Being Black in a Silicon Valley Start-Up

[⠀X ⠀]

What if all these nikka nerds, got together and created their own tech startup?

 

[EBK String]

I said on average not every black person.

 

[qwasi]

There’s an ongoing pattern that me and my buddies keep finding, and love to compare notes about: Supervisors at these places want their Black employees to have fun, but not really. It’s lip service. If you actually have fun, then everyone’s in trouble — but if you keep your head down and do your work, then people get nervous, and someone will say, “We just want to check in to make sure everything’s okay, that you’re not mad or whatever.” That I’m not mad.

There was a Coli Thread >> https://www.thecoli.com/threads/why-do-women-keep-remarking-that-i’m-quiet-at-work.653201/ << which discussed explored this TOPIC. OFC there's one side which argued being an anti-social reject is career suicide. On the other hand members stated their desire for self-sufficient work. @ThrobbingHood had the best summation posts without being a condescending dikkhead (some of the corporate fakkits in that thread need to come down their high-horse). People are hired for their expertise and competency -- everything else is a bonus.

A black man being reserved = threatening to them.

When it comes down to it, I can see the arguments from both sides.

Yes, we as black people are judged more harshly for being reserved in a work environment if we’re not over the top with our antics.

However, in the corporate world, you will not advance unless you’re friendly and social with your staff. That’s just how the world works. The guy who gets the highest sales/contracts is not necessarily going to get promoted.

The guy who has average sales but is loved by everyone, who keeps the staff motivated and gets involved in all the activities outside of work, will easily progress up the ladder.

We’re Black so there’s already one strike against us. Who do you think they’re going to hire? The quiet reserved black guy who’s the best when it comes to numbers but doesn’t hang out after work for drinks.

Or the white guy who they can relate to more, hang out with and be pals with?

It’s a bitter pill to swallow but that’s the world we live in. Hence why I’m my own boss. I knew I’m not the person to kiss ass and give a fukk about how somesone’s day has been so I never expected to advance far in the corporate world.

Pick your poison.