Black Women Rise: Reclaiming Power in Colonial Workspaces
The legacy of apartheid continues to silence black women in South African workplaces, but the tide is turning as sisters refuse to accept colonial attitudes that diminish their power and dignity.
As we observe the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence, we must confront an uncomfortable truth: the same systems that oppressed our mothers and grandmothers under apartheid continue to manifest in boardrooms and offices across Mzansi today.
The Colonial Mindset Lives On
For too long, black women have been expected to endure workplace harassment as the price of economic participation. This acceptance stems from centuries of conditioning under white supremacist structures that positioned black women as less deserving of respect and protection.
When our sisters face unwanted advances, condescending comments, or subtle bullying in corporate spaces, they're experiencing the modern face of colonial violence. The dismissal of these experiences as "not serious enough" echoes the same attitudes that allowed apartheid to flourish.
Breaking the Chains of Silence
The culture of silence that pervades many workplaces serves the same function it did during apartheid: protecting those in power while suppressing the voices of the oppressed. Black women who speak up are still labeled as "difficult" or "too emotional" – the same racist tropes used to discredit our resistance throughout history.
But silence has never been our salvation. Our liberation has always come through collective action and refusing to accept injustice as inevitable.
Reclaiming African Values of Respect
Ubuntu teaches us that we are interconnected, that the dignity of one affects the dignity of all. Yet many workplaces operate on Western individualistic principles that prioritize profit over people, competition over community.
True transformation requires rejecting these foreign impositions and embracing African values that center respect, collective responsibility, and the protection of the vulnerable.
Beyond Paper Policies
South Africa's Employment Equity Act represents hard-won victories by liberation movements, yet implementation remains woefully inadequate. HR departments, often dominated by those who benefited from apartheid's economic advantages, frequently protect institutional interests over black women's safety.
We need more than policies written by consultants who've never experienced marginalization. We need systems designed by and for those who understand the intersection of race and gender oppression.
Economic Justice as Gender Justice
The empowerment of black women in workplaces isn't just about preventing harassment – it's about dismantling the economic apartheid that continues to exclude our communities from meaningful participation in the economy.
When black women thrive professionally, entire communities benefit. Our success challenges the racial hierarchy that keeps wealth concentrated in white hands while black families struggle for basic dignity.
Everyday Resistance
The 16 Days of Activism reminds us that liberation is a daily practice. Every time a black woman refuses to accept disrespect, every time she demands fair treatment, every time she supports another sister's struggle, she's continuing the resistance that brought us this far.
True activism means transforming workplaces from spaces of colonial reproduction into environments where black excellence can flourish without compromise.
The time for accepting crumbs from the master's table has passed. Our mothers fought for our right to be here – now we must fight for our right to be respected.