“Triumph in the Trenches (Volume 2): The Green Book for Black Professionals” is a comforting new book of essays that will offer support to readers who may not realize the impact of the stresses they encounter in their everyday work environments.
This book, co-authored by motivational speaker Rev. Dr. Xenia Barnes, looks at the challenges Black people face in predominantly white or white-acculturated workspaces. The book posits the world of work as on some level equal to the world Black drivers had to learn to navigate through during the segregation era, when Black people had to use the “The Negro motorist Green-book” to understand how to safely travel through areas where their mere presence could offend white people and might get them hurt.
Often, being one of the few individuals of African descent in such an environment can lead to feelings of loneliness, as well as the belief that you must exceed expectations to be seen as worthy of keeping your job.
The ten contributing authors to “Triumph in the Trenches” write about some of the different challenges and stresses they experienced at work, a place where we spend so many hours of our day. Though it is commonly believed that sharing our voices at work can benefit an organization, several authors mention that they realized being less visible was psychologically safer: “…I was deemed fit to serve but never to lead in the way I knew I was capable –– as the servant leader I aspired to be,” writes Dr. Carrie Young-McWilliams. “To even maintain my position, I was told I needed to change myself entirely: dress differently, adjust my hair and eyebrows, soften my 6-foot frame to appear less ‘intimidating’ for my male counterparts, and moderate my tone. This was the feedback I received –– not about my qualifications, not about my accomplishments, but about my appearance and presence.”
Professor Shakira Releford writes that “The DEI training came and went, and little changed. People returned to their comfortable patterns, checking off the ‘diversity’ box without ever confronting the deeply ingrained biases that shaped the workplace. The organization had a few more minority hires, but Janelle knew that wouldn’t fix the issue. What was needed was a shift in the organization’s culture, not superficial representation.”
“The convenience of a short commute,” writes Carolyn D. Wells, “temporarily sweetened the sour reality that I did not belong here –– not because of some shortcomings of mine but because I deserved better. I deserved to work in a fair and psychologically safe environment. I deserved to be included and to be authentically ME without feeling as though being myself was not good enough.”
“[S]elf advocacy is non-negotiable,” writes Leila Lawson. “Speaking up about unfair treatment and negotiating for deserved recognition sets important precedents. When traditional paths prove blocked, creativity and networking can forge new routes forward. Building a strong support network of mentors and allies provides crucial guidance and encouragement.”
Rev. Barnes, who recently took part in a virtual book signing with me for “Triumph in the Trenches,” explained that she uses the phrase “trauma to triumph” in the book to point to how people are capable of starting over and making sense of the stresses and psychological pain they find themselves going through. Recurring slights from colleagues, workplace demands, and unrealistic performance quotas that are accepted and not challenged will slowly but surely wear a person down. When we speak up and confront trauma, Dr. Barnes said, we can create frameworks that help us understand that we do not embody the trauma we’re going through. We can begin to move forward toward the triumph.
“It starts from the top,” Barnes said during the virtual talk. “Workplace culture plays such a huge role in productivity. Because if you don’t have a strong workplace culture –– and I don’t mean icebreakers and us going to hang out for happy hour afterward, I think people have this idea that we all must be friends for all of us to have a good workplace culture. That’s not what good workplace culture is. Good workplace culture is understanding that someone needs space today and allowing them to have space. Good workplace culture is understanding that right now might not be the best time or space to have this discussion, so we’re going to have it at a later time. Good workplace culture also means having uncomfortable conversations but also ensuring that you’re actively listening and not just listening to the sound. Because if you don’t do those things, then you create ideological safety issues where people feel like their voice is muffled, they feel like they’re on mute, and then you have people showing up to work unhappy. They’re just doing the bare minimum, because it’s like, ‘I’m just here to get my check, and after that, I’m clocking out.’ If you want people to show up and be productive, then they have to feel like they’re seen, they need to feel like they’re heard, and they have to feel like they have value.”
The next book reading/signing for “Triumph in the Trenches” takes place on June 28 at 45 Main Street in Brooklyn, NY, from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m.. For more info, visit www.revdrxeniabarnes.com.