The Only Black Guy in the Office
Professional Networking Events Are Hella Shallow
When steam tables and free cocktails just don’t cut it
Update 6/7/22: Level has a new home. You can read this article and other new articles by visiting LEVELMAN.com.
When I took my current job, I wasn’t planning on much camaraderie within the workspace. I’ve kind of become accustomed to expect otherwise — a handful of Brown faces in the office to share head nods with is a bonus more valuable than the company’s gym membership reimbursement. It’d be great to have an outlet for encouragement, feedback, and insight from people climbing the corporate ladder who actually look like me.
Between my first job working in the tech space and my current one, I’ve made connections with a few Black colleagues who have kept in touch and introduced me to their own circles. But a co-worker from my last job put me on to what I figured would be my first serious level-up: the Black Tech Professionals event pool.
Jamal, the guy who actually wanted to kick it with me beyond 10 awkward seconds at the elevator, was the plug; there’s no way I would’ve known the scene existed if he hadn’t hipped me to it. (Seattle isn’t New York City, you know.) I had assumed a Reddit forum of Black folks talking…
