"Hush Money" Author on Covert Discrimination and Harassment and How To Defend Your Career

In this Extraordinary Conversation, we spoke with Jacquie Abram, the author of "Hush Money: How One Woman Proved Systemic Racism in Her Workplace and Kept Her Job", tells the story behind the book. The book is based on true events and describes how the author's successful career in higher education was repeatedly derailed by racism. She lost her job multiple times, suffered psychological damage, and was on the verge of committing homicide. The book offers a survival guide for anyone dealing with discrimination, providing a roadmap for negotiating terms while leaving a job or putting oneself in a position of power to stay in a job. The author, who had no prior writing experience, wrote the book with her daughters.

The speaker discusses how covert racism operates in modern workplaces, where racist individuals, often in leadership positions, use their power and influence to target and sabotage the careers of people of color. This type of racism is harder to detect and prove, and often involves the complicity of HR, colleagues, and IT in order to manipulate the system and create obstacles for the targeted individuals.

Jacquie shares how her book that serves as a roadmap for employees to fight racism and other forms of discrimination in the workplace. The book also provides employers with a compass to prevent racism and discrimination by shedding light on what they cannot see. The speaker has been invited to facilitate a global DEI workshop for Amazon's top leaders, where they received the book. The book delves deep into covert racism, sexism, gender bias, and intersectionality. The speaker also discusses the importance of having conversations about racism and diversity in the water industry and how some associations are taking the lead while others are not.

Jacquie and DrCat highlight the importance of private spaces for women leaders in male-dominated fields where they can ask for help without appearing incompetent. Private online groups and women's circles are gaining popularity, particularly after the #MeToo movement. More Millennial Women are joining these groups as they enter their 40s and begin to step into leadership roles. Jacquie discussed the "pet to threat" phenomenon and DrCat talks about the Professor-Student relationship that often exists among senior and junior staff in water professions - so long as junior staff stay junior.

We talk about the lack of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) and anti-racism training in organizations that leads to ineffective DEI efforts. Jacquie addresses how organizations can be resistant to DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) efforts, especially covert forms of discrimination. While some people may be unconsciously biased (for which awareness-raising exercises can be helpful), others hold deep-seated beliefs about certain groups including Women and Blacks. The speaker also gives examples of how people can resist change, such as the backlash to casting a Black Mermaid or Black Elf in the movies.

Jacquie talks about her current work with the son of a victim of the racially-motivated mass murder in Buffalo, New York, as well as the sequel to her first Hush Money book, which provides further guidance on ways to prepare for and address discrimination and retaliation in the workplace.