You know I'm perpetually online right?
Like...it's a problem. I'm beginning to suspect I might have ADHD. Not just because of the obsession with Twitter. There are other things too. My sensitivity to noise, the way I get confused if there is too much stimuli...lots of things. Anyway, this isn't about my tendency to self-diagnose...which...
Never mind. We were talking about being online and so that's where I get most of my interactions with strangers. So a few weeks ago, someone said on Twitter that working with Black Americans was basically her worst experience in terms of them wanting discounts and such.
Of course, that was a generalization but I too have experienced the same thing. But not just with black Americans. Black people of various hues and origins; are always angling for free or near-free work from other black people.
As I write this, I am speculating as to why that is and my conclusion isn't that it's not that black people are cheap - no. They just don't value the time and work of other black people. Internalized racism jumps out; our minds remain colonized.
In my experience, and it saddens me to admit this, but of all the various clients I have had, I have worked best with white men followed by Asian women.
You think I like writing this? I don't. But the truth is that so long as you demonstrate your competence, white men (disclaimer: not Americans - have yet to work with an American man) will give you the work, expect you to do it, and then pay you promptly. The two Asian women I've worked with preferred a more collaborative process but let me take the lead as the 'expert'. They seem to take it as two groups just trying to survive white supremacy so let's see if we can get this money. I haven't worked with racist Asians but of course, they would not choose me to work for them anyway.
White women...
Brace yourself for at least one tantrum. They also want to tell you what to do even though they actually do not know anything. Like, nothing. Not even basic English. The number of times I've had to explain things that I thought were common knowledge...
Working with white women has taught me patience and I totally understand why black people were so happy to be working from home during the panini. They STAY looking for shit to blame you for.
White women working under men are conversely, the most polite people I've ever encountered. They're gentle, say please and thank you and is there any way I can help you? This is actually my favorite dynamic.
Black American women will call you "Queen" and ask for edits and re-dos and do everything they can to delay paying you. Black American men will ghost you if you let them, after asking for the work. Africans will ask for as little as they can pay you, ask you who you think you are, and become annoyed if you want to be paid commensurate rates as everyone else.
So there you have it.
This is just my experience. My disclaimer is that it's not a blanket description of every one of whatever race.
Do with this what you will.
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