Businesses Are Duplicitous? They Promote BLM While Continuing To Discriminate Against Blacks At Work!

Many NYC Businesses are #Duplicitous; they claim to support and promote Black lives matter while continuing the practice of discrimination against Black people at work. These employers get away with this practice because discrimination is easily hidden in a system of pretense where companies promote black causes while hiding behind the veil of that cause or black friends. Moreover, the impact of the Idea of American Capitalism and democracy embedded in our psyche, (that we are better than others, that all are free and that life is a perfect competition with equal opportunities for all,) is an illogic or false truth that perpetuate this illusion within the Minds of the unassuming public that blinds us to these unfair practices. 

However, some biases in the work place are less obvious than others according to John Scwartz who conducted a study on “Why we’re not seeing any progress on diversity at work. He said that: Fairness, for example, is often tracked through looking at access to pay, promotions, and training, but that doesn’t show the whole picture.... Schwarz said that fairness can be quantified in things like time spent with managers, invitations to social events, access to information, even allotment of office space. And it’s these things, along with pay and promotions, that impact [Black and Brown] individual employees’ experience of being treated equitably or not. But these employees leave and nothing ever changes. 

So, if you have stories of racial inequities, discrimination and unfair practices at work and would like to bring light on this, please reach out to me so I can assist with broadcasting it. It’s important that we shed light on employers who pretend to be equal opportunity and fair game but practice “economies of scale” kind of equal opportunity and discrimination. This is important as oppression and discrimination can be and are often times subtle and done strategically, in secret and with deception. The Capitalist American Human eyes are blind to some of the most intricate and inhumane realities of this post-modern world. We are oblivious to the mechanical economic order that has created ‘invisible people’ usually of color and from the global south and as a consequence they are susceptible to economic and other exploitation. So, it is by having these conversations, pointing out instances of discrimination that we can slowly and eventually put an end to the perpetuation of systemic racism. 

Recently I was made aware of several Businesses in NYC that hire based on complexion and or “look”. So that if you’re too dark or “black” and have a beard you may not even get an interview. Many businesses have a “white look” policy that disqualifies blacks or very dark persons. And this policy and practice is subtle or not discussed publicly as part of the company’s policy; as it’s an unmentioned but practiced activity that is kept in secret or discussed casually and with great humor and glee in the office among senior staff over lunch. 

Another NYC company gave their black recruiter a hard time pressuring him/her to only hire black employees who “fit their culture”. The “Culture” we are referring to here is White” or “whitewashed”. He eventually left that company soon after as he found the policy to be racist, discriminatory and callous. In fact, Black executives or managers are just “figure heads” and symbols in these firms and workplaces that only hire black managers so that they can appear to be practicing affirmative action and equality because black leaders in these companies are expected to be seen but not heard, and to do what is told of them but never to have a difference of opinion or a suggestion or any power to effect anything less you are chastised as being unruly difficult and aggressive. 

I know this to be true as I was a senior manager for a company that mistreated blacks and did not expect me to have an opinion or suggestion as a senior manager and head of department.  If I disagreed or made a challenge it was rebuffed as insubordinate which I found backwards; as businesses should utilize the Team Approach. I eventually prayed asking God to let them terminate me and God answered me, within 30-45 mins as I got a call that I was being terminated for disagreeing with my COO for what.... I’m still trying to figure out that as nine was provided... but really I figured that it was my faithful prayer to God requesting other opportunities away from that firm that made it happen. I thought 🤔, “I’d rather go on NYC UE and bear the cost of giving up a huge income cut than work for one more white business that mistreats very educated and confident black women and men. Many White People don’t like that, you know, confident and educated blacks who can figure things out and make logical and determined calculations that produce results, if they (black leaders) do it’s not their doing, it’s another manager of a less darker persuasion. 
But in the end I started my own business with some partners and friends and went back to school to complete my PHD which I’m working on. Some make it as sports stars others like me are more prone to try academia and entrepreneurship if it works out. Because that too had it’s hiccups as funding for a black business is almost impossible and next to none, especially when it’s a new company that has a black president who never was a sports star or big name celebrity in the first place. 

It is rather commendable though, that many black persons in so-called leadership positions in white businesses are taking a stand by doing the only thing that they can actually lead on and that is leaving these companies so as to send a message that they must address racial divisions and inequities within their organizations. 

Further A 2012 study conducted by ASU University even suggested that Women and minorities' high quit rates, make corporate diversity difficult. Why? Companies are either too slow to or are not hiring minorities and if when they do, they make their lives so difficult with unfair expectations compared to other senior employees, pay them far less with more responsibilities and often work extremely hard and are forced to do things other white managers won’t do. 

In addition, a recent Wall Street Journal reported that “Demand for Chief Diversity Officers Is High. So Is Turnover”. This is because they are Frustrated by talk but little action and a lack of resources, and many diversity executives find themselves rotating through C-suites. 


For some, the expectations are incredible. The expectation is that black leaders in these firms must be seen but not heard, and some black leaders in white businesses, I call “houseslaves” or “whitewashed” persons who have special positions, sit and laugh with their white colleagues at other black persons whom they call ugly or unfit and uncouth only so as to hold on to their (Black) positions and “fake” prestige that is hinged on how well they remain white and stay in their dumbed down roles.

Worse yet, many black managers and executives in white businesses are not really managers but treated as clerical staffers or “glorified pets” who are used to control the lower lines/levels or a department staffed with mainly minorities to take on not very important tasks or minorities issues.  


Therefore, let’s work together to end workplace discrimination, unfair labor practices and injustice by looking 👀 and speaking out. If you can’t speak out, I will do it for you. So that no one can feel that they can get away with duplicity, or a pretense that involves jeopardizing black people’s lives at work while acting as if they are for blacks and equal opportunity. This is dangerous and perpetuates the violence if you’re silent. Some Companies even require employees to sign away their rights to speak out against injustice threatening loss of wages and termination, yet they say they are for equal rights and fairness when they require workers to SHUT THEIR MOUTHS!

But I must hasten to say that it is by speaking out that we know and find support to fight with you and confront evil as corporations are big but the human race is bigger. It is When we share our stories with each other that we can pull together and press for change. It is by investigating, questioning and highlighting instances of inequity and racial or any social injustice that we can stop it. Let us continue to be vigilant in looking for those instances and bringing them to the fore for scrubbing and debate so that we can satisfy ourselves and our fellowman that justice is being done and guard against injustice and privilege and those who use the strategy of cover up and fake support to veil their hypocrisy! 

After writing this article and posting it. Days later I read a tweet where Shaquille O’Neal is doing something about it. So I tweeted:#Wednesday: #Businesses Are #Duplicitous? They Promote #BLM While Continuing To Discriminate Against #Blacks At #Work! https://lnkd.in/g9CjN3Z. But thanks to #ShaquilleOneal and American Express Black’s can now start their own businesses! Read and apply for a grant below: ShaquilleOneal: “#Black-owned #smallbusinesses need our help. I am proud to help @AmericanExpress launch the Coalition to Back Black Businesses grant program for U.S. Black-owned small businesses. Applications are open! Learn more and apply here: ShopSmall.com. #AmexAmbassador #ShopSmall”