Member-only story
I Left My Job Because I Was the Only Black Woman in the Office
I wanted to be part of an organization that’s more inclusive, where I can feel at home
I started a new job recently after one year of searching and three unsuccessful interviews. Luckily for me, I got exactly the role I wanted in the exact type of organization I was hoping for. Actually, I’m not going to say I’m lucky because I work hard and that’s what got me the job.
Anyway, in my previous job, the first day I started (summer 2018) it didn’t really dawn on me that there is no BAME (Black, Asian or minority ethnic) staff. For the record, the department I worked in had 29 people and the entire building had around 150 people. I was happy to be in my first full-time job and all I wanted to do was make friends, network, and learn.
During the George Floyd incident and the Black Lives Matter protest, it caused many organizations to reflect on their BAME policies. Quite a few organizations were coming out with statements on how they do not support racism in any shape or form — including my organization. I was part of a BAME mailing group and they were fairly impressed with the CEO’s response to everything that is happening surrounding the BAME community.
