The Struggles of a Black Girl in Corporate America - Sociology Essay Example

Race as a point of social and economic division in the United States of America. As a black woman in this country, race and gender are issues that continue to undermine the progress of the African American girl child academically, and professionally. As it is, maneuvering the corporate world as a person of color is difficult. Still, in the black culture, the female comes second to their male counterparts. Getting jobs and promotions at work can prove to be very difficult given these issues.

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The communities in which any black people live presents a lot of violent incidences and is known to have poor living conditions and crime. The prejudice that has been developed due to these circumstances continue to undermine the perceived temperament and social capacity of African Americans. Also, black on black violence and police violence continue to kill black males. The black communities, therefore, have to deal with issues like single parent families and maneuver the corporate world without proper acknowledgment of these responsibilities. Even after overcoming some of the challenges that people do, black girls are often passed up for promotions and job opportunities.

It has been proven time and again that the black girl is both intelligent and very resourceful. Still, even at the workplace, Caucasian males seem to have an easier time, bonding and by extension getting important assignments compared to other people. The prejudice of society on African Americans extends to the office, impacting the entire perceptions of the capacity and temperament of the African American. Some institutions continue to undervalue women and people of color by paying them less money for the same positions as their male and Caucasian counterparts.

The white woman also experiences their fair share of discrimination and challenges. Still, it is not uncommon for the white woman to advance in their career because of their skills and value. As a black woman, the system is set to test the capacity and competency of their professionalism consistently. In some instances, as one consistently manages to prove themselves, the tests and standard by which they are acknowledged as being of value to a firm are changed. The African American female is often ignored at the workplace. Making leaps in their careers, therefore, becomes a difficult task given their lack of access to such opportunities.

A report by the Center for Talent Innovation indicated that 26% of African American women are not happy with their treatment in their offices. This faction of women feels that their skills at the workplace are not recognized by their superiors. There are few organizations where there are sponsors that fight for the rights of women. Empowerment of women at the workplace is critical as it improves the general sensitivity on women issues and inspires more women to stand up for themselves should they be compelled to do so.

Hewlett and Green released a survey on the issues affecting women in the workplace. Their report detailed the differences in the challenges that white women face compared to those black women face. Women as a gender are not monolithic. The issues that affect their performance at the workplace therefore defer. For instance, black women are more likely to aspire to be leaders in firms compared to white women. The report recorded that 40% of black women had long-term goals compared to the 32% of women who had similar intentions.

In this report, it was noted that the value of women had not been explored. The potential of black women in the office is often overlooked, even though the survey indicated their value to a firm. It was noted that companies that opted to endorse the leaderships and empowerment of African American women improved the general competitive and productivity of their company. Implementing talent initiatives is one of the approaches that has significantly improved the sensitivity to issues affecting women and more specifically black women in Corporate America.

Upholding the law requires that discriminative practices be addressed and mitigated at the workplace. It must be noted that professionalism and intelligence are attributes that are independent of race and gender. Ethical treatment of women at the workplace and proper address to the issues that they may be going through is an obligation all employers must ensure is observed. The character and capacity of an individual are not tied to their physical attributes but rather a function of personal responsibility and initiative.

The sensitivity to issues concerning women is another issue that must be given the correct address. Emotional appeal towards an argument can have positive implications for the interaction and general atmosphere at the workplace. A lot of black women feel ignored at the workplace, a function of lack of emotional appeal. It is important to ensure that in addressing such issues and in acknowledging the value of women at the workplace. Companies should also strive to be logical in the appointment of positions. Clear statement and acceptance of the company policy on management and employee treatment make for a more stable and understandable working environment.