blackandwhite

I am finally mentally prepared to give my spill on good ole’ American businesses and industries. Stated differently, the “good ole’ boys” of America that run the American businesses and industries. I’m almost 40 years old now and I’ve seen a number of industries (not related in commodity). I’ve seen them via working job assignments for them. Mostly temp jobs. Almost every job that I’ve gotten since Highschool was through some sort of agency (now that I look back). Jobs that I got in law firms, Smithkline-Beecham, and like industries, were the “good” jobs that I got through temp agencies. Non of which I could’ve walked in, applied for work directly, and got “in the door”. In Highschool, I worked Burger King, Bruno’s Grocery (Food World), Mr. Gatti’s Pizza, and a few others.

Just so you know, it took me 40 years on this earth to realize that black people are viewed as nothing more than labor. Not even the kind of ‘labor’ that deserves equal pay or teatment … but labor nonetheless. Applying for and getting jobs after Highschool was successful through temp agencies (like Manpower, for example). That was back when the Reagan recession was going on. What I noticed EVEN back then was how non-whites all worked in admin (desk jobs) in one capacity or another. Blacks and a few other minorities could get nothing but the low wage labor work. EMPLOYMENT AGENCIES EITHER FELL INTO ONE CATEGORY OR ANOTHER FOR BLACK FOLKS (in the 80’s and the early 90’s). They either staffed their company clients’ front of the office with white employees, and staffed the warehouse with their black applicants … OR … temp agencies back then would take it upon themselves to tell us blacks (and other non-whites) that the only positions open were in warehousing (but I’d have the newspaper want ads in hand reading differently). It was a horrible point-in-time for me personally. I was raised under the Martin Luther King doctrine, so, it was confusing for me to not be liked by whites for “no reason at all”. I didn’t understand it then, and I don’t now (20 years later). White boys were treated so differently in society back then. Even the ones that were inbred dumb-asses got better opportunity offers than clean-cut Black boys. Back then, older blacks would say in passing … “well, atleast you’ve got a job”, or, “keep your head up”. When I heard it, I’d get so upset b/c some of the guys that I played sports with at the Highschool were as well co-applicants … who became co-workers. I’d get upset at everybody that gave me the “atleast you’ve got a job” bullsmack. The guys that I mentioned from the Highschool were non-blacks (by the way). None of them worked on the assembly line where I was. Afterwards, I found out that they’d gotten on the job benefits and everything (medical, dental, vision, etc.) … Then, I really didn’t understand what job benefits were, or how important they should’ve been to me (NOTE: I can’t blame ANYONE for my ignorance to job benefits back then (but myself), I was a teen trying to find a career path). All I knew then was, there was a difference in the degrees of how I was reguarded by mgmt as opposed to non-blacks (like my friends from school that worked there). I was never treated with DISrespect, NONE of the blacks were (to my knowledge) … the treatment was just never “EQUAL”. That’s where the disconnection was born b/t whites and blacks in the work environment. Corporate and “non”. It wasn’t blatant racism then. I think the 1970’s and “affirmative action” changed the face of blatant racism. Racism still exists in the form of CYNICISM (SIC?). I don’t think much has changed since I was a kid.

The corporate mentality then was, “ALL WHITE is ALL RIGHT”, when it came to admin job positions … and in many cases it is the same today (I’ll touch on it later). As I got older and started really depending on my jobs for complete support, I started seeing so much discrepancy in the workplace as it related to the treatment of employees. The discrepancy was b/t the white employees and the non-white employees. As long as you were not a black person … you’d go far in many of the companies that I worked for. I’m not going to bore you any longer with my past work experiences, let’s fast forward to the present … 2009. I’ll mainly focus on what I’ve seen personally and recently in the workplace. I never even thought about how my experiences affected me until the CNN Special series “Black In America”. What I have experienced was a complete “system of exclusion”, being passed over for job promotions, training co-workers who ultimately became my bosses, this list goes on … nothing has really changed from the 1980’s until now. There has been a lot of legislature enacted in re: to “rasicm” and the stopping of preferential treatment of employees in the workplace. It’s only effective against BLATANT RACISM. Nonetheless, past and present legislation is not doing a thing to curve the childish squabbles, over-burdensome pettiness, “under the fingernail”/behind-the-back naysaying , back-biting antics, credit-stealing words, and phony-charactered phrases that blacks are forced to deal with in the workplace. “FORCED TO DEAL WITH IT” is the operative b/c if you say anything to anybody about how they affect you on the job … you will find yourself on the ‘fast track’ (depending on your length of service … the “silent” track) to the EXIT door w/ a pink slip. Black folks that got caught in this ‘catch-22′ , say AMEN.

Now that I think about it, in 2003-2004, Starbucks Coffee Company handed me a raw ‘expletive’ deal (for a lack of more appropriate phrases). Race and color of skin was a factor. I’ll get into that scenario in another post … meantime, I’ll stick with the race issues of my most recent job … which was working for an Electric Company in Decatur, Al. … and to whom I give credit for pushing me to the point of finally posting my thoughts online.

About 2 years ago, I started working for an Electric Company in Decatur, Al. The unspoken truth (but common knowledge to blacks here) is, that the ‘Field of Electricity’ is largely a white man’s trade. It’s the same perception in South Carolina and Georgia too. I say common knowledge to blacks (in re: to Electricians) b/c one way or another blacks got (or were either) “short-cut”, “re-assigned to non-electric but labor intense work”, or “fired/laid-off” for some ambiguous rule that is construed as an employee handbook violation before they have completed apprenticeships and put in the required time (work hours) for licensing/testing. It’s against the law to be a racist in the workplace. It’s not against the law to be a cynic (did I say this already?). The company has been sued repeatedly for racism but has gotten by the charges one way or another. It’s like a “shield” that protects them from liability. That’s where the “being-a-white boy shield” protects those ‘jaded’, ’spiteful’, ‘disrespectful’, ‘negative’ good ole’ boys I guess. I’ve personally felt the pressure of working under electricians that tell me positive things (over periods of months at a time), but they’d tell the powers that be back at the office that “I’m barely hangin’ on”, and other ‘bullish’ like that … with the intention of giving the impression to those at the main office that I’m not worthy of raises or promotions that were rightfully due me. That alone is not racist, but, over prolonged periods … it becomes overbearing … and reaks of prejudice. Truth be told, non-black men (that are in the position to … ) apply overburdensome pressure to blacks on the job and blame their actions on every thing other than what it is … “undue hatred”, & “prejudice at it’s basic level”.

It seems like now-a-days, a white man that owns a company feels like he is losing ground if a black man becomes confident enough to apply for a meager shift supervisor position with that company. It’s so prevalent that white women even see it (God forbid if they say anything though). White women get blacklisted by white men too. Especially those that choose to date black men (or other non-white men). Undoubtedly, that’s another article. It’s the damnest thing I’ve ever seen. I just don’t get it. It’s hard to smile at those that want to see you fail. I DON’T KNOW HOW PRESIDENT OBAMA DOES IT SO REGULARLY. It’s a trip being a black man in this country too. I know blatant racism is nowhere near what it was in the 50’s and 60’s, but sometimes it seems closer than I realize with all the cynics that smile in my face (appearing helpful & honest) but slaughter my reputation (when my back is turned) with the ‘higher uppers’ in the company that I work for.

Blacks and long term success in Corporate America almost sounds IRONIC. Blacks and jobs (period), for that matter. It’s really no suprise to me as to why so many Blacks cling to non-corporate, non-traditional means of making a living. Finding something you can create and control, and can feed your family from, is what most Black men yearn for. It’s the History of Blacks in Business in America. Most blacks will never find comfort in corporate settings, AND WE KNOW IT. It’s cool though … we just want the ole’ boys to stop hating on black men for trying … “trying” to make something out of nothing (’hello’ design, music, and theatre industries) … “trying” to co-exist in a land that says that we’re only fit to serve and slave for a cause that originally was not our own.

Either go along with the “program” (which is worse in some parts of the country than others, b/c of race relations), or don’t go along with the “program” AND BE JOBLESS.

Honestly speaking, if the world was ending in 3 hours … the only people that would be ready for it ARE BLACK MEN. While everybody else is running around trying to save wealth (and their possessions), while at the same time losing their minds … Black men as a whole would be lining up saying something like this;

“… brother Jesus, what took you so long? We’ve been waiting on you brother. We can’t get jobs, we’ve lost families, homes, possessions, respect from our own wives, we are regarded as the scum of this civilized society. There are oppressors and their presence is felt constantly. THIS NOT WHAT WE SIGNED ON FOR LORD JESUS. We’ve been waiting O’LORD … what took you so long to come back for us Jesus?” … (REAL TRUTH YA’LL)

I’m not a religion ‘FREAK’ or nothin’, but I can tell you that I’ll be on my knees praying, crying, and filled with joy-and-happiness when Jesus returns for my spirit … I have a whole lot to tell him, and a bunch of people to ‘blow the whistle’ on … just some food for thought.

Good luck to you WOMEN in search of equality in the workplace … Black Men are truly giving up …