Brown in White Spaces: When Injury Prevention Became Harm
Introduction
Welcome to Brown in White Spaces, a powerful blog series where I openly share my personal stories of racism and workplace discrimination as a racialized woman working within predominantly white institutions and nonprofit organizations. Writing about these experiences is not only how I process my emotions, but also a way to raise awareness about systemic racism, exclusion, and bias in sectors that claim to support Indigenous communities and equity.
This series highlights the real challenges faced by people of color navigating the nonprofit and humanitarian sectors—issues rarely addressed in official diversity and inclusion reports. Here, I expose how subtle and overt racial biases, microaggressions, and workplace discrimination create barriers for racialized professionals. By sharing my lived experience, I aim to foster conversations on anti-racism, healing through storytelling, and accountability within organizations.
If you’ve ever felt silenced, marginalized, or blamed for speaking your truth in your workplace or community, this series is for you. Together, we can build solidarity, demand change, and reclaim our voices.
My Calling to Support Indigenous Communities
Working in nonprofit organizations dedicated to supporting Indigenous communities is often seen as a calling — a chance to contribute to healing and equity. However, my experience working with revealed a painful reality: systemic racism and workplace discrimination persist, even in organizations committed to diversity and inclusion. For confidently reasons we will refer to this non-profit as ABC123.
Experiencing Racism and Workplace Discrimination as a Racialized Professional
As a racialized woman and person of colour (POC), I was the only non-white staff member on my team at ABC123 The rest were white women who had longstanding friendships and close relationships, creating an exclusive environment that made it difficult for me to belong. This insider network perpetuated subtle racial biases, microaggressions, and exclusion that are common yet often unspoken in nonprofit workplaces.
Silence and Complicity: When Leadership Fails to Address Racism
My quiet demeanor was mistaken for weakness. Instead of being supported, I was intentionally targeted by white coworkers who dismissed my input and undermined my contributions. Despite raising concerns to my supervisor about this workplace harassment and racial bias, no action was taken. This lack of accountability demonstrated how systemic racism can be protected and perpetuated by leadership silence and complicity.
The Irony of Harm Inside a Program Focused on Healing
While the program focused on Indigenous injury prevention and trauma-informed care, it failed to address the ongoing racial harm happening within the organization itself. The same colonial dynamics we aimed to challenge externally were present internally — in the exclusion and silencing of racialized staff.
Commitment to Indigenous Youth Despite a Toxic Work Environment
Despite the toxic environment, I remained committed to the Indigenous youth we served, building trust and connection through shared understanding and lived experiences of marginalization. However, I eventually left the program, not because I lacked resilience, but because I refused to be complicit in a system that protects whiteness at the expense of racialized professionals.
The Need for Meaningful Anti-Racism in the Nonprofit Sector
My story is part of a broader conversation about racism, diversity, equity, and inclusion challenges in the nonprofit sector. Many racialized employees face similar barriers, including microaggressions, workplace discrimination, and exclusion from decision-making spaces. These experiences highlight the urgent need for nonprofits to go beyond performative diversity efforts and implement meaningful anti-racism policies and leadership accountability.
To Everyone Facing Workplace Racism: Your Voice Matters
If you have experienced workplace racism or exclusion in your own nonprofit or professional environment, know that your feelings are valid and your voice matters. Sharing our stories and demanding change is essential to creating truly inclusive and equitable organizations.