Watching David* navigate at a Heating, Ventilation, Air-Conditioning/Refrigeration (HVAC/R) conference room full of business professionals was like witnessing a lion in its natural habitat. He was smooth, laid back, and projected an image like he belonged there. He was charismatic and flowed in conversation from one person to the next as if he had practiced his whole life, and now it was as natural as breathing. In return, his counterparts treated him respectfully, embracing him into their unique club. David was one of them, and had every right to be there. There was only one difference. David was black, and all his counterparts were white.
I had an opportunity to talk to David about his experience being the only black person in a room full of non-blacks.
Beverly: What would you say is your key piece of advice for black people and the job force?
David: Make sure you’re employable. Learn as many different things as possible. Pick a field that is in demand, because if it’s in demand, that means there are a lot of opportunities out there.
Beverly: What fields do you recommend off the top?
David: Any field that happens to be a trade. There are lots of opportunities for women in the trades. Learn as much as you can about that field.
Beverly: Do you see more women enter the trades compared to five years ago – ten years ago?
David: Absolutely.
Beverly: How important is going to networking events? I mean, when I worked for a corporation - now mind you, I was there for 25 years - I rarely networked.
David: Very important. Either join a network or create your own. It’s easier to join one that exists. You can do this by volunteering. The problem with that is a lot of people don’t want to volunteer. They just want to take, take, take.
Beverly: When you say, “take, take, take,” you mean money?
David: No. I mean they don’t want to give of their time. They’d rather go watch sports.
Beverly: Having been the only black person in many situations and venues, how do you handle a racist remark or joke outside the corporate environment such as an office party?
David: That never happened to me.
Beverly: Really?
David: No. You always present yourself in a professional manner with high self-esteem. But if it happens, you simply say, “Hey!”
[Holds hand up as if to stop someone from coming forward and hardens his face simultaneously.]
Beverly: Okay. But I’m sure it has happened in some format in the workplace. What can a person say in that situation?
David: You calmly say to the person, “Look. We all have a job to do. If you’d like, we can address this with Human Resources.” Make sure you know the organization’s policies and procedures/dos and don’ts. And know that these procedures apply to everybody – managers, front line employees, supervisors, vice-presidents and the CEO.
Beverly: So the answer is to remain calm and not get angry and punch the person in the throat?
David: [LAUGHS]
Beverly: What other bits of advice can you give us?
David: Just make sure you stay employable. Stay informed on changes and updates in your field. Educate yourself. Don’t be afraid to change fields, if necessary. Don’t be afraid to change careers.
Finally, I asked David how he became so ambitious and driven. He told me he saw his family members get laid off from the steel mills in Chicago. When that happened, he said it seemed like their lives ended. When he was growing up, he decided he didn’t want to be like that, so he decided to get a trade. That was over 35 years ago.
*Name has been changed.
