Share Your Stories About Being The "Only" Black Person At Work/School

From microaggressions to blatant racism.

Being the odd person out can be your chance to shine, or can invite unwanted attention full of prejudice and unfair treatment.

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Being the "Token Black Person" in the group, you face the challenges of being an unwilling representative of an entire culture or the recipient of offensive experiences that often go unacknowledged.

I learned first-hand that there can be two sides to being "the only one." Being the "first Black person" or a "token" can be a moment of triumph, while other moments can feel alienating or a source of unfair treatment.

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Both scenarios are 100% valid, and neither are a walk in the park.

Being the only Black student in my college student government allowed me to bring attention to a lack of diversity and create new visibility for incoming students, increasing admissions to new programs and interest from students who looked like me.

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In the beginning, I felt alone, over-explaining myself to ensure that my peers understood me. I constantly battled code-switching to have my voice heard. My presence alone made people think, "Why is he the only Black person in the room"? The visibility allowed me to be an agent of change and increase diversity, but don't get it twisted, I had to ruffle a few feathers, set people straight, and put myself in uncomfortable positions.

On the flip side, being the only Black person as a teenager working at a restaurant, I once walked into a kitchen prank where the entire staff placed white paper bags over their heads with the eyes cut out to "scare me." They insisted it was only a little joke.

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I was young at the time, and my boss was involved. I felt like there was nobody I could turn to who wouldn't see it as me being unable to take a joke. Perhaps if another Black person existed in the space, or upper management was diverse, the idea of such a cruel joke would never even cross their minds.

These stories, good or bad, can remain untold or taboo subjects. Fear of judgment or hesitation to bring unwanted attention leaves you holding your breath or accepting unfair treatment.

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I'm literally writing about this topic ~at my job~ 😅.  So, I GET IT.

Now it's time to speak your truth! In the comments below, tell us your "Token Black" work experiences that either made you or broke you (if you want to remain anonymous, use Google Form).

The best responses will be featured in a BuzzFeed Community post!