THE ONLY BLACK GUY IN THE OFFICE
I’m No Longer Using My White Voice at Work
Sorry to bother you with this latest 2020 self-discovery
Update 6/7/22: Level has a new home. You can read this article and other new articles by visiting LEVELMAN.com.
You never really remember your first time code-switching. It just sort of happens. More like whistling than riding a bike (although, like cycling, once you’ve got it down, you can do it forever). Code-switching is just one of those talents that you subconsciously sharpen until one day, one moment, the opportunity calls for your pitch, diction, and overall energy to take a form of their own, and it just leaps out: your fully formed White voice.
For Black people operating in spheres where Whiteness is the default setting — especially those who deal with paying, borrowing, or procuring money — code-switching is one of the most crucial talents you can possess. (Not to mention dealing with law enforcement, which is its own modus operandi with much higher stakes). It dates back to W.E.B. DuBois’ idea of the double consciousness that’s necessary to survive an oppressive society. And while it’s a relic of problematic respectability politics, smiling and throwing a little extra enunciation into your speech game is one of the few tools at Black…
