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Yeah I know it is 1:30 a.m. but I can't sleep cuz I had my first car accident today and it shook me up quite a bit.
So I am up thinking about my life and thought I'd purge my soul here since Mr. Marie is sound asleep [img]/forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/rolleyes.gif[/img]
Increasingly I am finding it hard being black in the workplace. This stems from New York where with my degree I was told in no uncertain terms to empty the trash bin and water plants.
I have shown up for closings and despite my crisp suits (back when mi coulda fit inna Ann Taylor) and criss shoes, I was told, not asked to fetch water, all of which I replied to with a smile, for you see, if I should have responded, I would have only been placed not as a woman facing issues that need to be addressed, but the angry black woman syndrome.
As a foreigner, when I came here I was annoyed at my fellow blacks who complained, all through school they would complain about these very same issues and I'd say "geez, get over it already" but damn when it faces you, it really hits hard and NOW I understand.
I have been in meetings where they are figuring out stuff, I know the answer and I say it, and everyone ignores me, therefore I sit there for another 40 minutes only to hear them come to the conclusion I stated 40 minutes earlier.
Presently I am working for an investment company as I thought the legal profession was the problem, they are great but it is the same.
Case in point, I was given the command to draft a document and I very proud of my legal writing skills, so I drafted what I thought was an excellent document, well, I sat in the attorney's office (of the investment company) and watched him mark my work up, I didn't mind but what ticked me off was the actual outcome. It read as though a brainless idiot wrote the document. Important points were not addressed and theretofore and hereunder was used where it shouldn't have been and it was a mess, I changed the legend to read written by Marie K and edited by [idiot attorney name].
The person sitting beside me constantly comes into my office to tell me how smart I am, you know, like how Barak is articulate and clean, I smile because if I respond it wont be a victim of racism brand that I am getting but the angry black woman syndrome that I am facing.
I am friends with a familiar with a Jamaican radio personality who actually left his corporate america job for the same reason. Antoher brother I know left his 120K a year job at Verizon for the same reason.
In New York, I was told that if I worked overtime then I have to charge it, the problem was, I felt it was unfair to charge the overtime to teh client because during the day I was doing administrative work so I switched it around to client oriented work during the day and admin at night, I was then told I can't do that so I laid out my work schedule for the supervisor and all that amounted to was "look, we realise that the duties keep piling up but tell me are you incapable?" huh? what did I miss. I was the only one in my team bringing in an above excellent turnaround, I was the only one clients were calling but ok. I let it slide.
A few months later I was put on bedrest and the white temp who followed me got an assistant and duties taken away, yes that's right, the princess got the duties from my desk taken away.. It's not that I didn't ask, I did, so now a black woman has taken the job and she called to talk to me (I told her to call me w/ any questions, even though I'd resigned my position) she told me that the duties are piling up and w/ no training she has not a clue.
I have been told to reschedule doctor appointments, something my white coworkers have never been told to do, I have also been told that starting a family will affect my work. (you see why I had to leave NY)
Now back to the present, I was out sick last week w/ the flu, I had an accident this a.m. and was late to work and ticked off as heck cuz I loved my car, so I got there after Mr. Marie dropped me off. Right off coworker #1 said "oh your husband doesn't work" my response was "today is not the day ok" and shut my door.
Now this is the same coworker who last week told me that the part of town I was travelling to on business was really bad, ghetto fabulous indeed was the term she used, then she smiled and said, "unless u wanna be around yo brothers and sistas heeyyyyyy" complete this statement with a head roll and the hand up as we have been portrayed to act in the media.
I could go on and on about my experiences both NY and the south and truth be told it was worse in NY but here in GA I am getting tired.
I've tried disucssing this w/ my boss but he seems to think I am being overly sensitive.
I feel I have to cover my butt. If I give the attorney something to review I am met with "I don't have time, what is this you are giving me," or his favorite "where did you get this information, is it credible" and many times I've wanted to answer "no idiot I pulled the info out of my but" but I smile and say "yes it is credible, I hope so, it came from you, remember"
Today he downright told me he didn't review a contract and accused me of sending it out without him seeing it, I pulled out my backup and showed where HE marked up teh contract then he said "oh, but did you send it out" I said yes because it was over due. He said "well I didn't know you were sending it out" I said "Gee, I didn't know we were not sending out contract, I thought we did, my mistake, so what is the new policy for contracts" that shut him up.
Now don't get me wrong, I dont submit, I always stand up, I have NEVER gotten that water, or emptied the garbage, infact, I had the email requesting me to empty the garbage and I blasted teh company with an email attachign the email I received with a comment. I am NOT a pushover but I have been very diplomatic in my answers so far but I am pushing 30 and with that comes a whole new outlook, you know, the kind that makes u want to tell teh world to kiss your posterior. Yup that's the one.
Maybe I should write a book?
I knew I was leaving NY anyway and who cares but at least the admins of these other firms knew about this jerk.
sigh
Trust me I have never appreciated Jamaica more, I see my cousin and his wife kicking but in corporate JA and understand why, after the many offers of a free new house they chose to NOT live in the US
your thoughts on thsi would be appreciated. I am curious to knwo if anyone else has experienced this in corporate america
So I am up thinking about my life and thought I'd purge my soul here since Mr. Marie is sound asleep [img]/forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/rolleyes.gif[/img]
Increasingly I am finding it hard being black in the workplace. This stems from New York where with my degree I was told in no uncertain terms to empty the trash bin and water plants.
I have shown up for closings and despite my crisp suits (back when mi coulda fit inna Ann Taylor) and criss shoes, I was told, not asked to fetch water, all of which I replied to with a smile, for you see, if I should have responded, I would have only been placed not as a woman facing issues that need to be addressed, but the angry black woman syndrome.
As a foreigner, when I came here I was annoyed at my fellow blacks who complained, all through school they would complain about these very same issues and I'd say "geez, get over it already" but damn when it faces you, it really hits hard and NOW I understand.
I have been in meetings where they are figuring out stuff, I know the answer and I say it, and everyone ignores me, therefore I sit there for another 40 minutes only to hear them come to the conclusion I stated 40 minutes earlier.
Presently I am working for an investment company as I thought the legal profession was the problem, they are great but it is the same.
Case in point, I was given the command to draft a document and I very proud of my legal writing skills, so I drafted what I thought was an excellent document, well, I sat in the attorney's office (of the investment company) and watched him mark my work up, I didn't mind but what ticked me off was the actual outcome. It read as though a brainless idiot wrote the document. Important points were not addressed and theretofore and hereunder was used where it shouldn't have been and it was a mess, I changed the legend to read written by Marie K and edited by [idiot attorney name].
The person sitting beside me constantly comes into my office to tell me how smart I am, you know, like how Barak is articulate and clean, I smile because if I respond it wont be a victim of racism brand that I am getting but the angry black woman syndrome that I am facing.
I am friends with a familiar with a Jamaican radio personality who actually left his corporate america job for the same reason. Antoher brother I know left his 120K a year job at Verizon for the same reason.
In New York, I was told that if I worked overtime then I have to charge it, the problem was, I felt it was unfair to charge the overtime to teh client because during the day I was doing administrative work so I switched it around to client oriented work during the day and admin at night, I was then told I can't do that so I laid out my work schedule for the supervisor and all that amounted to was "look, we realise that the duties keep piling up but tell me are you incapable?" huh? what did I miss. I was the only one in my team bringing in an above excellent turnaround, I was the only one clients were calling but ok. I let it slide.
A few months later I was put on bedrest and the white temp who followed me got an assistant and duties taken away, yes that's right, the princess got the duties from my desk taken away.. It's not that I didn't ask, I did, so now a black woman has taken the job and she called to talk to me (I told her to call me w/ any questions, even though I'd resigned my position) she told me that the duties are piling up and w/ no training she has not a clue.
I have been told to reschedule doctor appointments, something my white coworkers have never been told to do, I have also been told that starting a family will affect my work. (you see why I had to leave NY)
Now back to the present, I was out sick last week w/ the flu, I had an accident this a.m. and was late to work and ticked off as heck cuz I loved my car, so I got there after Mr. Marie dropped me off. Right off coworker #1 said "oh your husband doesn't work" my response was "today is not the day ok" and shut my door.
Now this is the same coworker who last week told me that the part of town I was travelling to on business was really bad, ghetto fabulous indeed was the term she used, then she smiled and said, "unless u wanna be around yo brothers and sistas heeyyyyyy" complete this statement with a head roll and the hand up as we have been portrayed to act in the media.
I could go on and on about my experiences both NY and the south and truth be told it was worse in NY but here in GA I am getting tired.
I've tried disucssing this w/ my boss but he seems to think I am being overly sensitive.
I feel I have to cover my butt. If I give the attorney something to review I am met with "I don't have time, what is this you are giving me," or his favorite "where did you get this information, is it credible" and many times I've wanted to answer "no idiot I pulled the info out of my but" but I smile and say "yes it is credible, I hope so, it came from you, remember"
Today he downright told me he didn't review a contract and accused me of sending it out without him seeing it, I pulled out my backup and showed where HE marked up teh contract then he said "oh, but did you send it out" I said yes because it was over due. He said "well I didn't know you were sending it out" I said "Gee, I didn't know we were not sending out contract, I thought we did, my mistake, so what is the new policy for contracts" that shut him up.
Now don't get me wrong, I dont submit, I always stand up, I have NEVER gotten that water, or emptied the garbage, infact, I had the email requesting me to empty the garbage and I blasted teh company with an email attachign the email I received with a comment. I am NOT a pushover but I have been very diplomatic in my answers so far but I am pushing 30 and with that comes a whole new outlook, you know, the kind that makes u want to tell teh world to kiss your posterior. Yup that's the one.
Maybe I should write a book?
I knew I was leaving NY anyway and who cares but at least the admins of these other firms knew about this jerk.
sigh
Trust me I have never appreciated Jamaica more, I see my cousin and his wife kicking but in corporate JA and understand why, after the many offers of a free new house they chose to NOT live in the US
your thoughts on thsi would be appreciated. I am curious to knwo if anyone else has experienced this in corporate america
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