Assimilation Nation: Tossing the American Salad - What's In A Mane? Pt. 2

Last time on Assimilation Nation: Tossing the American Salad, we followed Shareice to work and saw what happened when we did her hair in a way that was different from the norm yet fitting with some of the stereotypes and biases that face African Americans on a daily basis. The next day we dressed Shareice in her normal business attire, but this time fitted her with a glorious black power Afro. It spanned two feet and was rounder than Mother Earth itself. Shareice does one simple reshaping before heading into the office building. The change is instantly noticeable.


8AM: Shareice walks into the building where several of the African American associates were sleeping on blankets on the lower level. An overseer sits in the corner napping with a walky-talky in his belt. Shareice grabs the walky-talky, finds the nearest desk and stands upon it.

Shareice: ATTENTION AFRO AMERICAN ASSOCIATES OF WENTWORTH MILLER!

The associates on the ground floor wake up with a start. Shareice looks up and sees other associates peering tentatively over the railings above. They see her powerfulness and begin to join together.

Shareice: CHANGE! Is coming. UNGAWA!!!!!!

Afro American Associates: UNGAWA!!!

The contingent stands up and rids themselves of their oppressive clothing trading it instead for designer suites, Kente cloth, and glorious hair. The overseer wakes up and notices the disturbance. He reaches for his walky-talky and frowns in dismay as he realizes it's gone. Shareice holds it high in the air and smiles proudly.

Shareice: You lookin' for THIS boss?!

She turns the radio to all frequencies and delivers a message to the higher-ups.

Shareice: REVOLUTION IS UPON YOU! YOU WILL BOW DOWN! RISE UP AFRIKAN PEOPLES, RISE UP AND TAKE WHAT IS YOURS! Now, where are my messages?

Rachelle: Right here soul sister! You have a meeting with that jive honky Mr. Johnson in an hour.

Shareice: Thank you Sister Rachelle, power to the people.

Rachelle: Right on!

Shareice makes her way to the elevator and is met by Paul who has a cup of coffee for her.

Paul: I know you take it black, just like me.

They board the elevator which stops as normal on the 15th floor. John is standing there looking dejected. Out of Shareice's sight we see a group of black men on either side of the elevator watching in a menacing manner.

John: Shareice hi!

He runs on the elevator making sure not to muss the Afro.

John: Soo.. what was all the business yesterday? Ahem, umm.. it was pretty crazy, huh? You know I'm not usually so-

Shareice: Funny John, I don't remember telling you to speak.

John: Ma'm, yes ma'm!


9AM: Shareice goes to her office to prepare for the meeting with John. She comes out later and goes to the mailcenter to make copies. She runs into Carole.

Shareice: Good morning Carole.

Carole: Hmph, some morning, it seems something has gotten into the water.

Shareice: Oh really? How do you mean?

Carole: Well for one thing, you have different hair again.

Shareice: I'm sure I don't look like a Stephanie today.

Carole: No, but I prefer it.

Shareice: Then you also prefer my foot up your whitey ass and you'll get that preference if you call me out my name again White Devil!

Carole: BRING IT ON! You think this changes anything girl? You think just because you come sporting some Afro it makes anything different? I OWN YOU!

Shareice: Oh hayle naw she didn't! AHHH!!!

Shareice rushes Carole slamming her into the north wall. Carole karate chops her in the back and sends her flying across the room. Shareice recovers before hitting the ground and tumbles into an expert back hand stand inverted lotus kick.

Shareice: My people have suffered in this place long enough. That ends today.

Carole: You are nothing and your people are even less. You gave us the reigns yesterday, and today we will tighten them!

Shareice: Yeawwww!

Shareice roundhouse kicks Carole to the gut and plants her on the ground.

Shareice: Now you listen woman. You had your time to shine, but today is a day for reawakening. Today is about the future, and that future is BLACK! Now what's my name?

Carole: Your name is Ste-

Shareice: MY NAME IS WHAT?!

Carole: Shareice! Your name is Shareice.

Shareice gives Carole a final headbutt knocking her unconscious.

Shareice: And don't you forget it bitch.

She grabs her stack of reports and leaves the room to finish readying for her meeting.


10AM: Shareice walks into the office of Irv Johnson ready for the follow-up meeting from yesterday's contract signings. Irv has his back to her and is rustling through some papers in a file cabinet across the room.

Shareice: Good morning Irv.

Irv: Damnit Stephanie, it's Mast-

Irv turns around to see an angry black woman in an Afro that only seems to be growing larger.

Shareice: Irving I have known you for more than seven years. I was there when your first child was born. Now I don't know what the hell got into you, but that ends today. My name is Shareice, and you will congratulate me on the fine work I did to commandeer that contract yesterday. And you will do it now before I beat you down.

Irv: Ma'm yes ma'm! Shareice ma'm, congratulations on the work you did to bring us the account. You will be duly compensated in your next check!

Shareice: Good, thank you Irving.

Irv: Permission to be frank, ma'm?

Shareice: Permission granted.

Irv: You look so regal and beautiful, I was wondering if perhaps you might want some milk in your coffee today?

Shareice: Irving!

Irv: I love you Ms. Shareice!

Shareice: Irving we're going to close up these contracts and delegate their maintenance tasks to the responsible parties and we'll never speak of this again!

Irv: It's because I'm white isn't it?

Shareice: Irv what did I just say!?

Irv: Yes ma'm, business only ma'm!


12PM: After the meeting Shareice remembers to go to legal to check on Melvin. She boards the elevator where she sees John is now acting as operator.

John: Which floor my Ebony Goddess?

Shareice: Take me to legal please.

John: With pleasure Mistress Moore.

Shareice arrives and notices that Melvin's office is no longer a windowless room in the back, but instead the coveted corner office with views of the growing city.

Melvin: Shareice, welcome, come in and talk with me!

Shareice enters the office to see the man who acted originally as overseer was no shining Melvin's shoes.

Shareice: Well Melvin, I see a lot has changed up here.

Melvin: It certainly has Shareice, let's talk. You may go Johnson.

Johnson: Yes sir, thank you, it was an honor adding brilliance to your footwear.

Melvin: That's enough William.

William leaves the room as Melvin points to a straw chair with a wide peacock style back and a red velvet cushion.

Melvin: Have a seat dear.

Shareice: Melvin, when I started this experiment I had no idea what reactions would occur, but I certainly wasn't ready for the way a simple hairstyle effected everyone so much.

Melvin: The effects on the white people were important Shareice, but what was even more surprising, especially to myself were the response from your fellow colleagues of color. I find when people are forced to fend for their lives, they will instinctually split into the contingent that fights, and the contingent that goes along with the flow hoping for a natural change.

The wounds of slavery are deep in this country and penetrate not just the hearts, but also the minds and souls of those effected by it. Yesterday was nothing compared to the centuries our people have suffered. It was so easy to regress back into those old methods, but I'm glad to see it was easier to come out when given a leader.

Shareice: It was so hard though Melvin. When Carole called me Stephanie it was as if my whole sense of identity flew out the window. My entire morale came crashing down over something so simple. I've worked so hard to get where I am, always with the issue of my race just on the inside of my peripheral vision. I lost sight of it and assumed that now these people will accept me because of the wonderful work I've done. It only took one day for them to see me differently and respond in a negative manner! It's completely unfair.

Melvin: It is unfair, but right now that's life. As a woman, as an African American, and specifically as an African American woman it is up to you to cultivate and cater your own sense of self worth, because no one else is going to do it for you. It's going to be hard, but until times change you have to be strong and confident and not allow anyone to redefine or take away who you are.

Shareice: That's easier said than done Melvin.

Melvin: But it can be done Shareice, it must. Now you and I need to clean up this mess. Yesterday was one extreme and today was quite the other. I suggest we get together and bring this office to a compromise we can all live with.

Shareice: I agree. Thank you Melvin.


Shareice and Melvin spend the rest of day putting discrimination and harassment stipulations into the company's mission statement. They hold workshops on diversity and really get the co-workers not only to open up about their grievances, but put plans into action of how to satiate those concerns.

We will check back with Shareice at the end of our journey, but first we must go to another location to test another type of discrimination.

Thom Jones (and yes, he's heard it before) is a young homosexual man that happens to be very flamboyant. We will place him in an office environment with Steven Thompson who is also homosexual but much more introverted. How will the two of them together effect their environment and what kind of challenges will they face separately and together?

Find out next time on Assimilation Nation: Tossing the American Salad.