"Chapelle Was Right: When Keeping It Real in White Spaces Goes Wrong"

"On my social media account, I reposted a meme of the movie Friday, which read, “For all the white people who say ‘bye Felicia’ point to Felicia.” The post was a culturally relevant version of “Where’s Waldo.” However, the meme itself speaks to White America’s habit of not knowing the origins of cultural references within the Black American community (if you want to be deep about it). Former co-workers of mine, whom have never double tapped or commented on a picture, decided to share their misguided beliefs about race. But of course, being knowledgeable about the subject matter on both a personal level and an academic one, I welcomed the conversation.

Another co-worker who uses the phrase and visibly appropriates Black culture was tagged in the post. A screenshot was taken of the conversation and sent to my manager (a Black male) and my bosses. I was threatened with being terminated if my behavior was perceived to be unprofessional, again. I was told that I was perceived to be offensive by being direct...

my white co-worker does not have to be sensitive about her continuous cultural appropriation that is offensive to me. Yet, somehow, I must maintain my cultural integrity in a climate that values the emotions of white co-workers more than my comfort and their personal responsibility. This incident was a painful reminder of how white women’s emotions are more valuable than the Black woman’s voice and experience."
http://www.forharriet.com/2015/08/chapelle-was-right-when-keeping-it-real.html?m=1#axzz3jquY9aBn

It's very real, in office environments it is offensive to be offended. There are many, many spaces with a palpable attitude of "if you can't handle this, maybe you shouldn't be here".

Related: spoke up about Google discrimination changed nothing