Author and nurse Shondra J. Brown released a new book: “The Black Professional’s Guide: How to Navigate White Privilege in the Workplace.”

It offers help, not only to Black professionals trying to survive the workplace, but also to White professionals who have a hard time seeing situations and discrepancies through the lens of race.

The book highlights the lack of diversity or meaningful efforts at diversity in the workplace.

“One of the problems with diversity and inclusion is the lack of diversity and inclusion,” Brown said.

“It is…a call for action for us to start a conversation,” said Brown.

The workplace is supposed to be where one makes a living, and possibly a career, but this has been hard to achieve for people of color as their perspective is seldom taken into consideration.

“We’re often not valued. Our opinions and our experiences may not be championed…or called upon,” Brown said.

This book also calls out bosses who have limited experience with people of color.

“You cannot treat people as a monolith…How do you expect to get the same type of treatment if they’re not looking at you as one of their own,” Brown said.

In the chapter titled “Knowing Your Worth”, Brown talks about despite not being considered valuable or being too intimidating, one still should strive to bring something to the table wherever one works.

“You want to bring something of value to your position, and you want to make yourself indispensable.”

One chapter, “Get Up and Go to Work” compels people of color to maintain their integrity and stay the course at work.

“You can’t expect to play the victim if you’re not going to be accountable for the things you’ve done,” said Brown.

“We’re not going to change people’s minds, we have to change their hearts,” Brown said.

Brown hopes to bring the double standards to the forefront, as well as compel people of color in workplaces to keep their value.

“This is not a book pointing fingers. It’s about accountability,” Brown said.