Long term systematic Privilege - The problem with NOT being a cis- white male born into privilege. You start out going to college. They most likely went to a nicer college due to inherited privilege. You start a job. (1)

I started with this punk rock attitude that I’ll make geosciences better for future generations of POC and women. You watch as the cis white male gets to hang out off the clock with upper management. (2)

You try, but are told their wife wouldn’t like it - getting Pence’d before Pence was a thing. You are unable to “rub shoulders with influential leaders” because outside of your profession you are a threat to conservative values. (3)

You watch the cis white male be groomed and given special tasks over and over. You try to put yourself out there to highlight your knowledge and contribution to the group but are overlooked and ignored. (4)

You try for years but feel more and more left behind w/ time while they are offered more opportunities and recognition. You’re used as support w/ no promotion and no visibility for accomplishments. You feel more and more beat down over the years-Losing that initial spunk. (5)

They have successfully beat you down into submission into your role of supporting their success. You think, this is it… head down, work hard… never saying no, hoping to be noticed, but after the long 40+ hours… only burnout. (6)

Then there’s the push for change within the company and hope things are really changing. Then you watch as it happens all over again. Stuck in the same position working hard while they are groomed again and promoted again. It’s all performative action. (7)

This is how women and POC are left behind in the working world. Over time it adds up. The longer endured during one's lifetime the more they are left behind in many ways - financial earnings, status, credibility, opportunities, wasted talent and knowledge, etc. (8)

There’s always an excuse when asked why. If it’s b/c you haven’t had any leadership roles, it’s b/c they were all given to the groomed person. Depending on what your background is, there’s always a complaint as to how you go about things - not assertive, too loud, etc. (9)

They have made a company culture that you don’t fit into b/c it’s directed towards the cis white male. I’m halfway into a career and it feels so very grim. (10)

What do we do? How do we change this? Is this an “it is what it is” situation. A push, even among “liberal” white men to discourage women from working and to return to the home? I don’t identify with the typical female standard roles. In fact, I’m terrible at them. (11)

I want a better system. No, I want a new system. This is exhausting. This is depressing. I really didn’t want the right answer even in 2020 to be look-real-pretty-and-find-a-rich-white-man. At least I’m no longer in Arkansas where the pick’ns are slim and dim.

#genderpaygap #genderequity