Brown Crayon in the Workplace

Is Workplace Racism Mental Abuse? ▼

“Telling my story of what I experienced in the workplace.”

Due to a lack of cultural awareness and systemic racism, those who are placed in positions of power aimed at protecting society, for instance in the legal and judiciary system, may react with indifference or ignorance. Racism is a significant source of emotional abusiveness and trauma for people of color. An enhanced understanding of the effects of racism is necessary in order to prevent and mediate psychological and physical distress for ethnic minorities.

Chronic emotional stress is known to have negative physical and mental health effects. Racism and racial discrimination create a unique environment of pervasive, additional stress for people of racial and ethnic minorities. Racism and racial discrimination adversely affect mental health, producing depression, anxiety, and heightened psychological stress in those who experience it. The anticipation of experiencing racial discrimination can be enough to cause a significant spike in stress on the job.

For many "Brown" people, the church is where they turn for mental and emotional relief from the world. Being connected to a congregation can also give a person a sense of community, ritual, discipline, and routine, things that support health and wellbeing.

I experienced racism before leaving my nonprofit job in Washington, DC. One thing that bothered me the “gatekeepers,” Coordinating Executive leadership was not managing or promoting Workplace Diversity. For this reason, the Director of Finance acted unprofessionally on the job. He got away with bullying and intimidating me. The Director of Finance created his own “posse,” a group to help and watch him serve up abuse. He feels good about himself only when he is making someone else feel bad.

It would be an understatement to say that the last years on the job had been uncomfortable by being the only full time “Brown” female. It became emotional stress on my body to continue working in accounting with the Director of Finance.

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Pen Name: Brown Crayon (pseudonym)