How to survive racism in the workplace

 I never imagined I’d be writing an article about racism, in my own country. After years of living abroad, I returned home with a deep sense of purpose. I was ready to build, to give back, to root myself again. I thought I had left racism behind in the West. Nothing prepared me for the stories of being overlooked, dismissed and managed instead of mentored. Some were subtle, while others were blunt and bold, yet all of them left me swirling with disbelief, rage, pity, and a strange sense of helplessness.

This article isn’t about blaming, it’s about naming. It’s about venting what many are too exhausted to say, and hopefully, starting the kinds of conversations that lead us toward real solutions.

I had always known racism was “out there”, on foreign soil, in systems we don’t own. But what do we do when exclusion happens on our own land, under our own flag? When business owners and hiring managers with deep roots outside the continent bring in not just capital, but the same hierarchies and biases I thought I had left behind? What do we do when local talent is undervalued, underpaid, and constantly made to prove its worth?

These were the questions I kept asking myself. “What can I do? I’m just a writer. How do I help challenge the systems that silence so many? ” I thought. It took me a long time to write this piece as I needed to let my outrage soften into clarity. My truth is, I work at an incredible company, one where every shade is respected and valued, where kindness, professionalism, and genuine respect shape the culture. Racism at work is not my current reality, and maybe that’s exactly why I feel so compelled to write this today, because it’s a shame that not everyone gets to experience being valued at work based on their ethnicity. So today, I do what I know how to do. I write. I write to honour the stories I’ve been trusted with and the craft that helps me make sense of my world.

Let’s be real: some of the most powerful companies and industries in Tanzania, particularly in retail, tech, construction, tourism, and manufacturing, are not led by people who look like the majority of Tanzanians.

While their investment is often celebrated, the workplace cultures they bring can come with unspoken assumptions about who is “qualified,” who is “trustworthy,” and who deserves to lead. A 2022 Africa Workplace Diversity Index survey found that over 43 percent of employees across major African cities have experienced workplace discrimination based on skin tone, ethnicity, or language preference. Though the report didn’t name names, many respondents highlighted how foreign-owned companies or those managed by families with generational ties outside Africa were the least likely to promote African staff into leadership, and the most likely to tolerate bias cloaked as “standards.”

The result? A workforce where African professionals are often hired to execute, but rarely trusted to make decisions.

When you’re in a workplace that doesn’t affirm you, it’s easy to turn on yourself, to shrink, and at times to overcompensate.

But here’s what I’ve learned: What makes you different is not the problem. Their discomfort with it is.

These 5 practices were shared with me among many others by various people that have helped them find their footing in surviving racist companies. They may help you too:

1. Name it without shame. Trust your gut. If it feels wrong, it probably is. Document it!!!! Journal it. Speak up if you feel safe to, whether it’s to a supervisor, HR, or a trusted ally.

2. Find your tribe. Don’t try to navigate this alone. Seek out communities outside the workplace, where you’re affirmed, celebrated, and recharged.

3. Set your boundaries. Not everything is worth the struggle or the fight. Learn to discern what to challenge, what to let go, and what to walk away from.

4. Educate up. Share a podcast. Recommend a book. Invite honest dialogue. Sometimes people aren’t aware, and sometimes they are. Either way, your voice matters!

5. Remember your why. You were hired for a reason. You add value to your company. Don’t let anyone shrink the purpose you carry.

Racism, especially when it’s quiet, polished, and polite, is brutal. It’s hard to name, harder to prove and hardest to endure. If this article resonated with you please know: You are not too sensitive. You are not imagining it and you are not alone.

Let your presence be a declaration: You belong. And please when you survive it, speak up, so the next professional doesn’t have to endure in silence.