My first Introduction into Corporate America was an internship at a major Public Relations Firm in downtown Chicago.
There were a total of three interns, all female. While the other two interns seemed to identify with the white race (one was Irish and the other was bicultural—mom was Asian and dad was white), I was the only “recognizable” person of color. Within the firm there were only three other people of color that I knew about. The supervisor I was assigned to was a young white woman from Alaska who had never worked closely with a Black person and at that time I was a young intern who had never worked in corporate America, nor had I ever experienced being a minority as an adult in a work setting.
I began the internship as a happy, optimistic, newly HBCU (Historically Black College/University) graduate who was ready to take on the world. I had recently decided to postpone my Public Relations (PR) /Advertising graduate studies at a local university, choosing to first get real world work experience. It is important to note that I learned about this internship at my HBCU College and Career Center—which means this company was actively seeking a student of color.
I was a great student at my college and confident in my abilities. My college is considered one of the most prestigious institutions for Black women. However, by the end of the internship, my supervisor had shattered my sense of who I was. She often made an effort to make me feel that nothing I did was correct. In contrast, the two white interns had the most blissful and carefree experience. While I worked several late nights during the internship, they never left late. While their supervisors motivated and encouraged them and created a very laid back and comfortable atmosphere, my supervisor criticized everything I did and went as far as giving me a performance review (this is not the norm for an intern).
During this internship, I simply assimilated. I wore a mask. I tried to pretend I was happy and blend in. My agenda was to survive within this environment and gain as much knowledge and experience during this process. I had no support.
After the internship, my community - my family and mentor - lifted my spirits and reminded me who I was.
Their words of encouragement empowered me. In retrospect, although this organization had sought interns of color, when I arrived, it was clear their staff was unprepared for the racial diversity.
This is a small snapshot into what I experienced working in a predominantly white environment for the first time. What have been some of your experiences as a minority in the workplace? Leave a comment below.
This post is an excerpt of a longer piece that was created for an Organizational Diversity & Leadership course.
