Episode Title:

Episode Audio Link: https://podcast.ablackexec.com/episode/surviving-workplace-hostility-

Episode Video Link:

In this audio episode of Need to Know with Dr. Nsenga Burton, Dr. Burton examines workplace hostility, business etiquette, microaggressions, and the professional discipline required when your identity-based perspective is challenged.

Using Ta-Nehisi Coates’ composed response during a difficult interview as a framework, Dr. Burton explains how Black professionals, women, people of color, and historically disenfranchised communities can respond to aggression without sacrificing their livelihood, reputation, or peace.

This episode is a sharp reminder that standing firm does not mean self-destruction. Sometimes, the real power is knowing how to defend your perspective without burning down your own house.

What You Will Learn

• How hostility and microaggressions show up in professional spaces

• Why is composure a survival skill in workplace conflict

• How lived experience shapes disagreement around power, race, and equity

• Why protecting your career does not mean abandoning your truth

▶︎ In This Episode

00:00, Introduction

00:45, Business etiquette and professional respect

01:35, The Ta-Nehisi Coates example

02:30, Staying composed under pressure

03:50, Identity and unpopular workplace opinions

05:00, Power, race, and lived experience

06:15, Microaggressions and workplace aggression

08:10, The damage of disrespectful disagreement

09:35, Protecting your livelihood

10:45, Final takeaway

Embrace L.E.S.S to eliminate all forms of discrimination. Learn: Educate yourself in cultural and racial realities. Empathy: Understand and respect different lived experiences. Share: Share your knowledge and your story to uplift others. Stop: Stop discrimination when you see it.

🔗 Resources

Links and resources mentioned in this episode:

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