A Seat at the Table

The American Dream as it pertains to minorities in corporate America 

Solo Hello

Dallas, TX 

Key Word(s) / Phrases: Resilience, Acceptance, Oppression, Hope and Equality, Self Esteem, Communication, Black At Work, Living vs Existing   

Overview

 This is a reflective approach to helping minorities navigate corporate inequalities  utilizing the album A Seat at the Table by Solange Knowles. I will share the track list below and offer my perspective on the lyrics versus day-to-day struggles we face as minorities. The album was a way for Solange to highlight what it feels like to live in America as a black person. I will use several artists, songs, lyrics, etc. to push my agenda. If you are easily offended this space is not for you. Black people utilize language and innuendos that resonate within our culture, I will not limit an artist’s vision to make individuals feel comfortable. The point of this forum is to no longer diminish our voices, our thoughts and/or our approaches to make others feel comfortable. This is my disclaimer and I will also add a video to my YouTube channel explaining my approach to this abuse. I suggest you listen to the entire album, then use the provided documents as a guide to dive into the meanings being portrayed. Take notes and directly engage with the music to learn how to move in a room full of vultures, per Jay Z, one of my fave rappers. 

Track list 

1. Rise
2. Weary
3. Interlude – The glory is in you 
4. Cranes in the Sky
5. Interlude – Dad Was Mad
6. Mad (Ft. Lil Wayne)
7. Don’t You Wait 
8. Interlude – Tina Tsught Me (Ft. Tina Lawson)
9. Dont Touch My Hair (Ft. Sampha)
10. Interlude: This Moment (Ft. Devonte Hines, Kelcey Lu & Master P)
11. Where Do We Go
12. Interlude – For Us by Us (Ft. Master P)
13. F.U.B.U. (Ft. BJ the Chicago Kid & The-Dream)
14. Borderline – An Ode to Self Care (Ft. Q-Tip)
15. Interlude – I Got So Much Magic, You Can Have It (Ft. Kelly Rowland & Nia Andrews)
16. Junie
17. Interlude -No Limits (Ft. Master P)
18. Don’t Wish Me Well
19. Interlude – Pedestals (Ft. Master P)
20. Scales (Ft. Kelela)
21. Closing – The Chosen Ones (Ft. Master P)

Deep Dive

First: Listen to Rise from the album A Seat At The Table by Solange Knowles

I would suggest listening to the song Rise before you read this document or listen to the YouTube video. Then relisten to register your thoughts and emotions after engaging with the content. 

Systemic oppression can be broken into multiple categories such as ideological, institutional and interpersonal. In the workplace this can lead one group to believe they are senior to other groups based on their race. This can lead to interpersonal suppression by the group considered less than. This group may feel they can not speak up or be themselves due to the consistent oppression faced by the oppressor. The institutionalized oppression happens when the oppressor is typically the majority and has built and benefited from the current culture or the temperament of the organization:

Fall in your ways, so you can crumble

Fall in your ways, so you can sleep at night

Fall in your ways, so you can wake up and rise

As Solange sings the above lyrics I think of dealing with microaggressions, micromanagement, hidden agendas, disrespectful interactions and demeanment daily. This is your life and you have a few options, you can fall in line and take the mistreatment to make your long days bearable or you can push back and be tagged as difficult or hard to work with. Which is the easier option? Of course quitting is an option too but this is America we have bills to pay. Another point, as a black woman who grew up in poverty you do not want to risk going back to life before the increased salary. Many of us deal with the nonsense and are not adequately compensated which makes the situation worse. There are choices, but for many minorities your livelihood will drive the responses, the suppression of emotions, the ability to turn a blind ear to the many micro-aggressions you face day-to-day. When a cookie crumbles, think of all of the many crumbs that are left there. Those crumbs depict the brokenness you feel as a person dealing with disrespectful interactions to collect a check. Suppressing the anger and disappointment can lead to more than a sleepless night. It can lead to anxiety, depression, high blood pressure, etc. Acceptance, is not agreeing to the treatment. Acceptance and falling into your ways is a survival tactic. Getting through another day, so you can see another check and not disrupt your lifestyle. Let me state this early on, this is not ok! As people of color we deserve to sleep at night and wake up and rise peacefully. As a black woman, I speak from my perspective but as an advocate for corporate equality I understand males and females are directly impacted by the ongoing institutionalized oppression we are facing today. 

Walk in your ways, so you won’t crumble

(so you won’t crumble)

Walk in your ways, so you can sleep at night

Walk in your ways, so you will wake up and rise

Walk in your ways, so you won’t crumble. That is walking in your truth and identifying the issues we are experiencing systemically. I am the only black woman on my team, that is my truth. My truth is I have lost sight of who I am due to code-switching and taking on a name that is digestible by those who review the many resumes I have submitted over the years. Calling out how we feel and how we plan to take action is a clear depiction of picking up those crumbs and creating a new cookie. A cookie that is not easily broken. This will take time and effort and this will take us working through obstacles in places we were never meant to be. James Baldwin once said, “Hope is invented every day…” I am hopeful with community, education and a sense of belonging our days will get easier. We will not continue to crumble under the pressures of a society that was built by minorities but was not intended to return the favor. Stability can mean many things to many people, for me if my money is not right I am not right. Period. I am guilty of suppressing who I am to fit into a mold I believed would comfort me once I checked all the boxes. I went to school and I got a degree, I obtained several certificates, I worked late, I sacrificed time with my child, missed holidays, etc. Is that not enough? No. 

I read that the oppressed recognizes the feelings of anger, loss and injustice but we choose to foreground hope. We have adapted to the heavy environment by simultaneously acknowledging the mistreatment but conceptualizing the fact we need to move on and get to the next day. We are subconsciously acknowledging the challenges in real time, but choosing your battles. How awesome are we? I call this resilience at a cost. Yes, we are keeping up the good fight but at the cost of our health and our overall existence. I also read that the way to heal the oppressed is to create a community of individuals who also want to heal. This is only the beginning……

As always, being heard and seen is the most important objective I want to achieve from this work. Next we will discuss Weary, the second song from the album. 

 You can reach me many ways:

Email: info@solohello.com

YouTube (@SoloHello): YouTube/SoloHello

TikTok (@SoloHello6: TikTok/SoloHello6 

Instagram(@solohellousa): Instagram/solohellousa

The End