An other reality...

In a Facebook group (for Congolese people), there was a poll asking if we'd ever been exposed to racism at work and "if" yes (duhhhhhhhhhhhh) how we'd reacted. I, of course, answered in the affirmative. I then realized that I had (thankfully) not been a victim of racism in my previous job and in my current job, and I was totally happy and thought: yeah that's great. Then I thought: Uhhhhhhhh? How come I'm happy that I'm not verbally or even physically abused just because I'm black. A person of "no migratory origin" doesn't even ask the question. But as a black woman, it's a decisive criterion. If I were to decide today to change jobs, there are a few factors to consider:

- What hairstyle will I wear to the job interview?

- How "diverse" is the future workplace (do other black people work there???)?

- Will I be discriminated against because of my skin color?

- Am I hypersexualized because of my intersectionality (feminine (misogyny) and black (racism) = misogynoir)?

WHAT THE ACTUAL F***? Despite my qualifications, I can't just decide to change jobs because I want to move up the ladder. I have to think very carefully about how I want/can organize my future. I have to weigh up the pros and cons: do I stay in my current job or do I risk going elsewhere with a "better" salary but with the risk of being discriminated against? Am I taking the risk? Does money come before well-being?