When the Door Slams Twice
This story happens every day:
“ I’m a Black man, head down, working hard at a job I thought was steady. Bills paid, kids fed, dreams still intact. Then one day, my boss—let’s call him “Trump Lite”—decides he doesn’t need a reason to fire me. No write-ups. No missed deadlines. Just the smug confidence of a man who knows the culture of this country has tilted in his favor. A culture where “Make America Great Again” really meant “Make Racism Acceptable Again.”
Getting fired wasn’t just losing a paycheck. It was losing my dignity in a place where I’d invested my time and talent. The message was clear: when racism is emboldened at the top, the rot seeps down into everyday workplaces. My boss didn’t even bother pretending. He acted like the Constitution gave him a “free pass to discriminate” clause.
So I did what any man with a family and a sense of pride does—I dusted off my résumé and went hunting.
The Interview
Finally, a glimmer of hope. A good company, solid benefits, the kind of place where maybe I could rebuild. The interview went well. I walked out thinking, Maybe this is it. Maybe the storm has finally broken.
But then I did what every job seeker does in 2025—I checked their LinkedIn page. And there it was. Post after post singing the praises of Charlie Kirk. Memes, speeches, even pictures of company leaders grinning like they’d just discovered fire because Kirk had retweeted them.
Charlie Kirk, the man who treated “diversity” like a dirty word. Who wrapped racism and exclusion in a bow of “patriotism.” Who gave cover to every boss like mine, whispering, It’s not bigotry, it’s freedom.
My stomach dropped. All I could think was: Even if they hire me, how long until they look for a reason to shove me out the door too?
The Weight of the Realization
This is what it means to be Black in America right now. Not just fighting for jobs, but fighting the invisible vetting process in your head: Will I be safe here? Will my skin color be the silent strike against me before I even open my mouth?
Every application feels like a gamble. Every handshake carries the weight of history. And every rejection—or even worse, acceptance—comes with the quiet question: Do they see me as an equal, or just a placeholder to check a box?
The Broader Truth
It’s not just about me. It’s about a system where politics and prejudice intertwine so tightly you can’t tell them apart anymore. Trump empowered people like my boss to act out their worst instincts without consequence. Kirk‘s ideology and that of his his followers keep the flame burning, feeding it oxygen with every “rah-rah” post about how unfair it is to even talk about equity.
And here I am, a man who just wants to work, provide, and live. Instead, I’m stuck weighing whether putting food on my table means stomaching a culture that wants to erase me.
Final Word
So when people say racism is over, or “you just need to work harder,” I laugh—because I’ve been working hard. What I need isn’t another lecture on grit. What I need is a world where my opportunities aren’t capped by someone else’s hate. Where a job interview doesn’t feel like a coin toss between survival and soul-crushing compromise.
Until then, I’ll keep moving. Because survival isn’t optional—it’s mandatory.”
AND THAT’S WHAT THEY DO..EVERY DAMN DAY!
Julie Bolejack, MBA
