The myth of bringing your full, authentic self to work

From recipes, full color photos of gold-plated name plate necklaces and interviews with Black creators across disciplines and mediums, Black Futures is a dynamic anthology that seeks to answer the question: What does it mean to be Black and alive today? Black Futures embodies how culture and possibilities expand when people of color create space to explore our own authenticity through our own gaze.

Toni Morrison was a novelist, essayist, editor and educator who centered everyday Black people in their everyday lives with unwavering focus and commitment. Unapologetically so. She critiqued the white gaze on her work and protected the needs of her characters and audience throughout her career. Morrison’s life and work can be used as an example of the culture we can have when Black creatives center themselves. As Morrison once stated, “Being a black woman writer is not a shallow place but a rich place to write from. It doesn't limit my imagination; it expands it.”

A podcast created and hosted by Roxane Gay and Tressie McMillian Cottom that lives up to its promise of being a “Black feminist podcast of your dreams.” Centering mostly women of color — Black women specifically, and those whose identities have been marginalized in some way — they interview guests who offer their expertise on an array of critical topics impacting our society today from intellectual property as a Black creative, the fat tax and ending student loan debt as a tool for racial equity.

The Cancer Journals chronicles not only Audre Lorde’s battle with cancer, but her path towards self-discovery, understanding trauma and a roaring declaration that, “your silence will not protect you.” Lorde’s cancer journey sits inextricably alongside her condemning examination of racism’s destruction of the body, the psyche and our society at large.

The strength and resilience required to combat racism comes at a cost. Our health. Systemic racism, including racism at work, is a public health crisis. David R. Williams’ talk helps bring a level of urgency to fixing workplaces cultures.

Being yourself at work as a person of color may create personal and professional risks, especially in environments that do not have a structural and sustainable anti-racist practices. Erika Stallings’s article highlights the bait and switch of the Halloween party analogy described in the talk. Her use of personal stories and research helps illustrate the many faces of racism women of color encounter in their professional lives.

Diversity efforts in the workplace are not working. Real change requires a real, structural look at the problems. This heavily researched article is part of a five part series that takes a fresh look at racial inclusion and equity in the workplace.