That'll be one token please....

Ok so here is something that bothers me. My whole career in Commercial Real Estate (about 8yrs) I am ALWAYS the only Black person working for my companies. One company I wasn't the only Black person but all the others worked in customer service. I was one of 2 who weren't. The other guy was a very flamboyant gay man who moonlighted as a Diana Ross impersonator. But I am always the only Black person. My office now is comprised of 2 companies owned by the same person. My company occupies the left half another company is on the right. They have a brother over there, but he won't even give the customary head nod. He walks by me like "I can't look her in the eye or else they might think we're in cahoots."

I would really love to have some co-workers who look like me. There is this really old dude who lives on the same floor as me and he always asks me about where I work. One day he says "Are there a lot of OUR KIND there?" I said no. He said all fast and adamant "GOOD. Cause that just brings trouble. White people get the job done right. I never messed with none of them niggas when I was a janitor at the community college." He is straight up Mr. Ruckus. PRAISE WHITE JESUS!

And I've had a very irish sounding name. So I constantly get the… Good Ol’ Irish girl, What a surprise to meet you comments. Sometimes I get the "Well how'd you get such an irish name?" and depending on my mood that day I will sometimes look them straight in the face and say “At some point someone of Irish descent bought and sold my ancestors and attached their irish surnames to us.” That usually brings silence and or a change in subject.

Do you ever feel like a token or like my Mr. Ruckus?