Although experiences are still varied, many people of colour have found peace in isolation, which has enabled them to avoid racism from their superiors and coworkers in corporate settings.BuzzFeed News - Mark Harris; Getty ImagesLinnea expected to feel isolated and lonely while working from home in Washington DC during the pandemic. Linnea expected to feel isolated, lonely, and disconnected while working from her Washington, DC home during the pandemic. It was not necessary for her to watch white people hand over their dirty dishes to the catering staff and janitorial workers, who are often people of color. She said that she no longer felt like the loud, angry Black woman. Her heart rate dropped on her Fitbit. She said that working from home has given her a sense of peace she didn't anticipate and that she really didn't expect. Linnea is one of many employees of color that are reluctant to return to workplaces where they were often ignored, misunderstood or neglected by their colleagues before the pandemic. BuzzFeed News heard from non-white employees that while corporate America has made numerous diversity and inclusion promises over the past year, they are unsure if that support will make any significant difference or if colleagues and managers will continue to harbor biases once the public pressure subsides.If I have to go out again, that peace will be taken from me.Linnea stated that it almost feels like temporary empowerment because it is only empowering for as long as I can stay in my cocoon. Linnea said that if she has to leave, the peace will be gone. BuzzFeed News interviewed 80 people of color about their experiences working remotely during the pandemic. The survey covered everything from education and public policy to finance and law to tech. Ten respondents were interviewed. They asked for a nickname or their first names to avoid retaliation. Many also requested that we not identify their employers as it would be easy to identify them if there weren't many people of color at their jobs. Many felt lonely due to remote work, and were concerned about being professionally invisible without face-to-face interactions. Most said that not being in the office for 15 months has provided a calming respite from the pressure to conform to corporate culture, hear colleagues making racist comments or feel socially excluded and othered. BuzzFeed News spoke with employees who said that remote work allowed them to process the incessant reports of violence against peoples of color. They also had the freedom to be alone and not have to comfort white colleagues, many of whom may only recently become aware of inequality. One Asian woman from Minneapolis stated that her white colleagues considered the past year a time for reflection and learning. However, it was a stressful time for all of them. They also feel that remote work gives them the freedom to process the endless reports of violence against people of color without having to coddle their white colleagues. Amelia, a Latina Denver attorney, is in her twenties and said that the past year was the most productive. Amelia felt alienated by other aspects of her company's culture. Her colleagues were grouped in cliques that did not include her. Amelia stated that when she was a midlevel attorney, everyone would meet up in a group chat with her and another non-white coworker. They would arrange last-minute, expensive trips to Las Vegas for 10 grand each and go on golf lessons with the president of their firm. Amelia felt judged for prioritizing the family she financially supports six people, and for inviting her mother to lunch every day rather than spending her time on work-related activities. She said that people thought it was funny. It is nice to work from home during the pandemic. I don't have to spend too much time with people who aren't interested in group chats or want to be around me. I have been able to make decisions about how much time I invest in my own personal life. Amelia has seen reports that companies are eager to connect employees through group events after more then a year. She feels that people like hers, and others of color who were marginalized prior to the pandemic, are being ignored. It just feels oppressive to me. Laura, a Black woman in Delaware who is a higher education administrator, said that she never felt included. Laura also stated that she has been able work more efficiently in the past year, even though she was at home with her children and husband. People know that I don't want to spend my time crying...Im glad that I haven't spent too much time with them. When the company announced that employees would be able to connect in person, she was upset. She has no plans to attend. She said that being a Black person at work is hard because everyone you do is judged, and perhaps misread. She fears that she will be seen in the office with her natural Black resting bitchface. You won't like it, or it will be viewed as aggression. I have never felt that way at home.I would wear my hair in an Afro and people would pump the Black power fist.Others who are Black say it is liberating to have their natural hair at work without being judged by colleagues or making it look like they must conform to white coworkers. Jessica, a Black woman in her thirties, stated that she would wear her hair in an Afro and people would give me the Black power fist. Jessica works for California. Someone would either look at me and say, "Hey, nice statement." I just wore mine out. Many Black women stated that they feel more at ease doing their jobs and not feeling judged by their peers or supervisors. Laura said that the feeling of being judged by others, such as people saying you are lazy or not working here or how did you get this job, is something she used to experience. Despite corporate America promising to fix long-standing inequalities, many workers of color are skeptical about the possibility of seeing tangible improvements at work. One of the hardest things I've had to deal with is that it doesn't get better, Olivia, a Black woman in her twenties who works at a DC think tank, stated. People who claim to be politically on my side, but in reality don't know how they should treat a coworker from color with dignity. Loren, a Black woman working in Plano, Texas for a logistics firm, stated that her employer added a floating holiday for us to celebrate our culture. She also encouraged people to submit pictures of their celebrations to be entered into a contest. She said, "Who has the best culture?" Jason Wall, a Phoenix-area university student, signed up to participate in an initiative that the school had announced to address racial inequalities in the workforce and student bodies. They have not heard back from them since. Wall, who is Black, uses the pronouns they/them and has no idea of what's going on. Wall recalls a workplace where someone could ask a Latino colleague if they ride their burro to work. People laughed at this. After George Floyd's death, everyone in the Black community felt like they were going through a period of intense depression. Then suddenly, Wall said that people started to feel more comfortable asking their Latino colleagues if they rode their burros to work. Jessica stated that a racial equality initiative in her department caused controversy. One colleague claimed it was racist, while another said it didn't consider the other side. Although it's great that they are doing it, I have to admit, I don't trust it. You have to think three steps ahead of your colleagues, regardless how inclusive they try to make you feel. It's exhausting.I feel pressured to speak for all people and be their voice.
