I’m a 29-year-old white guy, and I move between different work sites. Today was my first day back at my original office after two months away, so I was making my rounds, saying hello to everyone.
When I got to one of my coworkers a Black woman in her mid-30s I greeted her with, “Good morning, (name), how’s your people doing?” meaning her friends and family.
Her reaction caught me off guard. She told me I wasn’t cute and that what I said wasn’t funny. I didn’t understand at the time, but after thinking about it, I wonder if she took “your people” to mean Black people instead of family and friends.
If she felt offended and brings it up, I believe I can explain that I meant no harm—it was just a casual expression. But having to worry about this kind of misunderstanding is exhausting. Can’t even try to be friendly without wondering if HR will get involved.
For context, I’m one of only two white employees here. I’ve never had issues with my coworkers, and I don’t really talk much with this particular colleague outside of greetings.