Black Introverts: why the intersection of race and personality matters

This week (24th - 28th October) was Black Introvert Week in the UK.

Founded by Richard Etienne, a self-proclaimed introvert, in 2021 to empower organisations, and educational institutions, to think in greater depth about the personality diversity and intersectionality of Black employees, it sits right at the end of Black History Month and features panel discussions and social campaigns.

The Black Introvert Week website cites research that indicates extroverts have higher earning potential than introverts, are more likely to be promoted and rated more highly in performance reviews, as the driving force behind this initiative, due to the implications in the debate on race disparity, equality of opportunity and how best to tackle the ethnicity pay gap.

Its aims are to:

1. Support teachers and employers to better understand how to recognise and nurture the talents of Black introverts.
2. Raise awareness and understanding of the value that Black introverts bring to a team or classroom.
3. Support Black introverts to have a voice about their experiences.

Etienne has been working in conjunction with the founder of US Black Introvert Week (8th-15th February), Jeri Bingham, to amplify Black voices on both sides of the Pond.?

This week I attended both the panel discussion led by Etienne and the Introvert Sisters podcast episode, featuring Etienne and Bingham, so that I can continue to educate myself in the intersectionality aspect of introversion, and be an active ally.

Because, whilst I could instantly identify with the experiences being shared around feeling from a young age that you are somehow ‘different’ - weird, perhaps, or even misunderstood - and only much later in life having that affirming, and confirming, realisation that introversion is a personality type, with many strengths, that others share, as well as an early love for libraries and reading (I used to ask my grandfather to take me as a treat!) and an intense dislike of small talk and phone calls, I am white.

Which means my experiences as an introvert have been different to those of Black introverts.

Power and privilege

I posted a little while ago about the intersectionality aspect of introversion, which is why I believe introversion should be factored into DEIB agenda: in a society that is biased in favour of extroversion, introverted talent is often overlooked, under-appreciated and having to operate under less-than-optimal conditions: the playing field isn't level.

Add in other factors, such as systemic and institutionalised racism, and introverted individuals have to navigate even greater disadvantage; everything becomes more complicated. Meaning Black introverts have to ‘work harder’ to dispel misconceptions and prove themselves as being worthy of their role.

Sylvia Duckworth’s Wheel of Privilege illustrates these additional barriers perfectly. The more of the inner wheel that reflects your identity, the more power you have. So a white person automatically has more power and privilege than a Black person, and therefore a white introvert automatically has more power and privilege than a Black introvert, even though both have to navigate extrovert privilege in the workplace (introversion isn’t represented on this wheel, though it could, arguably, fit under ‘neurodiversity’).?

The more an individual sits on the outer edges of the wheel, the more challenges they have to navigate and so a Black introvert who is also marginalised in other areas will have to navigate numerous barriers to level that playing field.

Christina Steed, a panellist for the Black Introvert Week UK panel discussion, revealed how Black people come into a space already not having psychological safety, and may even be code-switching - especially in the case of Black women, who are often categorised and stereotyped in a certain way and, by far, receive the most negative feedback.

There is a huge amount of pressure on Black women, especially those in predominately white workplaces, to be extroverted, as deviating from the accepted stereotype can be damaging to their careers; they are likely to be perceived as angry, unfriendly, anti-social and/ or disengaged. Statistically, Black women also have the lowest probability of being top earners and are less likely to be promoted; combined with the similar statistics surrounding introverts, Black introverted women face a significant disadvantage.

Fellow panellist, Keni W Dominguez, shared examples of Black introverted employees being suddenly removed from projects, or even flushed out of organisations, without the opportunity to grow or develop, because of these misconceptions.

Introverted Black people, but especially women, therefore often ‘perform’ extroversion just to get by in the workplace - and, sometimes, also outside of it due to cultural pressures.

The intersection of race and personality is rarely discussed.

Unconscious biases are also a factor here. A white introvert in the workplace may well face negative judgement (I know I have), but, often, we are perceived less harshly than our Black counterparts. For example, introverted white people are often classified as ‘nerdy’ or just ‘quiet’; our value may be being overlooked but a Black introvert will also be perceived through the lens of whatever biases, and/ or stereotypes, their skin colour generates and so they have to work extra hard to overcome these: they may not feel like engaging in small talk about their weekend but it becomes a game they are forced to play; it’s common in performance reviews for Black introverts to be labelled as aloof, or even rude. It’s therefore imperative they ‘prove’ themselves early on in a new role and work extra hard to show that the right hiring decision was made - several of the panellists, including Etienne himself, shared having had this experience.

Black introverts are constantly walking a tightrope between being perceived as 'too much' and 'not enough' - and that can be exhausting.

Belonging and wellbeing?

Ekow Sanni-Thomas believes that, because you can’t identify an introvert by appearance, a lot of introverts do mask who they really are. And he’s right; research backs this: 98% of introverts reported feeling reproached or maligned and often are reluctant to admit to being introverted through fear of negative judgement. Even if it’s on a subconscious level, extroverted behaviours and traits are rewarded and sought-out, both in the workplace and society. Furthermore, in terms of workplace belonging, many Black people have ‘just accepted’ they can’t be their full selves at work.

With research by Gallup, McKinsey and Accenture all confirming the importance of a workplace culture of belonging for employee engagement, well-being and retention the consequences of this could be catastrophic: if you are consistently forced to pretend to be someone you are not it will take a toll on your mental, and physical, health.

With Etienne estimating that there are over one million Black introverts in the UK alone, a significant percentage of the workforce are likely to be impacted.

Even before entering the workplace, Black introverts are often having formative experiences that shape the belief that there is something fundamentally wrong with them; in the UK, even the school curriculum, and best practice in teaching, demonstrates bias towards extroversion. Children who are performing well academically, are being reported by their teachers as 'too quiet'; examples were shared during the panel discussion of these experiences, as well as introversion being mistaken for weakness, or low ability, by teachers (statistically, there is a correlation between introversion and being 'gifted').

By the time these children are adults entering the workforce they have already internalised the narrative that to succeed they have to pretend to be someone they are not.

The time for change is now

The intersectionality between race and personality is seldom discussed; this needs to change.

Initiatives, like Black Introvert Week, are sparking discussion but beyond these weeks it's imperative the conversations continue, both to normalise introversion within Black culture and also to achieve true intersectional inclusion and equality in our classrooms and workplaces.

The foward-thinking companies incorporating introversion into their DEIB agenda are those who will attract the best talent - the Black Introvert UK panel discussed how to identity workplaces with supportive cultures, because we're in an age where people are voting with their feet - and therefore secure out the best outcomes in the future of work.

But it's not just about outcomes; it's about ethics.

It's all well and good to commit to creating an inclusive culture; however, that needs to apply to ALL employees. Including introverts - and an ERG for introverts isn't sufficient to enact meaningful change.

I work with companies to help them achieve true intersectional inclusion and equity for introverts but, to be able to do this, companies need to first recognise the need for these interventions - and, at the time of writing this, only a minority do.

In the meantime, we can support Black introverts by being active allies and amplifying their voices. If you've read this far, I ask only that you continue this conversation in whichever ways you can.

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About Me

I help introverts develop authentic confidence, through coaching, training and digital products, so that they can thrive without having to change who they are, and companies through training, coaching and consultancy, to address the workplace bias towards extroversion.

Through developing my own authentic confidence I have been able to build a life on my terms, working part-time for full-time income, travel solo around the world, work with companies like Google and speak, with confidence, to entire auditoriums. I've already helped thousands of individuals, across 169 countries globally, to develop confidence and communication skills, as well as manage Imposter Syndrome and limiting beliefs. Helping others feel enough is my passion.

If you are an introvert looking to feel more confident, set boundaries to help you balance your time and be able to understand, and communicate, your value to others; a leader looking to better support your introverted talent; or a company committed to achieving intersectional equity and inclusion, DM me or?visit my website, to find out more about how I can help you.

Alternatively, you can subscribe to my email list for additional updates and inspiration; I periodically send out free tools and resources to my email subscribers to help with their transformation. Sign up?here.