyday reality of Black Americans-from dwelling place to workplace and every place in-between. The persistence of these issues has aided in the lack of knowledge around the extensive social, economic, technological and other contributions of Black people towards building the US and making it the powerhouse it is today. And there are powers at play now that are working to ensure this remains the case.
Unfortunately, receiving little to no recognition for contributions has been a central part of the Black experience. From the creation of the cotton gin to the cell phone, Black ingenuity most frequently gets accredited to white men. Often doing more with less and finding innovative ways to sustain themselves, the strength and fortitude it has taken Black people to exist and persist in spaces historically reserved for “Whites Only” is still incredibly relevant. You may ask how this can be in a society that claims to be colorblind. Let’s talk about it.
Psst. I See Black People – The Visibility of Black Identity
I am a US-born Black woman with milk chocolatey, almond brown skin and nappy 4c hair. I am on one end, inescapably visible in professional and academic spaces and on the other, invisible in the social structure and considerations of these spaces. I am hyper-visible when it comes to scrutiny yet invisible when it comes to recognition and advancement. Unlike other aspects of my identity—such as being a mother, scholar, entrepreneur, or even being heterosexual—my race is not something that I can conceal. Like many Black American women though, conforming to White, Eurocentric beauty standards has been positioned as a social, romantic, and professional necessity through media since birth. However, despite any attempts to conform by modifying hair or bleaching skin, race remains a visible marker that shapes the professional experiences of Black women and Black people more broadly in ways that it does not for other groups.
At the same time this occurs, the salience of Black invisibility in the workplace permeates in the people, the policies, the products and the politics of organizations along with the often performative ways of interacting with communities of color. And even still, it is because of Black people and the unique needs, insights and abilities to address more diverse needs that major corporations have been able to penetrate new markets, thus profiting hand over fist.
More than A Minor Issue – Identity in Professional Spaces
In more ways than one, who we are at our core is more than skin deep and stays with us no matter the efforts one may take to conceal it. Identities encompass our values and beliefs, including those we may choose to hide at work (e.g. sexual orientation), perhaps more so than those we try to project. This is also true of racist ideologies, that affect cognition even when individuals claim colorblindness. For Black professionals, this means navigating workplaces where identity is both a source of strength and a potential target for bias and discrimination. Black professionals frequently encounter barriers that their peers do not, from biased hiring practices (Bertrand & Mullainathan, 2004; Livingston, 2021 ) to limited access to mentorship and leadership opportunities (Livingston, Rosette & Washington, 2012; McDonald & Westphal, 2013). Research regarding strategic management and entrepreneurship also consistently demonstrates that Black professionals are often strategically hindered and face systemic disadvantages (Enchautegui, 1997), including barriers to funding and loss of earning potential (Ray, 2019; Bruton et al., 2023). These challenges are then compounded by workplace cultures that prioritize superficial diversity metrics over substantive inclusion and equity efforts.
The dual burden of performing professional roles while also managing the emotional labor of combating stereotypes and microaggressions can be exhausting. Yet, despite these challenges, Black professionals continue to make significant contributions across various industries-from beauty and haircare to technology. Their resilience and innovation drive progress, often in environments that fail to fully appreciate or recognize their efforts. The erasure of Black contributions is not accidental; it is an intentional systemic practice that reinforces racial hierarchies and restricts access to resources, opportunities, and upward mobility, as well as who we think is worthy of such access (Pager & Shepherd, 2008; Ray, 2019; Livingston, 2021). Further, this erasure not only undermines individual professionals but also deprives organizations and society of the full benefits of diverse perspectives and talents.
Conclusion
If Black people have contributed so much despite systemic constraints, imagine the possibilities if those barriers were removed. To that end, the experiences discussed necessitate more than performative DEI initiatives. It demands a commitment to recognizing and valuing the contributions of Black professionals, addressing systemic barriers, and fostering environments where all employees can thrive-which many companies have yet to do despite touting DEI initiatives over the years.
So, as you go about celebrating the rest of Black History Month, I press upon you the necessity of acknowledging the significant contributions of Black professionals and confront the systemic barriers that impede their progress. While organizations must move beyond surface-level diversity metrics and engage in critical self-reflection about their practices and policies, that starts with you. This involves examining how systemic biases manifest within just as much as in the workplace and taking concrete steps to dismantle these barriers. By doing so, organizations can create spaces where Black professionals are not only present but are also empowered to lead and innovate, which will ultimately create more inclusive and equitable professional environments that honor and uplift the contributions of all individuals.
References
Bertrand, M., & Mullainathan, S. (2004). Are Emily and Greg more employable than Lakisha and Jamal? A field experiment on labor market discrimination. American economic review, 94(4), 991-1013.
Bruton, G. D., Lewis, A., Cerecedo-Lopez, J. A., & Chapman, K. (2023). A racialized view of entrepreneurship: A review and proposal for future research. Academy of Management Annals, 17(2), 492-515.
Enchautegui, M. E. (1997). Do minority-owned businesses get a fair share of government contracts?
Livingston, R. (2021). The conversation: How seeking and speaking the truth about racism can radically transform individuals and organizations. Crown Currency.
Livingston, R. W., Rosette, A. S., & Washington, E. F. (2012). Can an agentic Black woman get ahead? The impact of race and interpersonal dominance on perceptions of female leaders. Psychological science, 23(4), 354-358.
McDonald, M. L., & Westphal, J. D. (2013). Access denied: Low mentoring of women and minority first-time directors and its negative effects on appointments to additional boards. Academy of Management Journal, 56(4), 1169-1198.
Pager, D., & Shepherd, H. (2008). The sociology of discrimination: Racial discrimination in employment, housing, credit, and consumer markets. Annu. Rev. Sociol, 34(1), 181- 209.
Ray, V. (2019). A theory of racialized organizations. American sociological review, 84(1), 26-53.
