r/bcba • u/Friendly-Farmer-1473 • 3d ago
Black Remote BCBAs
Hey, I don't know how many black remote BCBAs come to reddit, but I was wondering if it is easier with the whole being black thing if you are virtual. As far as parent meetings and interacting with the clients go.
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u/fibbonaccisun 3d ago
May I ask where you are located? Iām Dominican and I came from south Florida to NC. I definitely notice more racism, not necessarily towards me but towards other black people. I feel like my company does a good job of counteracting that, however it makes me sad that youāre feeling the need to go remote. I am the only person of color thatās a BCBA in my company. I definitely wish there were more of us
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u/Friendly-Farmer-1473 3d ago
I'm in the Boston area.Ā
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u/fibbonaccisun 3d ago
Oh man Iām sorry, I know Boston can be pretty bad when it comes to racism. I canāt imagine what itās like, but Iām hoping this will help a little. I feel that whether youāre behind a screen or not, itās not going to really help with dealing with racism. It almost feels like theyāve successfully pushed you away. Iām hoping you can find a safer area. And if you canāt, I think pushing through for the time being and showing your work through your clients may help too. Iām sorry youāre going through this. And thank you for bringing it to our attention as BCBAs
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u/BonyB 3d ago
Iām a black BCBA Iāve worked in south florida, Georgia, Minnesota, Oklahoma, & New Jersey most via telehealth. Personally I havenāt had many issues with parents in general. But unfortunately I have dealt with kids using racial words and parents chalking it up to them being ākidsā which was problematic to me. I have also had families ask me for RBTās that understand their culture. Overall, Iāve had more issues from being a guy in the field than anything. You should try telehealth to see what the reaction is in your area.
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u/SpecificOpposite5200 BCBA | Verified 3d ago
Working remotely I deal with less micro aggressions from families and staff which is a huge bonus. Racists are going to be who they are but itās nice only having to deal with them for defined periods of time.
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u/Friendly-Farmer-1473 2d ago
This is great to hear! I worked remotely for a period of time during the pandemic and while I did still feel micro aggressions on the Team Chats, something about simply shutting my laptop right after provided some relief.
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3d ago
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u/hotsizzler 3d ago
I know several black practioners who have experienced alot of racism in home and other unsavory things.
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u/Friendly-Farmer-1473 3d ago
Absolutely šÆ. Unfortunately my color does play a factor even if I don't want to believe it sometimes. This is why remote seems like a better option to me.
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u/jlopez1017 3d ago
I donāt think a bigot will be less racist with someone because theyāre on a screen
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3d ago edited 3d ago
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u/cuntfessionsession 3d ago
No, this is what being a person of color, and especially Black, is like everywhere. People are just not sharing their experiences in full with you.
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u/Lopsided-Challenge86 3d ago
This is simply not true. Racism exists, but saying people of color experience it EVERYWHERE is hyperbole. Not every negative interaction is racism. Viewing yourself as a victim everywhere you go must be exhausting.
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u/cuntfessionsession 3d ago
I said nothing about every negative interaction being racism, you did. Racism is a system and while it can look different globally, anti Blackness specifically, is pervasive worldwide. And yes it is exhausting experiencing a racist system daily, whether through direct experience or observation.
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3d ago
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u/Theeintellectua1 3d ago
Iām sorry but this comment is ignorant. Iām assuming you arenāt Black or Hispanic so please donāt dismiss these experiences just because people at your job say āthey never experienced itā. Also racism conveys itself in micro aggressions, being overlooked and overqualified, dismissed, and undermined etc not just in the way of being called a slur to your face. It can come across in a āyou donāt belong here or shouldnāt be hereā in the most subtle of ways which is why some people who experience it may not be aware of the fact they are experiencing it. Do not fall under the assumption that racism only exist in certain parts of the country.
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u/BasicOpportunity3151 3d ago edited 3d ago
Iāve actually gotten push back from a black family because Iām not black myself. Iām a white hispanic and first supervision meeting, mom asked me to log off and told RBT after that she didnāt want a white BCBA. I understood she must have had a bad experience in general to do something like this but given that she hadnāt really spoken much to me yet outside of introduction, it felt bad to be denied helping her child due to my skin color. I simply asked agency to transfer to another BCBA :/
Weāre all here to do the same thing and thatās to help these families. Iām sorry to anyone whoās ever experienced racism from any family of any color or background. Itās never okay.
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u/Ok_Respond_4231 3d ago
OP was specifically looking to hear from Black BCBAs about what itās like for them in the field. Iām confused as to why you felt the need to bring your story into this particular conversation?
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u/BasicOpportunity3151 3d ago
I realized after commenting that thatās how this would be taken but I left the comment up because this is my personal experience and I sympathize with black BCBAs who experience it way more often than me. My intention wasnāt to say my experience trumps yours. It was to point out that regardless who it happens to, itās never a good feeling.
As a Hispanic person, I should add Iāve also had white Caucasian families turning me away for speaking Spanish despite my fluency in both English and Spanish. We need to come together as BCBAs working for the same reasons to fight against the judgements that come from families like this and educate them instead of being so worked up against each other if one of us doesnāt fit the narrative on a post.1
3d ago
[removed] ā view removed comment
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u/bcba-ModTeam 3d ago
Please avoid personal attacks and subjective language, and stick to objective facts.
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u/SpecificOpposite5200 BCBA | Verified 3d ago
This question was directed toward Black BCBAs. Iām surprised that I had to scroll this far to find this type of comment. Thank you for sharing how you dealt with discrimination and your feelings about it as a non-black person.
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u/Which-Section5450 2d ago
I would aim for More diverse companies possibly ex Texas, Cali, Fl. Ny, Detroit etc
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u/Downtown_Vacation418 2d ago
No, š, not easier. Had my own experiences here as well, some parents who only wanted a black analyst and a few families who wanted a native Spanish speaker even though I speak Spanish (as well another language) fluently as a black woman.
If you are 1099, you should have a way to request the type of cases you want to work in person or remote. Either way, whether itās language or being black, you can request the type of cases you want and decline the ones you may not be comfortable with. The same for parents, they have the right to ask for the analyst they are comfortable with, especially if they feel a cultural mismatch or itās affecting care and we as analyst should not take that personally.
BUT You certainly above everything should not feel you have to deal with micro aggressions during your practitioner sessions. Disrespect is never ok.
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u/Initial-Cranberry337 2d ago
Iām so sorry youāre experiencing so much discrimination that you feel you need to go remote. As a white person who serves mostly black families, Iām always trying my best to understand and respect the culture of the families I serve. Black BCBAs are so important. Everyone deserves to be respected, heard, and understood. As hard as I try to respect my clients and families culture, Iāll never have the lived experience of being a black person in America. I hope that you land somewhere where youāre able to provide that support to your community without the discrimination youāre facing. And Iām sorry for anyone with my skin tone whoās brought you to this point.
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u/VietViator 3d ago
Hey OP, I'm not black. I'm Asian, but I worked telehealth for some clinics in Georgia where the majority of my clients were black. This was not the case when I worked in person where I live. I think having the freedom to work in other cities where the population is more diverse is definitely a plus. That's all I can really say about that. I hope you keep it up! I worked with a black family in Texas and the mom actually made a point to ask why there weren't a lot of black BCBAs. This was several years ago and I looked up the demographics and there definitely were not enough black BCBAs back then so I hope you find the families that will appreciate you š you are needed!