Race and Ethnicity Commons^™

Conceptualizing Professionalism For African Americans: Transcending The Detrimental Implications Of White Supremacy Culture And Anti-Black Sentiments In The Workplace, Tiana Lawrence

Community Engagement Student Work

Current standards and interpretations of professionalism have historically been rooted and sustained through the ideology and mechanisms of white supremacy culture. The irrevocable implications of white supremacy culture and the anti-black sentiments that stem from it generate complex, layered, and damaging standards of professionalism for African Americans. These standards as they exist, are a reflection of white superiority and deem the presence and contributions of African Americans in the workplace as subservient, causing contemptuous ramifications in all aspects of their lives. A two-hour virtual networking event was developed and implemented with an audience of black professionals and professionals of color …