Introduction
Systemic racism is a concept that many authors have widely covered. In the United States, people of color have also documented their experiences, which has helped provide more insight into the issue. The novel The Other Black Girl by Zakiya Harris tells the story of two black coworkers who face the problems of being the only people of color in the workplace.
The book shows how Nella is impacted by the entry of Hazel, another black employee. The work environment at the publishing house is depicted as discriminatory towards black people, as the majority of the workers are white. The novel depicts the power plays and their impacts on Nella and Hazel. This essay will use the book The Other Black Girl to provide more insight into the following argument. Even though systemic racism has been presented as a prevalent and unjust act that perpetrates hatred, black people are at the center of advancing these prejudices through their lack of unity.
People of Color
In the United States, the groups that are most affected by systemic racism are minority groups. This is because the country has entrenched a culture where people of color are viewed as not good enough at the workplace and in society (Braveman et al. 172). Harris uses the publishing industry to show how minority groups face significant challenges in the labor sector. Wagner Publishing House had a policy on diversity, but the organization only employed two employees who were people of color.
The majority of the workers in important positions at the firm are white. The few black individuals at the firm are employed in the lower-level positions of mailman and receptionist. Another aspect is that senior management walked important guests to the side of the office where Yang and Nella were situated (Harris 31). This was done to purposefully showcase the company’s diversity to outsiders. Therefore, diversity is a concept that can solve inequalities in the workplace, but only if firms agree to implement policies without bias.
The Other Black Girl depicts people of color as rivals and competitors in the workplace. The two black employees at Wagner were best placed to speak about oppression and other vices that affected them. However, the two have different objectives, as witnessed by the way the relationship between Nella and Hazel degenerated into chaos. Competition for favors and tokens encouraged Hazel to turn against Nella to ensure that people at the office negatively viewed her. Hazel managed to turn people against Nella, which shows the effects of rivalry between black people on the quest to end inequalities. As the story progresses, the reader learns that Hazel is working for a group whose purpose is to hinder the success of black women.
Another aspect is that the author uses hair products to display another area where people of color are disadvantaged. Research has shown that there is a link between ingredients in popular black hair products and illnesses such as asthma and hormone-related diseases (Helm et al. 448). Hazel uses the hair product to disrupt and gain control over black women. This indicates that the current system does not offer significant protection to black people. Therefore, only through unity can people of color reduce their prejudices.
Systemic Racism
In the novel The Other Black Girl, systemic racism is a major theme used to advance the story’s plot. The author depicts the publishing industry as discriminatory towards people of color. This is evidenced by the number of black, Asian American, and Latin American workers. Wagner Publishing House is depicted as the best in the country, where white writers gain significant success (15). Harris notes that “lurking beneath many of the friendly seeming meetings was an environment of pettiness and power plays; cold shoulders and closed-door conversations” (30).
This quote illustrates the workplace environment of Wagner Publishing House. The author wants to show the reader how people in higher positions used their influence to hinder lower-level employees from getting promoted. Harris points out, “I guess pretty much every editor has been stingy about upward mobility-even for the white assistants” (22). The quote shows that even white employees in middle-level positions were impacted by the system that people in senior positions adopted.
Systemic racism can manifest in the form of discrimination of junior employees by seniors through denial of promotion opportunities. The effect is that workers in the lower levels will remain in the same position for a long period (Braveman et al. 171). The novel also shows how favoritism combined with discrimination can impact the employees’ attitudes. The author indicates that some workers received offices even though they were junior employees. Senior managers could not handle Bridget playing loud music at the workplace as the employee was linked to one of Wagner’s first authors. “It is just, I can’t focus now with…with this” illustrates the effects of Bridget’s loud music on the workers (Harris 30).
The author depicts the situation at the workplace as similar to the animal farm, where some individuals have more power than others. The publishing house did not employ many people of color even though the organization advocated for diversity in the workplace. The lack of minorities is in contrast to the policies that the firm had indicated that they practiced.
Harris also indicates that senior management ensured important visitors passed through the office area, where two people of color were located. This was to guarantee that these individuals would view the company positively. These tactics helped advance discrimination as they did not improve the situation. Nella’s efforts to show the prevalence of systemic racism at Wagner end up costing her mental well-being. Therefore, the lack of unity between Nella and Hazel enhanced systemic racism in the workplace.
Prevalence of Systemic Racism
In the United States, systemic racism is integrated into different sectors due to the country’s history with slavery. The power of systemic racism is derived from the unified system of racial differentiation and discrimination that permeates society (Braveman et al. 172). The Other Black Girl shows the prevalence of systemic racism through a description of how publishing deals were handed out to white authors at Wagner. The firm had not printed books from African American authors since the last black people who had used the firm would not be considered black Americans (Harris 32). African Americans who speak out and reject systemic oppression do not receive deals from reputable firms, which affects their career progression (Bell et al. 40).
Nella is the embodiment of a black female writer based on the way Harris depicts her character. Nella fights against oppression and discrimination at the workplace, which results in her being ostracized by the entire team. The author intends to show the impacts of speaking up on an individual. At the novel’s end, Nella loses her fight as the author depicts a scene where systemic racism wins. This is essential because it shows the prevalence of oppression in the workplace and the effects it has on people of color.
Nella is joined by a fellow black employee at the workplace, which can be viewed as a positive. However, the interactions between the two black employees turn sour after Nella starts receiving threatening notes at the workplace. The author depicts the lack of unity between the two and its effects on the fight to end oppression and discrimination. Nella cannot continue speaking up as Hazel manages to destroy her professional reputation.
Systemic racism is prevalent in such a way that Hazel, a black employee, uses the same tactics employed by white people to ostracize and demean Nella. The expectation is that people of color will support each other to fight discrimination and oppression (Fish et al. 18). Failure to offer assistance due to rivalries results in disunity, which helps advance racism in the workplace. In the United States, systemic racism has been blamed on the deaths of black Americans at the hands of the police (Tropp and Uluğ 336). This is because law enforcement agencies have adopted policies that are oppressive against people of color.
The prevalence of systemic racism in the workplace creates a culture where employees are afraid of speaking up. Harris notes, “And I hate complaining…because really, it was so hard to get a job at Wagner in the first place. I should be thankful” (51). This quote shows the effects of systemic racism on the attitudes of black people. Nella feels that complaining is inappropriate, as getting the job at Wagner was a struggle. This shows that Nella views her career at Wagner as more important than the issues that people of color face at the workplace. Therefore, black people’s perception of job opportunities can affect their ability to be united to fight against discrimination and oppression.
Perpetrating Hatred
One of the impacts of systemic racism is that it perpetrates hatred among black people and between white and black individuals. The hatred is evident in the way black people were treated at Wagner publishing house. During a conversation with Hazel, Nella notes, “I’ll just put it this way. They don’t see color here at Wagner” (Harris 39). The quote illustrates that the people at Wagner do not view black people as important. The company provided deals to most white authors while sidelining black writers. This was evident during the diversity town hall meetings when Nella tried to drive a point on favoritism of white authors but was unable due to other factors.
The hatred between white people and black people in the workplace can have significant impacts on minority groups. This is because systemic racism encourages the uplifting of white people as they are more likely to be in better positions than black people. Systemic racism disenfranchises people of color and denies them much-needed opportunities in the workplace (Braveman et al. 173). In the judiciary sector, black people face myriads of hindrances as the laws are interpreted within the same aspects that help advance racism.
A bigger problem is the inability of most individuals in the country to understand aspects such as diversity and discrimination (Hussain and Jones 63). Harris uses the diversity of town hall meetings to expound on this issue. The employees at Wagner did not pay attention to the meetings and often skipped them. This shows the culture at the firm and illustrates the lack of transparency and accountability on important issues such as diversity. Most organizations in America have hired black employees to ensure they achieve the diversity requirements set out in the labor policies. The lack of unity among the black community means that companies will continue viewing diversity as a less important issue.
Another aspect is the hatred between black employees, which manifests in the form of competition. Nesta and Hazel appear to compete on who is the better black employee at the firm without considering the oppression and discrimination meted out to them. On one occasion, Hazel mentioned having a boyfriend not once but twice throughout a very short interaction (Harris 45). This quote illustrates an example of a situation where the competition between Hazel and Nella is presented.
The rivalry between the two then became a fight as the story developed. The author shows that black people tend to engage in disagreements instead of being united and fighting against discrimination. This is evident in present-day America, where movements such as Black Lives Matter receive backlash from fellow blacks instead of support (Bell et al. 40). The impact is that black people are unable to sustain the quest to end systemic racism and other forms of inequalities due to their lack of unity.
Advancing Prejudices
The lack of unity among the black community has helped advance prejudices, as evidenced in the experiences of Hazel and Nella. As the only black employees, the two would have been expected to collaborate and create a better environment. The realization that Hazel was working for a group seeking to destabilize black women showed the true intentions of the employee. In most successful organizations in America, the number of white employees is high, with people of color being the minority (Braveman et al. 172).
Introducing policies on diversity mainly aims to create additional opportunities for black people (Hussain and Jones 63). Companies continuously strive to ensure they achieve diversity in the workplace. However, the lack of cooperation among the black community has ensured that prejudices remain in the workplace. People of color must come together and define the issues that must be addressed.
Harris talks about the low wages, the office culture, and favoritism as the aspects that represent systemic racism. Nella’s intentions to change the way the company perceived black people may have resulted in the introduction of Hazel as a way of silencing her through manipulation. As the novel ends, Hazel notes, “Stop fighting the tide, Nella. Once you stop fighting-once you let the wave wash over you-you will see” (Harris 365). This quote represents the final part, where the reader realizes that Nella has lost the quest to make Wagner a better company.
The ending of the novel shows that the author wanted to show that certain attitudes that promote systemic racism are practiced and enhanced by blacks themselves. Hazel is the embodiment of people of color who participate in the oppression of individuals within minority groups. Therefore, as a result of the lack of unity, the black community has participated directly or indirectly in enhancing the prejudices that they seek to end.
Unity of Purpose
Harris portrays systemic racism as being embedded into all aspects of society. The publishing industry is used as the environment for addressing these issues. Based on how the story develops, the author may have wanted to show the need for unity of purpose among the black community. One important aspect that displays disunity is the hair products believed to cause scalp pain. The people behind the poor-quality products have created a conspiracy to control black women using hair products (Harris 3).
The author uses hair because of its importance among people of color. The writer also intends to show that to destabilize a group, one has to target critical areas that the individuals highly value. This can be seen in redlining policies and how they have had a profound impact on the economic outlook of the black community (Fish et al. 18). Therefore, unity among the black community can be a significant way of addressing the challenges that face them.
Another aspect is the relationship between Nella and Hazel and the reasons for the changes in attitude as the story develops. The author shows Nella as joyful upon Hazel’s entry into the workplace (Harris 15). As the plot develops, Hazel starts laying the foundation for the ultimate manipulation of Nella. The lack of unity in the workplace ensures that systemic racism advances. The company has not changed its diversity policy, as no new black people have been employed after Hazel. The attitudes of the white employees do not change as they become emboldened by the behavior of Nella.
Nella is unable to understand how a fellow black would ostracize and destroy her professional reputation at the workplace. Harris uses the betrayal of Nella by Hazel to show how systemic racism affects the behavior and attitudes of black people in different ways. Hazel adopts the perspectives applied by white people to demean and oppress black people, while Nella intends to create a workplace that respects black people. In the end, the author succeeds in showing that unity among the black community is the only solution to ending systemic racism.
Conclusion
In summary, Harris’s novel shows how systemic racism is embedded into organizations and the impact it has on black people. The Other Black Girl presents systemic racism as a prevalent and unjust act. Black people are viewed as participants in advancing discrimination and oppression through their lack of unity. Systemic racism is present in the form of low wages, poor office culture, and negative attitudes toward black employees. Black people are underrepresented in the workplace due to the biased implementation of diversity policies. Rivalries among people of color enhance prejudices and create unjust effects that have significant impacts on the community. Through unity, people of color can reduce biases and create a culture where they are valued significantly.
Works Cited
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