Dear Black people,

After racial reckoning summer, can you believe companies continue to step in it? Whether its Juneteenth merch that declares Its the freedom for me , or the constant theft of content from Black creators , what often follows is a general public feeling that if Black people were in the room, this wouldnt have happened. However, for most of us, the decision to speak up at work is not made lightly.

Lets say, for example, youre one of the few Black employees at a record label launching an AI-generated rapper that inexplicably loves the n-word and posts about cyber police brutality. Like many Black people before you, in rooms similar to the one youre in, you mentally game out the probable responses and weigh your options. You decide to say something perhaps ask your employers to unplug the racist robot to avoid public embarrassment. The hope is that your colleagues will take heed, but responses that originate in mostly white office environments often lead to more problems. Having worked a combined 25 years as one of or even the only, here are a few ways weve seen this strategy play out:

You speak up.

Scenario 1: Your team lead and fellow hip-hop head, Chad, thanks you for having The Conversation. He tells you later that he added The New Jim Crow to his cart. He doesnt act on your concern and will neither purchase nor read the book. Now youre the go-to Black Voice to whom Chad and other co-workers bring all their race-related conundrums, whether professional or personal. Theyll never change course, but you are now the Black theyll reference to beat the all-white friend group allegations.

Beloved, its not your fault these people are trifling. You were right to speak up against something you knew to be wrong, and were sorry you extended emotional labor just to be heard.

Scenario 2: The room fills with silence while people furtively remove tagged videos of themselves gleefully singing the n-word at hip-hop concerts. Piping up transformed you from Single Ladies Beyonc to Formation Beyonce right before their eyes. Can they bring up their favorite show or music if its not woke enough? Worse, colleagues you dont know tell you theyre your ally, and send unsolicited think pieces on Black America.

Beloved, its not your fault your social standing at work and your ability to network are now dented. You were right to speak up against something you knew to be wrong, and were sorry you put in the emotional labor just to be iced out.

Scenario 3: Everyone in the room nods. They understand the importance of what youve said and are ready to act. Weeks pass, and you bring it up with your team lead. Huh? I thought we closed the loop. As prolific singer, playwright and sex toy mogul Kandi Burruss once declared: The lies! The lies! The lies! This time, its not Phaedra Parks. Its your boss using the I forgot technique to table your feedback into oblivion. You can recognize this as a shared document to nowhere, an idea placed in a parking lot, or repeated meetings where youre made to relive the harm you experienced or witnessed to no end.

Beloved, you were gaslit into thinking change was possible when your reasonable concerns were slow-faded into the mist. You were right to speak up against something you knew to be wrong, and were sorry you thought better of people who never took you seriously.