Event Reflections: Black Women At Work — On Refusal and Recovery
BLACK WOMEN AT WORK RECAP:
Black women have historically been expected to perform care work, both in the workplace and at home.
Protests against police killings of Black people and the onset of the pandemic in 2020 put even more pressure on many of us to provide labor in the form of care.
Historical patterns of discrimination can make work experiences feel like déjà vu to us.
Refusal and recovery are tools for restoring our whole selves. Setting boundaries creates room for us to cultivate wellness and joy for ourselves.
BEING SILENCED.
HAVING YOUR WORK CO-OPTED BY PEERS.
QUESTIONING IF YOU ARE QUALIFIED ENOUGH TO BE IN THE ROOM.
These workplace experiences are familiar to many Black women, often reinforced and invisiblized by a dominant culture that is both racist and sexist. The relentlessness of these experiences can leave us overworked, overstimulated, and undernourished.
These patterns of discrimination inspired Dr. Wendi Williams’ new book, Black Women at Work: On Refusal and Recovery. Dr. Wendi is a psychologist, academic, and organizational development expert specializing in culturally responsive interventions. On March 8, 2023—International Women’s Day—BlackFemaleProject hosted a virtual reading of Dr. Wendi’s book and a discussion of our related shared experiences.
Dr. Wendi began by breaking down some of the forces behind oppressive environments for Black women. The COVID-19 pandemic, for example, exacerbated pre-existing work stress. This was especially true in healthcare and teaching jobs, positions in which Black women are overrepresented. When our frayed social safety net abandoned Black families and Black communities, we stood in the gaps ourselves.
Dr. Wendi also elevated the intense wave of politicized misogynoir in the wake of the election of Donald Trump. White men in positions of power felt more emboldened to disrespect and belittle high-profile Black women. Dr. Wendi cites how now-Vice President, Kamala Harris; seasoned journalist, April Ryan; and candid Congresswoman, Maxine Waters were all insulted in very public situations, meant to make them appear, feel, and act smaller. The #BlackWomenAtWork conversation, started by Brittany Packnett-Cunningham’s hashtag, offered a space for Black women to rediscover all over again how similar our experiences are.
When Dr. Wendi asked, “Can you relate?”, the virtual chat lit up with a chorus of personal stories from Black women at every career stage—echoes of unjust terminations, chronic illness spurred by mistreatment, legal battles, self neglect, and gaslighting. It was a collective affirmation.
But if these experiences are consistent and shared among so many Black women, then the solutions can be, too.
Dr. Wendi’s research reveals that the pandemic also gave Black women some breathing room through the transition to remote work. Interacting with colleagues virtually means fewer opportunities to experience microaggressions and other forms of discrimination. Some Black women found more freedom by quitting their jobs and becoming entrepreneurs—the ultimate refusal.
For those who can’t work from home, quit jobs, or access capital to start businesses, Dr. Wendi offers smaller, more practical ways to practice refusal and recovery. She elevates the importance of setting boundaries around time and relationships and prioritizing our wellness. “An act of refusal is to say ‘yes’ to the things that bring you joy,” she says. To maintain her own work-life balance, she disconnects from work at 5pm sharp, spends her mornings reading, and regularly spends time in nature.
By the end of the session, the group was expressing deeply and feeling ready to reimagine their immediate futures as well-fed, well-hydrated, well-rested beings. Dr. Wendi reminded us that we can start the journey toward our new reality right now: “The first refusal is the refusal of giving your soul over,” she explained. “That is very quiet, and it doesn’t require any outward behavior.”
