MORE THAN A STEREOTYPE: Navigating Corporate America while Black
Over the last couple of years, our culture has begun to collide with our corporate and business experiences in ways more divisive than anyone could have imagined. I often wonder if things will improve or if we will remain stuck in these patterns. Speaking from my experience of over 30 years in the corporate arena, I’ve faced the assumption that little could be expected of my capabilities. Yet, I have consistently exceeded expectations, outperforming my peers through countless late nights and taking on more than required.
Interestingly, I have never felt held back because of my race. The real challenge has been learning to navigate a world where behavior is paramount. Growing up in a dysfunctional community marked by violence and poverty, the adults around me were often too preoccupied with survival to teach their children how to behave in an America they only knew from afar. I’ve had to defy the low expectations placed on me as a Black woman, mastering everything from formal dining etiquette to corporate appearance standards, like wearing straight hair or braids.
The biggest difference between the 20-year-old me and the 56-year-old me is that I now understand how to be authentically myself in a world designed to create copycats and imposters—images of what “they,” whoever they are, perceive to be real. It’s a fallacy to believe that perception is reality when, in fact, reality is what is truly real.
In corporate America, the term “authentic” is overused and often misunderstood by many leaders. Authenticity is typically presented as the image of a man in a blue suit with a sharp haircut or a woman in a tailored suit with the ‘right’ heels and perfect posture. To be successful, you’re expected to learn the language, dress the part, and adhere to arbitrary rules. In other words, you have to go along to get along.
I have come to realize that if you can play these parts well—dressing the part, speaking the right language, and following the unspoken rules—then you can achieve success without merit or hard work. We live in a world where imposters are programmed and encouraged. Unfortunately, in many cases, that success becomes how people define their authentic selves. Their image of authenticity is shaped by the corporate definition of success: adhering to rigid standards of appearance, behavior, and achievement.
This flawed idea of what it means to be “real” has far-reaching consequences. It spills over into our communities, where people feel pressure to conform to certain images of success imposed by corporations whose primary goal is profit. In schools, we teach our children they can be anything they want to be, knowing full well that this isn’t always true—especially when it comes to staying true to who they authentically are. In churches, faith in God is often measured by how much you give rather than the condition of your heart. Even in our justice system, bias against those who fit a certain mold affects how individuals are treated. Now, in corporate America, we are told we must conform to societal norms because this is the direction the world is moving toward.
As a result, many of us struggle to find and embrace our true selves because we’ve been conditioned to measure our worth against these artificial standards. True authenticity, then, requires breaking free from worldly molds and redefining what success and self-expression look like on our own terms. We must do this in our communities, our schools, and our churches, as well as in corporations.
I have learned that authenticity has nothing to do with my success in Corporate America. My authentic self is rooted in the innate qualities I was naturally born with. I am a strategic thinker; I know this because I always have a plan. I am a dreamer, always looking beyond the horizon. I am wise enough to recognize that I can’t go it alone; relationships matter, not because of what they give you, but because of the wisdom you can share.
This wisdom comes from my experiences in two very different worlds. I have sat at kitchen tables, playing spades with individuals who had fed some ungodly habit, in some sinister basement or who had just shot up or smoked crack in a dark alley. Having grown up in the urban city of New Brunswick and spending over twenty years in the Grays Ferry section of Philadelphia, I have frequented dark bars and witnessed drug deals. Yet, I understand that the reality of that life never belonged to me, even though I lived in that world.
The other world I’ve encountered isn’t necessarily anti-Black; it’s simply distinct. While the food, the people, and the ideas may vary, we are all fundamentally the same at our core. The same demons dwell in high-class restaurants and hotels as those that linger in back alleys and whorehouses. Although individuals in one world may speak eloquently and engage in deep conversations, the underlying struggles and aspirations often reflect a shared humanity that transcends class and culture.
Whether I’m on a business trip in New York, visiting a play with family and friends, or exploring a museum, or dining at a restaurant, the experience is markedly different. The restaurants and hotels reflect a different atmosphere and clientele. I have also sat in meetings with high-level executives and politicians, completely aware that I am in spaces that do not reflect the world where I live and love. I have learned to adjust in both worlds, not preferring one over the other.
To be honest, there was a time when I desperately tried to shape my executive presence to fit prescribed molds, but I realized I don’t fit those clothes. To be authentic and real means embracing who I am, how I dress, where I came from, and what seats I occupy. It all manifests in my commitment to continued faith, growth, and transformation—but I move forward knowing full well that my legacy is watching me.
With this in mind, I show up with braided hair, big glasses, and dark skin, consistently affirming that many more can take these same seats. I remain true to my moral standards while navigating arbitrary rules and succeeding. ADOS Black women are intellectually capable and able to articulate effectively, even in a community designed to hold us back.
To be authentic is to reject cultural norms established by government or corporate standards. As Martin Luther King Jr. once said, to be excellent means breaking molds and not conforming to stereotypes imposed by community, culture, and, more recently, corporate ideology regarding what is right and wrong. Be ye a nonconformist.
Let me ask you: how often have you felt the pressure to conform to someone else’s standards? I remember being told that a black dress I wore to the office, with a sheer top, was inappropriate. I was twenty and working for a major bank. While that may have been true, I was a struggling single parent at the time and didn’t have many clothes. I was insulted and angry but received the comment with a smile. I went home and threw that dress in the trash, never to wear it again. Yet, I performed well—even without a college degree, I competed so effectively against those with advanced education that they were forced to recognize my capabilities. I don’t regret that precarious situation; it prompted me at twenty-eight to pursue my degree. I often reflect on this experience when I consider how I show up in corporate America. People are quick to judge based on appearances, rarely considering the circumstances of others—often because they haven’t been taught to do so.
Many corporations pretend to be woke and tout their commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI). They make promises they have no intention of keeping—commitments that are often unmeasurable yet sound appealing. Have you noticed how often corporate agendas align with superficial ideals? They present images of what it means to be “real” while treating their employees like pawns who must conform to societal moral standards or face consequences. Meanwhile, in the office, racism persists as usual. While some can navigate through, there are bottlenecks in place that effectively hinder people like me, a Black woman. I literally have three strikes against me: I am not just a Black woman, but I also disagree with the prevailing ideology that Blacks are so oppressed that we are victims. I cannot support that narrative.
As a result, we find ourselves listening to the government when it shut down America, impacting the world with a single word, while corporations demanded their employees comply. It is imperative that we challenge this status quo and redefine success on our own terms. We must forge a path that values our authentic selves over imposed standards, creating spaces where everyone can thrive without sacrificing who they truly are.
