Racism in the workplace is a serious issue that now and again, rears its ugly head. For example, have you ever been overlooked for a promotion for a colleague of another race who was less qualified? Or, do your colleagues make racist comments regularly?
‘Similar to other forms of discrimination, racism is a destructive force that divides and weakens us; a social disease that damages our humanity. A belief system that is taught and encouraged by certain individuals, racism is acted out in community spaces such as schools and the workplace. This is where it is most damaging to our social structures because racist views about others become cemented through actions,’says Devan Moonsamy, diversity facilitator and CEO of I can Help Africa Foundation (ICHAF) Training Institute.
IDENTIFYING RACISM AT WORK
Roy Gluckman, CEO of Cohesion Collective as well as a diversity and inclusion specialist, says racism in the workplace is subtle. ‘You’re more likely to deal with structural and subtle racism. The kind we’re used to is the dropping of ‘the K word’; it is more overt. However, in the office, the idea of exclusion becomes subtle. This comes through in the lack of support and mentorships for black people. It is blackness constantly needing to prove competence while the capabilities of whiteness are assumed,’ Roy explains.
The effects are more damaging as it works on a more psychological level because no one is physically hurting you. So, you internalise it, believing that something is wrong with you and that you’re not good enough. These thoughts could lead to damaging results. This was the case with Zama Hlongwe*, who was diagnosed with depression soon after starting a new job. ‘I had been working as a corporate lawyer for eight years when I moved to a different legal industry. Not long after I started, everything I did was questioned. I was micromanaged to a point where I started feeling that I wasn’t able to do my job.’
Zama passed it on as having the impostor syndrome – the persistent inability to believe that your success is deserved or has been legitimately achieved as a result of your own efforts or skills. ‘I was constantly being verbally disrespected, and always excluded from important meetings. When I voiced out my concerns, I was told that I needed to develop a thick skin. This continued until I started getting physically ill.’ She was diagnosed with depression. ‘I still went back to work because I needed the job. But a month later, my mental health worsened. I started doubting myself and my work, and even had suicidal thoughts. I decided to quit my job. Although I wanted to stay and fight, I felt that it wouldn’t help because proving racism is hard.’
DO YOU HAVE PROOF?
Marleen Potgieter, lawyer and owner of legal consultancy Equity Works, explains that racism in the workplace is hard to prove. That is why people either act like it didn’t happen or leave the company. ‘Racism can be subtle if it’s as a result of indirect action such as exclusion, microaggressions and snubs rather than overt displays. It can have the intended effect of intimidation and suppress personal agency. People also don’t know how to describe and define it because it is often sly,’ she explains. Marleen adds that the person experiencing racism knows that it made them feel humiliated and angry, yet don’t know how to build a case that accurately explains the problem.
This was the case with Nomsa Radebe*, who was working for a public relations agency. Everything was going well until she was overlooked for a position she felt she deserved. ‘I got my internship at a well-known public relations agency, and was told that a qualification was mandatory before getting hired. Even though I had completed my degree, I was yet to graduate. I eventually graduated, and became an intern for almost two years before being promoted to publicist. A few years later, I was asked to mentor a new intern who was white. She didn’t have a qualification.’
Nomsa found it odd because she had to acquire hers beforehand. ‘I let it slide until eight months later when she was promoted to accounts manager. I had been eyeing that position, but was repeatedly told that I didn’t have experience. When I questioned it, I didn’t get a straight answer. I decided to leave the company,’ she explains.
EXAMPLES OF SUBTLE RACISM
According to experts, subtle racism can occur in many ways. So, take note of the type of work you are assigned. Is your white colleague getting substantial assignments while you only do administration, even though you have the same qualification? Are you constantly overlooked for promotions, with black people being told: ‘you’re not ready’? It may sometimes come out in meetings when only unskilled tasks are being assigned to you, such as making tea, which disables you from displaying your real abilities. Maybe some harsh remarks about your race are made, but then brushed off as a joke. It can also present itself in things we might not take seriously, such as different rules applying to you as compared to other races. For example, complaints about how your lunch smells while other people’s food also has a certain odour (tripe vs broccoli.) This also applies when comments such as: ‘you’re actually okay; you’re not like them’ are made or those that start with: ‘you people…’ become common.
Here are some guidelines on effective ways of dealing with racism:
For managers
Rather than ignoring it, call this behaviour out and have a serious talk with the parties involved. For the person who was being racist, there must be consequences which are visible to others.
Be proactive by drafting policies and making sure that all employees know them through training and raising awareness. These policies should not be kept in the hands of senior managers or the Human Resources (HR) department only. All employees should have copies of key policies about anything that affects them, and free access to information. This way, should things go wrong, it will be easier to hold the offender to account and make a case according to policy provisions already in place.
For employees
Build a case. Find the right vocabulary to describe the incident/s, how it affected you or affected your view of the colleague or manager. Document everything. One incident can be explained away, but not multiple examples.
Dissect the incident and if needs be, enlist help from a supportive colleague, friend, psychologist, social worker, HR expert, lawyer or official from the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration. In recurring cases, gather evidence through voice or video recordings.
RACISM OVER THE YEARS
There aren’t many statistics available to prove if racism has gotten better or worse over the years. But, Marleen doesn’t think that it has increased. She adds that even individual cases are often highlighted on social media. “This is to be celebrated. The more light we shine on it, the more aware people become of their prejudices, and become more respectful, sensitive and careful.”
