It happens in general unfortunately. This was the case for me as well. The older, higher up black people I encountered were either detrimental or indifferent to me. At the time I had no idea what was going on or why it was occurring that way.
I've found that these kind of things work best when everyone is there due to some focused hobby, like a gun club or even video games. I think Dr. Neely Fuller alluded to this one time.
I know this post is going to ruffle a lot of feathers but the truth always does.
This is the hierarchy of who corporate America prefers hiring in terms of preference of “blacks”:
1. Black female LGBT (bonus points if they’re mixed race.) These are the ones who identify by their sexuality before their color. They won’t rock the boat. They see themselves as colorless. Hiring kills three birds with one stone. They look great for their diversity portfolio on their website.
2. West Indian/African - 1st generation or fresh off the boat. Again, they love hiring people from this group because they won’t challenge their anti-black American views. I’ve “heard” many even join in with these comments.
From my experience, they see Nigerians as the most docile and grateful for getting a pat on the head, so they don’t have to worry about them putting other black folk on.
3. Mammy/God fearing. Now they usually have these types in middle management. Rarely in the boardrooms if they don’t fit the “aesthetic” of the company. But they use these types to watch over the plantation and keep any rebel negro check.
White women love them especially because they know they’re not a threat sexually and they’re there for their entertainment.
4. Gay black men. They don’t want to hire or promote any black men period but if they have to, then gay black men are no different from no.1. Actually, I’ll be honest, I’ve some who were pro-black in silence but they definitely “twirled”‘it up in front of the CACs to seem less threatening. But for the most part, they’re not seen as a threat.
5. Straight black women. If she doesn’t have a zaddy or a fake valley girl accent, it’s hard for a conscious black woman to get hired. But, they’re preferable over straight black men in management positions… maybe not so much the board rooms.
6. Straight black man (who aren’t c00ns). If you’re not skinning and grinning or PAWGing… you are bottom of the totem pole in the corporate world. It will be damn near impossible for you to move up unless the higher ups really like you. It doesn’t matter how great you are at your job.
You have to be Damn near irreplaceable to make the same money as the incompetent CACs they’ll put ahead of you.
I’m semi-self employed… the only reason I’m still part time at job is because I can work at home… I hustled the fukk out of those white folk just before the pandemic, and if I was made redundant, my severance pay would’ve been ridiculous. I’ll stay on until they get rid of me. At least I don’t have to see them in the office.
If you’re a Straight non-c00nish black man… learn all you can in the corporate world and start your own with like minded folks. These CACs do NOT want you ahead of them or on their level. The aforementioned are happy with their token role but you shouldn’t be.