I started working in the city about 6 years ago and when I did there were a few black women but not that many faces.6 years onwards and I have to say that there are so many black men AND women in the city it is unbelievable. I am not talking about just the small support roles either but middle management (some of the larger IT consultancy companies are apparently working on ways to raise black men and women to the top).

I have to say that over the years I have seen so many young black men and women bouncing into the city and making their mark in their careers that I've just thought that improvement in terms of education and moving into top notch employment has improved in general.

I thought things had improved until a quite controversial conversation with a colleague who informed me one of his relatives couldn't get his head around the fact that learning to be professional didn't mean you had to be a bounty / oreo and from what my colleague is skill is typical of people his relatives age (his relation is about to finish uni). I cannot believe that this is the case especially with organisations such as rare recruitment out there making their mark.

I'm wondering what other people's views of black people and their slow / fast move into the corporate environment is...

Seems scary considering we are the last hired first fired.

If we are in corporate environments more often then these corporation see us no longer as a group political active towards social justice anymore. No longer a huge liability.

We are at the mercy of these corporations essential.

Please note I am not against us serving these functions but we have to give up something usually to gain something.

And that's what I see.

that's not the case @ last hired first fired.

At the end of the day working in the city is a job just like working for the royal mail is a job or wokring as a nurse. not sure why certain quarters ofbritish blacks act like someone has to sell their soul and sell out to work for a corporation. - thats so 1980's

Indians work in their droves for corporations in the city - and they still hold fast to their culture marrying within their caste, within their religion. meshing their culture and identifying to their fellow brown skins across the company

defyfear wrote:

Ok but in that corporate level many of us take on expanded positions of the corporation. Not core corporate operations where you can make decision that affect the home and international offices. Yes, you can make a decision but it has to run by so many different operations in the corporation before its given the OK. Not so with core corporate operations.

1980.. 1970.. did not have these 'expanded' position. The 'global' economy with political changes geared towards it made these 'expanded' jobs possible. Not civil rights. Technology was used to 'expand' the economy but is not the basis for it. Politics and security in the form of money to be used within the 'global economy' and domestic priviledges to internationals made what we see today.

Government and corporate intepreted civil rights just helped us get in with the 'home' domestic Western office but does nothing for the international corporate office. I have met many people who went overseas and later regretting their time over there. Things were just some much easier back 'home' office in terms of work and support.

Still I think it is OK for us to be there.

About Indians.

They may hold onto their culture and things but I probably wont have their majority support in matters of civil rights and justice (home issues) under these expanded positions. Their right to be there was most likely not of their own hard won domestic efforts. Geopolitics and corporate politics in India and from the UK during the 1970 and 1980 positioned them there mostly. We are just the last to take fruit in these corporation. And the fruit aint fresh.

Our people are not bad and should not be compared to others as many make out. Once we have our minds on justice and it not only helps us but others too.

The corporate environment just doesn foster that sense.