Are you considered aloof or distant in your workplace because of an expectation of how you're supposed to be as a Black woman?

"I don’t think Sequoia likes me,” is something I’ve heard secondhand my entire life. As a self-identified introverted Black woman... I often find that my peers and coworkers have preconceived assumptions about who I am, based on my Black-womanhood. When I fail to live up to the funny, entertaining, sassy, Black woman stereotype, they’re quick to assume my failure to entertain is because I don’t like them. This isn’t a huge problem until it’s time for peer reviews, promotions, or layoffs. Then, it quickly becomes an insidious dehumanization tool that can result in job termination because Black women are not afforded the luxury of introversion, especially not in the workplace.

Read Black Women Aren't Allowed To Be Introverted  on bese.