Undervaluing Black Expertise
How Criticism of VP Kamala Harris Highlights Racism in Professional Spaces
I recently received an email request from someone wanting to meet with me and ask me a curated list of questions related to my work as a consultant, scholar, and educator. The entire purpose of the meeting was for them to ask me questions to help them improve their business as a sales consultant with a local realty group. Essentially, they wanted to tap into my expertise in their professional capacity without offering compensation to me in my professional capacity.
This intelligent and educated person reached out to me with questions they could easily research on Google, YouTube, or at the local library. Yet, they sought my insights because they recognized the value of my expertise and the distinction between meeting with an expert and passively consuming information online.
This person is a local realtor, so I know they understand the importance of compensating knowledge experts for their expertise. Just as new homeowners pay for the guidance of a real estate expert to navigate buying or selling a house, recognizing that this expertise can save them valuable time, energy, and money, they should see the value in paying for business consulting.
However, after I informed them of my consulting fee, they disappeared for almost four weeks. They resurfaced only after a coincidental encounter with my brother, who, like me, is a creative entrepreneur. As the story goes, this person ran into my brother, made the connection that we were related, and then proceeded to detail their encounter with my brother. I’ve included the email below:
Hello _____,
Thank you for reaching out. Would you like to move forward and book a consulting hour with me? My rate for 1 hour is $100. Please let me know and I can send over a scheduling invoice.
Thank you so much,
Calvin
My brother was gobsmacked. He reiterated the value of my time and expertise during their conversation and lectured him about the need to pay artists and knowledge workers for their expertise. This person then emailed me again two days after the encounter with my brother, asking me again to provide free labor, and asking for more resources without acknowledging the value of my paid services. As a reminder, this is a person I’ve never met and have no connection to.
This behavior is infuriating and disheartening, to put it mildly. It suggests that, despite my qualifications and years of experience, my expertise is not deemed valuable enough to warrant compensation. I am left to hypothesize the reasons, with racism being a likely factor. This experience is a painful reminder that no matter how accomplished I become, my expertise is often questioned or undervalued. I am expected to provide free labor so another professional can "pick my brain" and decide if I am worth paying. This is unacceptable.
How this connects to VP Harris
In many ways, this connects to the recent conversations around the qualifications of Vice President Kamala Harris and Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, the first Black women to hold these high offices. Despite their decades of education, extensive experience, and impressive qualifications, they have faced racist and misogynistic attacks questioning their legitimacy. Critics (often white men) have disingenuously scrutinized their credentials and expertise, attempting to undermine their accomplishments and diminish their authority. They have been publicly lampooned, mocked, and shamed by prominent white male politicians including former President Donald J. Trump.
We’ve seen firsthand white supremacy culture in action as sociopolitical discourse in recent months has co-opted the concepts of affirmative action and diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), and critical race theory (CRT) and turned engaging and positive frameworks into slurs used to mock and question Black leaders. These (thinly veiled) dog whistles imply that any person who isn’t a white man has been handed their role unjustly and unfairly, despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary.
These tropes reinforce the second-class citizenship and caste system that Isabel Wilkerson highlighted in her 2020 book "Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents." No matter how hard Black and brown folks work, no matter how much education, experience, and expertise we acquire, we will never be seen as equal to white men because we are deemed inherently less than them. In the rare instances when we do reach the highest-ranking positions, we have to spend inordinate hours defending our credentials and having our genius and our expertise called into question. Many times this additional work is futile because our “caste” status means no matter how much knowledge and education we acquire, no matter how competent we are, we will never be good enough. There will always be a mediocre (racist) white man (or woman) lurking on the sidelines ready to give us a side eye and call us a “DEI hire”. Even though most people rarely say this out loud and will deny that their actions and sentiments are implicitly racist, those of us on the receiving end of such treatment understand what is being communicated between the lines.
When you consult a doctor or attorney, you pay for their time, even if it is just a brief consultation. For instance, I recently had a 10-minute consultation with an oral surgeon that cost $185, paid upfront when booking the appointment. In the past when I have booked time with attorneys and other professionals I expect and am prepared to pay for their time and expertise.
One step ahead, two steps behind
Despite the gains Black people and other historically oppressed groups have made in business and entrepreneurship across various sectors, the racial wealth gap and gender pay inequities prevent us from tapping into startup capital and cash to launch businesses. Many of us lack the privilege of generational wealth and access to country clubs and other informal networks where handshake deals are common, nepotism runs amok, and quid pro quo is the standard. Historically, we have been excluded from these spaces, which continue to be gatekept by white men. Our intellectual property and knowledge are among our most valuable assets, and when we build businesses around these, the same system that tells us to "pull ourselves up by our bootstraps" scoffs at the idea of paying us for our expertise.
This hypocrisy is infuriating. The same patriarchy that created this rigged game becomes incensed when we learn the cheat code, beat them at their own game, and succeed despite the inequality. They then move the goalpost or spend time devaluing our work and finding ways to prove we aren’t qualified. This is nefarious and manipulative gaslighting. We must recognize that knowledge work is indeed work and stop asking Black people, women, and other minorities to provide it for free. Enough is enough.
Despite feeling at my wits end around continually talking, writing, ranting, and venting about this subject, I’ve decided to continue to be the change I wish to see and end this essay by providing you with education on how to check your implicit biases and engage with or seek out expertise from Black, brown, disabled, and other historically marginalized voices, friends, and neighbors, regardless of whether they are business owners:
Stop asking Black creators to work for free
Remember:
You are not entitled to their time.
They have a right to say no with no explanation.
Make sure you use your own brain and connect with resources online and at your library.
Ask yourself:
Can I do my own research before reaching out?
What work am I doing, in general, to educate and/or immerse myself in perspectives from thought leaders and scholars who do not share my background?
Who am I following on social media? What books do I read? TV shows I watch?
What podcasts can I listen to from people of these perspectives?
If you do reach out:
Lead with humility.
Start by making it clear that you intend to pay them for their work. For example: "Hello. I’m reaching out because I find value in your perspective and want to learn more and ask questions. What do you charge for an hour of your time?"
Do not expect them to provide you with their earned expertise for free.
If you can’t afford their rate, thank them and move on.
See how easy that is?
My experience with this local realtor is not an isolated incident. It reflects a broader systemic issue where Black people, women, and other historically and presently marginalized folks are consistently undervalued and exploited. This must change. We deserve to be compensated for our expertise, and we must demand it. Knowledge work is work, and it should be treated with the respect and value it deserves. This is not just about fairness but about respecting and valuing the contributions of all professionals, regardless of their background. It is time to end the exploitation and acknowledge that our expertise deserves compensation.