Rebuilding Trust in a Workplace That Fails Black Professionals
An exploration of America’s working dysfunction and a path toward a solution.
In an economic landscape that experts have dubbed a “no hire, no fire” market, a troubling reality persists: Black women are being fired, and they remain unemployed longer than any other demographic. This isn’t a statistical anomaly; it is a symptom of a deep, systemic dysfunction in the American workplace. While companies publicly commit to diversity and inclusion, the lived experiences of their Black employees, particularly Black women, reveal a profound and damaging inconsistency. This article is an examination of that inconsistency, its roots in a fundamental lack of trust, and a potential solution for rebuilding from the ground up.
But first, a moment of full transparency. Prepare for a little discomfort.
I was always late—egregiously so. Sometimes I’d be 5 minutes late, other times, 2 hours. My lateness was so common that it became an expectation. My friends disliked this trait, but we often joked about it, and it continued for years. Then, in my late twenties, two different friends separately confronted me, explaining how disrespected they felt by my perpetual tardiness. They both labeled this inconsistency as disrespect. While I didn’t appreciate being called “inconsistent,” I reluctantly accepted the label. If I didn’t feel like doing something, I wouldn’t do it, or I’d do it slowly; that was just how I was about certain things. However, in both instances, instead of dismissing their words due to their frustrated tone or word choice, I truly listened. I had hurt them. Despite my intentions, my lateness made them feel as though I didn’t value our time together, which was a deeply hurtful thought for both.
Fast-forward to 2023. I’m now the Director of Education and Community Engagement for a regional orchestra, and I’m directing a devised play for the very first time. This is also my first year working outside the home as a single mother, the sole care provider for twin toddlers and a second grader. Making it anywhere on time that year was a monumental success. My lateness then reflected the conflicting demands of my roles much more than any unwillingness on my part. It literally took me years to understand how long it takes my entire family to get ready from start to finish. It took me years to develop and teach routines that worked for us. The world doesn’t offer mothers the learning curve we need or deserve to establish our routines and practices. Our economic circumstances often dictate how much time we have to prepare and settle things before returning to work, if we return at all. It’s unforgiving labor, physically and emotionally, and absolutely nobody acknowledges it.
I exhibited the same behavior—lateness—for two distinct reasons at different points in my life: once due to a lack of willingness, and later due to conflicting demands. Depending on when you met me, you could have very different views and reactions to this behavior. If you believed I was late due to a lack of commitment, my lateness would feel like an offense. If you understood I was late because I was carrying an overwhelming burden, you’d be more sympathetic.
But neither reaction would change my behavior.
What eventually changed my behavior was recognizing its unintended impact.
I hate being called out for my own inconsistent actions. Most of us do. In my life, I create opportunities for people to hold me accountable, but I still hate it when they use them. My pattern is predictable: a ten-minute internal tantrum, a sincere apology, and then a request for suggestions on how to do better.
I would hate it even more, however, if the people in my life felt they couldn’t tell me the truth. Above all else, I want them to trust me with their thoughts and emotions.
Trust. That is the crux of it all. Consistency is the bedrock of trust—in any capacity, on any level, in every relationship.
Conversely, inconsistency shatters it.
For Black Americans, life is a constant navigation of inconsistency from white-dominated institutions, agencies, and individuals. On the way to work in the morning I was pulled over after making a right turn at a stop sign. I came to a complete stop, signaled, and made the turn. Nothing suspicious or illegal about it. When I asked why I was pulled over, I was not given an answer. After finding my license and registration was in order, the officer gave me a ticket for having low headlight beams. I left on time for work. I drove the speed limit. I allotted time for traffic, but not for the possibility of being stopped by the police, so I was late for work.
Black people are always late for work.
These disruptions are so frequent we are conditioned to accept them as a fact of life. I was late for work. And the reason really was outside of my control. But in a professional setting (read white culture dominated workspace), I was late, and that’s all there is to it.
This insidious pattern reinforces a deeper, corrosive myth: that Black people are inherently untrustworthy.
I can imagine a white reader scanning that sentence and immediately thinking, “That’s not me.” That reflexive dismissal is the first barrier to progress.
The distrust of Black Americans is so pervasive that it serves as a silent justification for the mistreatment and dismissal of talented Black professionals.
When a Black employee advocates for improving a toxic workplace culture or changing prejudicial practices, they are often labeled the problem. The institution remains steadfast in its dysfunction, while the change-agent is suddenly no longer a “good fit.”
Lately, when I hear the phrase “good fit,” my mind translates it to “house negro”—and not the kind who leads a rebellion. I have seen this pattern play out too many times. It is America’s professional pattern.
Neuroscience tells us that our brains react differently to perceived inconsistencies based on our underlying assumptions. If I believe you are late due to factors beyond your control, I respond with concern. If I believe you are late because you don’t respect my time, I respond with frustration and anger.
When confronted with inconsistency—in others or ourselves—we choose whether to assume the best or the worst.
White America too often assumes the worst of Black America.
This assumption wastes law enforcement resources.
It makes white colleagues feel more qualified than their Black counterparts.
It emboldens white strangers to undermine Black parents in front of their children.
It fuels riots when the status quo is challenged.
In response, Black Americans endure aggression at work, at Starbucks, at their children’s schools, at the doctor’s office. While driving, walking, and simply breathing. And because of this, Black America has collective expressed fatigue with the entire lot. Project 2025 advocates did not get their summer of Black violence; in one collective voice Black Americans have decided to concentrate on the things that matter most to us, our families and culture. We have not taken the bait and left white America to deal with the mess it put itself in.
Marches have an impact, but the fight continues Monday morning. A rally won’t stop a condescending comment from a colleague. The battle for equity is fought in boardrooms and breakrooms as much as it is in the streets.
So, what now? I have found that mastering personal consistency is a powerful tool for navigating a world that is anything but.
Early in my career, I was often the scapegoat in toxic work environments, partly because of my willingness to accept fault. I mistook this for humility. Looking back, I realize I was conditioned to assume I had done something wrong, much like I tense up when passing a police car despite driving the speed limit. The feeling is the same: the anxiety of living while Black.
I am not without fault. But I will no longer accept fault that is not mine to carry.
The shift began when I started meticulously tracking my professional communications. My initial goal was to measure and improve my own consistency. An unintended consequence emerged: the more consistent I became, the more the inconsistencies of the organization were thrown into sharp relief.
Pointing out these organizational gaps always leads to uncomfortable conversations. Sometimes, my silence is misinterpreted by white colleagues as agreement or a sign that no problem exists. That is something I cannot abide. So, I speak up. It is exhausting, every single time. But if an organization is never alerted to its inconsistency, how can we ever expect it to change?
For the Black professional struggling in a dysfunctional workplace, my best advice is this: start with yourself. Become a master of consistency. Ensure your actions, words, and decisions consistently reflect your values and mission. Once your foundation is solid, the structural flaws around you will become undeniable. You will be able to speak from a place of fact, not just emotion. Your experience, articulated with clarity and evidence, becomes a powerful force that cannot be easily dismissed—though white fragility will certainly try. Consistency builds the confidence to be exactly who you were created to be. Lean into it.
For the white colleagues, managers, and leaders who want to be part of the solution, your work is different. It begins with interrogating your own and your organization’s inconsistencies.
- When a Black employee is let go, do you accept the vague reasoning of “not a good fit,” or do you demand a transparent, data-backed explanation?
- When a Black colleague points out a systemic problem, is your first instinct to scrutinize their tone or the problem they’ve identified?
- Do your company’s stated values of equity align with who gets promoted, who gets mentored, and whose feedback is implemented?
True allyship is not a declaration; it is a consistent practice of self-reflection and action. It means taking on the discomfort of these conversations so that the burden does not fall solely on your Black colleagues.
The challenge of our time is to build workplaces rooted in trust. That trust can only be achieved through demonstrable consistency. It requires Black professionals to build an unshakeable case through their own integrity, and it demands that white leaders dismantle the inconsistent systems that protect mediocrity while punishing Black excellence. Only then can we begin to truly fix America’s working dysfunction.
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