Justin Sullivan/Getty Pictures
Justin Sullivan/Getty Pictures
After a profitable profession in promoting, Erika Williams determined it was time for a change. She went again to high school to get an MBA on the College of Chicago, and ultimately, in 2012, she bought a job at Wells Fargo as a monetary advisor. It was the very job she wished.
Erika is Black–and being a Black monetary advisor at an enormous financial institution is comparatively unusual. Banking was one of many final white collar industries to actually rent Black staff. And when Erika will get to her workplace, she’s barely located earlier than she begins to get a bizarre feeling. She appears like her coworkers are performing unusually round her. “I used to be simply met with a variety of stares. After which the stares simply turned to simply, I imply, they simply just about ignored me. And that was my first day, and that was my second day. And it was actually day by day till I left.”
She wasn’t certain whether or not to name her expertise racism…till she discovered that there have been different Black staff at different Wells Fargo workplaces feeling the very same approach.
On right this moment’s episode, Erika’s journey by way of these halls of cash and energy. And why her story will not be distinctive, however is only one piece of the bigger puzzle.
At the moment’s present was produced by Alyssa Jeong Perry with assist from Emma Peaslee. It was fact-checked by Sierra Juarez. Additionally they assisted with reporting. It was edited by Sally Helm. Engineering by James Willets with assist from Brian Jarboe.
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Music: “Report Breaker,” “Easy Day,” and “On the Cash.”
